In this special live episode, with guests Lisa Christensen, Hillary Miller and Christopher Lind, we explore their experience and deep expertise on the topics of L&D strategy and team structures - and it’s a masterclass of a conversation.

Register for L&D Next 3rd - 6th March for free today at https://360learning.com/l-and-d-next/2025/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Understand what L&D is there to achieve.
• Team structures have to evolve and be flexible.
• L&D structure has to be right for achieving L&D aims, so it may be different from other teams in the organisation.
• Build adaptable teams by focusing on skillsets.
• Leverage data and hone in on one KPI.
• Understand which relationships and functions you need to focus on. That will evolve.
• Work holistically with other areas of the business.

BEST MOMENTS

“I've never seen a truly centralized model, ever.”

“We can get hung up on the hierarchy of things and miss out.”

“You gotta know who your players are, their bench strengths.”

“We need better data capabilities in learning.”

“Figure out what they care about and then lean on that.”

Lisa Christensen

Lisa leads McKinsey & Company's Learning Design and Development Center of Excellence, a global team of design experts, designing and building the learning that develops McKinsey Partners and professionals, enabling them to deliver incredible client impact. Lisa founded and leads McKinsey's Learning Research and Innovation Lab and sits on the global learning leadership team.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisachristensen

Christopher Lind

Christopher Lind is a dynamic leader at the intersection of business, technology, and human experience, serving as an executive advisor, AI ethicist and sought-after voice in the L&D space.

As a former Chief Learning Officer for ChenMed and GE Healthcare, Christopher has led transformative learning strategies that enhance workforce capability and business performance. A prominent commentator, speaker, and thought leader, he is known for his forward-thinking approach to digital learning, AI, and the evolving role of technology in talent development.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlind

Future Focused: https://christopherlind.substack.com

Hillary Miller

Hillary Miller is a seasoned Learning & Development leader currently heading L&D at HCA Healthcare. With a passion for driving workforce capability and business impact, she brings extensive experience in healthcare education and leadership development.

Previously, as Chief Learning Officer at Penn State Health, Hillary led enterprise-wide learning strategies, fostering a culture of continuous development and innovation.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillarybmiller

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

As generative AI continues to evolve from novelty to everyday adoption, its transformative potential for Learning & Development is becoming increasingly clear. In this episode, Sean Bengry, a senior L&D leader, shares his experiences and insights on harnessing AI to drive impact and innovation in our field.

Sean discusses the pivotal moment that revealed the power of generative AI, offers jaw-dropping demonstrations of its current capabilities, and explores its applications in personalised learning and talent development. From enhancing human understanding to redefining L&D’s core aims, this conversation is packed with practical examples and forward-thinking strategies.

With actionable advice and a look at the industry’s leading AI adoption, Sean provides a roadmap for L&D professionals ready to embrace this game-changing technology and rethink what’s possible.

See the full agenda for L&D Week March 3rd to 6th and register for free today at https://360learning.com/l-and-d-next/2025/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• AI can create content that is designed to specifically appeal to and engage with each person.
• A lot of what we do is gathering data from one place, reworking it and sharing it for application. AI is very good at this e.g. Notebook LM podcast feature.
• Most people have still not explored how AI can help them to do their L&D job.
• You can use voice and your camera to interface with AI.
• Tell AI to take on personas to explore, test and get feedback for your ideas.
• There are ways around any issues related to putting your business data into AI.
• AI enables you to get down to the micro level and create content to close very specific skills gaps.
• Be curious and start small.

BEST MOMENTS

“AI provides real impact.”

“It was a new mode of content synthesis that I had never seen before.”

“The more data you can put in there around who a person is … the more AI can personalise that learning information.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

Sean Bengry Bio

Sean Bengry is a senior Learning & Development leader with a passion for driving innovation and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to empower organisations and their people. Currently the Director of Learning Transformation & Technology at DaVita Kidney Care, Sean leads strategic initiatives to enhance talent development and organisational growth.

At the forefront of L&D transformation, Sean is known for his forward-thinking insights and ability to inspire action, helping organisations navigate the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly evolving learning landscape.

Connect with Sean via:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbengry/

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

Stepping into a new L&D leadership role is challenging, and establishing both yourself and your team can be even harder. It’s not just about filling gaps—it’s about aligning your vision with the business’s needs and building a strategy that delivers tangible results. In this episode, Sam Allen, Global Head of Learning and Development at Ideagen, shares how he has navigated this journey, from understanding the company’s culture and expectations to creating an L&D strategy that drives real performance.

Sam talks about the key steps to establishing yourself in a new L&D role: how to build trust with stakeholders, identify the right learning needs, and bring your team on the journey. If you're a new L&D leader or looking to reposition your team, this episode offers real-world insights into how to take L&D from a function to a business partner.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Work really hard to understand where the business you have joined is going.

• Identify the decision makers and sit down with each one to find out what their priorities are and where they are heading. To do this you need an effective way to take notes and analyse what you learn.

• Assess how your team currently performs.

• Make it clear to everyone what your approach to L&D is.

• Acquire the right tools for your L&D team and for your stakeholders.

• Set up self-serving learning resources that enable departments to fill skill gaps themselves.

• Break skills content down to enable truly targeted learning.

• Establishing yourself is about creating a strategy that truly drives business impact.

BEST MOMENTS

“How capable are the team members within that organisational structure?”

“Build credible relationships with stakeholders.”

“Create content where there are gaps.”

Sam Allen Bio

Sam Allen is the Global Head of Learning and Development at Ideagen, where he leads the company’s L&D strategy to drive performance, capability, and career growth. Before joining Ideagen, Sam was the Interim Head of L&D (Central Functions) at Cazoo, where he established the central L&D function, delivering leadership programs and automating onboarding and compliance. Before that, Sam founded Insightful People, partnering with businesses to deliver strategic L&D projects. He also held senior L&D roles at Whitbread, developing management teams, and at Argos, where he led the L&D strategy for IT, Digital, and Marketing, supporting around 500 colleagues and delivering high-potential and leadership development programs. Throughout his career, Sam has been committed to transforming L&D into a strategic driver of business performance.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

The Talent Fueled Enterprise seeks to provide insight into key disruptors driving an imperative for talent in organizations. The book also provides a fresh perspective on how leaders should consider navigating the evolving landscape of talent management. It challenges the conventional framework for talent management, urging leaders to reimagine how they perceive, nurture, and leverage the people within their organizations. In this episode, we unpack what this means for organisations, their Talent teams and the workforce.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• A talent-fuelled enterprise provides a skills deal that works for employees as well as the organization.

• Talented employees are no longer willing to only serve the business they want to develop skills that also progress their careers.

• If you don´t give people the chance to learn they will go elsewhere.

• A talent-fuelled enterprise values and cultivates the entire organization.

• Identify what makes performance sustainable, adaptable and scalable.

• Hire for agility, people who learn and adapt.

• Ongoing transformation has to be part of a company´s DNA.

• L&D has to start setting the agenda.

• Developing the workforce of tomorrow is an essential investment.

• L&D needs to develop itself to be able to deliver a talent-fuelled workforce. Mike explains how in the episode.

BEST MOMENTS

“The talent-fuelled enterprise is one that's …. going to cultivate, and it's going to celebrate that wealth of talent, that already exists in the organization .”

“Skills are the currency of the organization … it's also the currency of the people themselves.”

“Talent is something that we need to rethink.”

“It's really about our ability as professionals to be a good business partner and to be curious and to go and study.”

Mike Ohata Bio

Mike Ohata is the author of the book The Talent Fuelled Enterprise and has a career-long history of transforming Big Four and Fortune 15 organizations through talent frameworks, comprehensive people development, and workforce solutions. During his 26-year executive career, Mike strategically navigated Microsoft Corporation and KPMG through disruption and challenges, honoured with the LearningElite Gold Award for pioneering exemplary learning and development strategies at KPMG.

The Talent-Fuelled Enterprise was written for leaders who aspire to build a culture that truly embraces continuous learning and a workplace that is based on trust and collaboration.

You can follow and connect with Mike via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeohata/

The Talent Fuelled Enterprise book (discount code for listeners: DJPODCAST30): https://a.co/d/c2Ppn3N

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/

• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

Many of us fall into L&D - and some of us make sacrifices in order to do so. At a time when many of us have faced layoffs and unexpected setbacks, we wanted to spotlight career journeys that had tough times and what our guests did to overcome these. In this episode, I’m speaking with Jennifer Sutherland, Global Leader of Culture, Learning & Development at Trustwave, about her incredible career and the lessons we can all learn from her.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Very few people follow a linear path into L&D. This is good because they bring varied business skills to the role.

• If you do not have any training or L&D experience to put on your resume seek it out. Jennifer shares several ways to do that.

• Be authentic, especially during presentations, and develop your own style.

• Listen to feedback but recognise who the outliers are and factor that in before deciding whether to pivot.

• Take your time when switching roles. Lots of L&D professionals inadvertently end up in a role that is not a good fit for them.

• Use other L&D professionals as a sounding board and help each other.

• Understand how humans learn and stay up to date with the research.

• Stay curious and stay up to date with the tech.

• Build good relationships with all stakeholders and network.

BEST MOMENTS

“You created the opportunity that helped you gather the experience that you needed to be taken seriously by those L&D hiring managers.”

“Words matter … how you fill in the silence is so critical.”

“Frankly, that role was not the right fit for me.”

“The career path that I'm on looks bananas, but gave me all these skills, resources, knowledge, community and networks.”

“Create your own sandwich of tech to create what you need.”

“The world limits you already. Don't be the one that limits yourself.”

Jennifer Sutherland Bio

Jennifer is the Global Leader of Culture, Learning & Development at Trustwave, where she is responsible for driving employee engagement and developing enriching learning experiences. Her team focuses on initiatives such as change management and sales enablement, essential for a dynamic global workforce across EMEA, APAC, and North America.

Concurrently, as an Adjunct Professor at Davenport University, Jennifer leverages her expertise to educate the next generation in HR and Learning & Development.

You can follow and connect with Jennifer via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifernsutherland

Website: https://sutherlandtalentsolutions.com

The Nonlinear Training Career article - https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/spring-2024/the-nonlinear-training-career

https://www.toastmasters.org

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

L&D can sometimes fail to make sense to even the most seasoned L&D leader but what about our colleagues in other departments? What do they make of our products and approaches? What do they make of our inability to equate our spend and effort to ROI? Well Ajay Pangarkar can tell us. His frustrations with L&D had him lean in from his Accounting background and tell us. But not just by heckling. But by giving us advice. In this episode, Ajay will tell us how we’re perceived and what we can do to better measure the impact of what we do.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Using business terminology, you are not 100% familiar with undermines your credibility.

• Knowledge is now genuinely driving businesses, so L&D is seen as far more important.

• Focus on the end result.

• Use the Kaizen approach – keep asking why.

• Become a listener, get into people´s heads and skill them up in a non-intrusive way.

• Data analytics is essential to L&D.

• Work with your financial team to deliver your business case.

BEST MOMENTS

“With all respect and love for Learning and Development, they are the nerds in the schoolyard trying to fit in with the cool kids.”

“Nobody in the organization cares about learning. They care about the doing.”

“We are in the golden age of L&D.”

“I always say they cut their budget because you didn't deliver value.”

Ajay Pangarkar Bio

Ajay is the author of four books, with the most recent titled, “Learning Metrics: How to Measure the Impact of Organizational Learning" (Kogan Page). He’s an award-winning author receiving multiple prestigious TrainingIndustry Readership and Editors’ Award, eLearning Magazine’s Learning Champion, and the World Training Development Congress named Ajay their “Distinguished Trainer”. He is a broadcast media commentator addressing workplace performance issues and contributor to leading international publications.

Ajay is also a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA, FCMA), Certified Training and Development Professional (CTDP), and a world-renowned workplace performance authority on integrating employee performance strategies within operational environments.

On top of all this, he is a professor at the Sprott School of Business (Carleton University) and Smith School of Business (Queens University) as well as being actively involved with workplace learning working closely with LinkedIn Learning.

You can follow and connect with Ajay via:

Twitter: @bizlearningdude

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajaypangarkar/

Book: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/learning-metrics-9781398615366

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/

• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/