Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with corporate L&D leaders

Leigh Anne Lankford
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Business
  • Weekly

Welcome to Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with corporate L&D leaders — the podcast where we learn from leading minds in the L&D space. Each week, we’ll dive into the details of what it takes to thrive in learning and development, as guests from different corporate contexts and sectors share their expertise and experience. If you’re dedicated to staying on top of optimized growth, transformative industry technologies and all things training, then this is the show for you!

  1. 3d ago

    Why L&D Belongs at the Business Table in Luxury Hospitality with Sarai Jacko of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

    Sarai Jacko, Regional Director of Training and Development for Southern California of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, joins us to talk about why learning and development has earned a seat at the business table in luxury hospitality. Sarai shares how training investment shows up in guest satisfaction scores, why personalized learning means meeting each colleague where they are and how a Lobby Ambassador initiative keeps non-guest-facing leaders connected to the operation.  Sarai also explains why flexibility and emotional intelligence matter most right now and how she built a quarterly luncheon for fellow luxury hospitality L&D leaders. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why L&D now has a strong seat at the business table. 02:28 Finding L&D through hotel operations. 04:03 How training shows up in guest satisfaction and the bottom line. 05:57 Why AI will make L&D more personalized. 07:26 Meeting learners where they are. 08:51 Finding time for training in a 24/7 business. 11:59 What the Lobby Ambassador initiative teaches leaders. 14:38 Why flexibility and emotional intelligence matter most. 16:02 Building a quarterly luncheon for L&D peers. 19:00 Books for aspiring L&D leaders. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, the international luxury hotel brand for which Sarai works: https://www.fairmont.com/en.html Fairmont Century Plaza, the Los Angeles luxury hotel where Sarai leads training and development for the Southern California region: https://www.fairmontcenturyplaza.com/ SHRM Foundation, the nonprofit affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management and one of the networks Sarai relies on for industry news: https://www.shrm.org/foundation/about/Pages/about-us.aspx American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), a hospitality networking organization Sarai is active with in Southern California: https://www.ahla.com/ Century City Chamber of Commerce, the local chamber whose networking events Sarai attends: https://centurycitycc.com/ LinkedIn, a go-to source Sarai uses for industry news and information: https://www.linkedin.com/ ATD International Conference & EXPO, the Association for Talent Development conference Sarai attended in Los Angeles: https://atdconference.td.org/ “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara, Sarai’s top book pick for anticipatory, personalized service: https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/UNRHSPTY/unreasonable-hospitality  “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown, which Sarai’s team draws on in its trainings: https://brenebrown.com/hubs/dare-to-lead/  OneTreePlanted, TrainingPros’ company charity, which has planted almost 6,000 trees to date: https://onetreeplanted.org/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    Why L&D Belongs at the Business Table in Luxury Hospitality with Sarai Jacko of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

  2. Oct 20

    Making the Impossible Possible: L&D’s Path to Workforce Transformation with Nicole Kramer of Mars

    Nicole Kramer, Senior Manager of Capability Building at Mars, joins us to talk about how L&D is shifting from content creation to enabling performance. Nicole shares how a career that began in sales led her into learning and development, why AI is accelerating the move toward business transformation roles and the three boundaries she believes L&D can break down in the next five years. She also explains why you don’t have to wait for the next title to start thinking at the next level, how to build a disciplined curiosity and which books she recommends for up-and-coming L&D leaders. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Nicole’s north star. 03:53 Finding L&D through a career in sales. 05:14 From creating content to enabling performance. 07:26 The Gutenberg lesson for AI adoption. 09:32 Three silos L&D can break down. 12:15 Roles on a future transformation team. 13:28 Think at the next level before the title. 15:08 Building disciplined curiosity. 15:57 Creating a personal learning ecosystem. 18:00 Books for up-and-coming L&D leaders. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED The Coca-Cola Company, where Nicole moved into her first formal L&D role after years in sales: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/ Mars, where Nicole leads capability building for the food service business at Mars Snacking, which now includes Kellogg’s: https://www.mars.com/  Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards, the L&D awards program where Nicole was a recent winner: https://excellenceawards.brandonhall.com/ Tigerhall, the social learning platform Nicole uses almost daily to learn from other industries: https://tigerhall.com/ “Seeing the Big Picture” by Kevin Cope, Nicole’s top book pick for understanding how the business works: https://acumenlearning.com/free-book “Everybody Matters” by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia, which Nicole pairs with “Seeing the Big Picture” to keep the human side in view: https://barrywehmiller.com/bobchapman/book Reforestation World, TrainingPros’ company charity, which has planted over 5,000 trees to date: https://www.reforestationworld.org/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment #LeadershipTraining

    Making the Impossible Possible: L&D’s Path to Workforce Transformation with Nicole Kramer of Mars

  3. Oct 13

    Why Soft Skills Build Longevity in L&D with Nick Borey of Best Buy

    Nick Borey, Senior Manager of Learning, Design and Technology of Best Buy, joins to talk about what actually gives a corporate training career staying power. He traces his path from training and facilitator roles into instructional design, explores what it takes to make learning work at scale, and shares his take on where AI genuinely changes the work, and where it doesn’t. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why soft skills matter more than tools for long-term L&D careers. 01:19 Nick's path into L&D. 02:01 From AdventHealth trainer to instructional designer. 03:10 Leading learning design for Best Buy’s enterprise org. 04:05 What makes a learning organization actually work. 05:17 Building process without slowing teams down. 07:42 Where AI helps in L&D, and where it doesn’t. 11:33 What separates L&D hires who succeed from those who don’t. 16:34 Building career longevity through soft skills and trust. 18:28 Why networking outside your org matters. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED AdventHealth, where Nick worked in digital and web-based learning before moving into a dedicated L&D career: https://www.adventhealth.com/ Articulate 360, the e-learning authoring tool Nick references when discussing new AI-powered features in the L&D space: https://articulate.com Project Management Institute (PMI), which awarded Nick his PMP certification alongside his master’s in instructional design technology: https://www.pmi.org/ Best Buy, where Nick currently leads learning design for the enterprise learning organization: https://corporate.bestbuy.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment #LeadershipTraining

    Why Soft Skills Build Longevity in L&D with Nick Borey of Best Buy

  4. Oct 6

    Learning Technology Strategy Should Start With the Problem, Not the Platform with Lan Tran of Wysora

    Lan Tran, Founder and Principal of Wysora, joins us to unpack what it really means to be a learning technology strategist, the emerging role sitting at the intersection of learning, technology and business strategy.  She traces her path from software developer to learning designer to enterprise learning technology leader, and shares how that combination shapes the way she now advises organizations on their learning ecosystems, their learning culture and the mistakes that quietly undercut both. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why the learning technology strategist role matters now. 01:15 Lan's path from software developer to technology strategist. 06:28 What separates a strategist from an LMS admin. 09:53 How the right technology builds a real learning culture. 13:03 Why people teams often misread their own learning data. 16:41 Learning systems manager vs. technology strategist, explained. 19:34 Why design should come before the platform. 26:49 What to ask before bringing in outside expertise. 30:53 The most common mistake in optimizing learning platforms. 38:14 Where this role is headed as AI reshapes L&D. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Reforestation World, TrainingPros' company charity, referenced by the host — TrainingPros has planted over 5,000 trees to date through this initiative: https://www.reforestationworld.org/  DePaul University, where Lan earned her information systems degree before starting her career: https://www.depaul.edu/ Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), Lan's first employer, where she joined the business performance simulation group as a developer: https://www.accenture.com/ Kraft Heinz, where Lan managed the learning tech ecosystem and relaunched the corporate university: https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/ McDonald's, where Lan led design and enabling learning technology: https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    Learning Technology Strategy Should Start With the Problem, Not the Platform with Lan Tran of Wysora

  5. Sep 29

    Stagility: How L&D Leaders Can Navigate AI-Driven Change with Ashley Corcoran of The Home Depot

    Ashley Corcoran, Director of Learning Design and Development of The Home Depot, joins us to talk about what it takes to reinvent a learning and development team at scale while AI reshapes how the work gets done. Her team builds learning experiences for 450,000 associates across retail stores, outside sales and service, and supply chain. Ashley shares why the business is her lead indicator for where L&D is headed, how she separates problems to be solved from tensions to be managed, and why leaders need “stagility” — a balance of stability and agility — to help teams adapt without losing their footing. She also shares how The Home Depot’s internship program gives early-career talent meaningful work and opportunities to make a real impact from the start. KEY TAKEAWAYS  00:00 Why people capabilities make or break every system 02:13 A clear mission as the team’s North Star 03:33 L&D’s shift from content creation to performance consulting 09:46 Thirty years of L&D, from e-learning to AI 14:09 Why the business sets L&D’s pace 15:56 AI as a blank slate moment for L&D teams 18:06 Problem to solve or tension to manage? 21:32 What early career talent really wants from an internship 27:12 Stagility: balancing stability and agility 28:42 Ashley’s book pick for aspiring L&D leaders If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Georgia Tech, where Ashley studied before starting her career in business consulting and systems implementation: https://www.gatech.edu/ The Home Depot, where Ashley has spent nearly 22 years in L&D and leads learning design and development for 450,000 associates: https://corporate.homedepot.com/ The Home Depot Internship Program, the paid 11-week program Ashley’s team uses as a talent pipeline: https://careers.homedepot.com/student-internships/  Georgia State University, whose master’s degree students have joined Ashley’s team as interns and full-time hires: https://www.gsu.edu/ Andy Stanley on managing organizational tension, the source of the problem-or-tension question Ashley uses with her team: https://andystanley.com/managing-organizational-tension-transcript “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey, the source of the changeless core idea Ashley uses to anchor her team through change: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-7-Habits-of-Highly-Effective-People/Stephen-R-Covey/9781982137137  “Impact Players” by Liz Wiseman, Ashley’s book recommendation for every aspiring L&D leader: https://impactplayersbook.com/ Reforestation World, TrainingPros’ company charity, referenced by the host. TrainingPros has planted almost 6,000 trees to date through this initiative: https://www.reforestationworld.org/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    Stagility: How L&D Leaders Can Navigate AI-Driven Change with Ashley Corcoran of The Home Depot

  6. Sep 22

    Rewriting the L&D Playbook for AI: Closing the Gap Between Training and Performance with Jennifer Baker of Foot Locker

    Jennifer Baker, Director of Talent and Leadership Development at Foot Locker North America and Founder of Jen in AI, joins us to talk about how learning and development is changing as AI reshapes what people need to learn, how they learn it and the value an L&D team brings to an organization.  Jennifer shares how she built her way into L&D, from running two fashion boutiques and leading a retail store to creating her own training program before anyone asked her to. She explains why learning is moving closer to the work itself, why judgment is becoming one of the most important L&D skills in the AI era, and why learning agility, adaptability and curiosity matter more than trying to predict exactly what a job will look like five years from now. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why Jennifer built her way into L&D instead of setting out to work in the field. 01:38 Jennifer’s 60-second path from retail to leading talent development at Foot Locker. 03:28 From fashion boutiques to store manager: how Jennifer built her first training program. 07:30 Why learning is moving closer to the actual work. 09:53 Where AI is taking L&D over the next five years. 14:17 The biggest challenge facing learning leaders right now. 17:08 Why learning agility is the most important skill in the workplace. 24:16 Jennifer’s go-to sources for industry news. 30:17 The Adam Grant book Jennifer recommends for every aspiring L&D leader. 35:14 Inside Jennifer’s LinkedIn Learning course on AI for instructional design. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Association for Talent Development (ATD), the professional association Jennifer credits for research, chapter events and real-time industry information: https://www.td.org/ Safe Space by Workweek, a private online community for HR and people professionals that Jennifer credits for candid, real-time peer advice: https://hateithere.co/community/safe-space “Hidden Potential” by Adam Grant, the book Jennifer recommends for anyone moving into L&D leadership: https://adamgrant.net/book/hidden-potential/ “AI-Powered Content Creation: Train Your AI to Think Like an Instructional Designer,” Jennifer’s LinkedIn Learning course on using AI as an instructional design assistant: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ai-powered-content-creation-train-your-ai-to-think-like-an-instructional-designer #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    Rewriting the L&D Playbook for AI: Closing the Gap Between Training and Performance with Jennifer Baker of Foot Locker

  7. Sep 15

    Why the Future of L&D Belongs to Consultants, Not Content Creators with Alicia Turino-Sheppard of Cognizant

    Alicia Turino-Sheppard, Director of Learning at Cognizant, joins us to talk about the shift happening inside L&D as AI takes over content creation and facilitation. Alicia leads a lean, consultative team supporting Cognizant's global Workday practice, and she makes the case that the professionals who stay relevant won't be the ones who build the best slide decks; they'll be the ones who think like business consultants. She also explores the difference between change resistance and change exhaustion, why she reads historical fiction instead of traditional leadership books, and the mentor lesson about asking for what you want that still shapes how she leads her team. KEY TAKEAWAYS  00:00 Why L&D’s future belongs to consultants, not content creators 01:35 Leading a lean L&D and talent team at Cognizant 03:53 Where AI ends and the human touch begins 06:25 From content creation to strategic consulting 09:09 The mentor who helped Alicia earn her first promotion 10:42 The career advice from her father she still follows 14:22 Why Alicia reads historical fiction, not leadership books 17:14 How to stay relevant in L&D 18:44 Change resistance vs. change exhaustion 21:10 Revisiting these AI predictions in a year If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Harvard Business Review, cited by Alicia as a regular source of L&D and business insight: https://hbr.org Association for Talent Development (ATD), the professional association Alicia references for talent development magazines and resources: https://www.td.org CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder), the Gallup assessment Alicia recommends for identifying team strengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/home.aspx “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, one of the leadership books Alicia references: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment #LeadershipTraining

    Why the Future of L&D Belongs to Consultants, Not Content Creators with Alicia Turino-Sheppard of Cognizant

  8. Sep 8

    How a Former Journalist Builds Corporate Training That Competes With TikTok and YouTube with Brad Ulmanu of Expedia Group

    Brad Ulmanu, Director of Learning Experience at Expedia Group, joins us to talk about why storytelling is one of the most important skills in learning and development. Brad started his career as a journalist before moving into L&D, and he ties storytelling to instructional design, eLearning content creation, and learning experiences people want to finish. A useful frame for any learning leader rethinking corporate learning and development. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 What great learning is actually competing with. 01:56 How a journalism career led Brad into L&D. 02:51 What made the move into L&D worth it for Brad. 03:59 Brad's advice to his younger self. 07:54 What Brad's learned about first impressions. 09:37 The real AI challenge facing learning leaders. 12:28 The most important skill in the workplace right now. 13:29 Brad's go-to resource for L&D research. 14:12 Two books every aspiring L&D leader should read. 16:29 Why Brad's team designs learning like a media team would. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Expedia Group website: https://expediagroup.com/ i4cp (Institute for Corporate Productivity), a research subscription Brad's team uses for L&D and future-of-work insights: https://www.i4cp.com “The Leader's Guide to Storytelling” by Stephen Denning, on using organizational narrative to spark action and align teams: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Guide-Storytelling-Mastering-Discipline/dp/078797675X “The Design of Everyday Things” by Donald A. Norman, on mental models, feedback loops and human-centered design: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262640374/the-design-of-everyday-things/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #LeadershipTraining

    How a Former Journalist Builds Corporate Training That Competes With TikTok and YouTube with Brad Ulmanu of Expedia Group
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About

Welcome to Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with corporate L&D leaders — the podcast where we learn from leading minds in the L&D space. Each week, we’ll dive into the details of what it takes to thrive in learning and development, as guests from different corporate contexts and sectors share their expertise and experience. If you’re dedicated to staying on top of optimized growth, transformative industry technologies and all things training, then this is the show for you!

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