Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with corporate L&D leaders

Leigh Anne Lankford

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. Why Courage, Curiosity and Compassion Beat Any Title with Scott Switalski of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

    6d ago

    Why Courage, Curiosity and Compassion Beat Any Title with Scott Switalski of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

    Scott Switalski, Director of Enterprise Learning and Development of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, joins us to explore why leadership is the most critical skill in any organization, how L&D professionals can function as cultural tugboats, and what it really means to develop people with courage, curiosity and compassion. Scott brings three decades of L&D experience across healthcare, human services, contact centers and Native American tribal government. He shares how his team at CHOP thinks about AI as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement, why participant-centricity is reshaping how learning experiences are designed, and how L&D teams can earn their seat at the table by speaking the language of the business. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 01:30 How Scott’s path from practicing law to teaching Windows 95 in an HR office accidentally launched a three-decade career in L&D. 06:05 The two biggest shifts reshaping L&D right now and why one of them has nothing to do with technology. 08:09 What participant-centricity looks like in practice and why it’s one of the most powerful engagement tools available. 10:45 Why L&D teams that can’t speak the language of the business won’t survive as a function. 11:10 The metaphor Scott’s team lives by and how it defines every piece of learning work they do at CHOP. 15:16 The mentor who hired Scott on a hunch and gave him a front-row seat to building a training function from nothing. 18:15 The three skills Scott believes every person in an organization needs right now — titled leader or not. 21:30 Why Scott uses a Brené Brown definition of leadership as the foundation for all leadership development at CHOP. 23:21 The resource Scott turns to when he wants to think like the business leaders he serves. 23:50 The book Scott keeps returning to, and how he uses it as a live leadership development tool with executives. 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 Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia website: https://www.chop.edu Harvard Business Review: https://www.hbr.org “Strong Ground” by Brené Brown: https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Ground-Lessons-Leadership-Tenacity/dp/1984855743 “Nine Lies About Work” by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall: https://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lies-about-Work-Freethinking/dp/1633696308 #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    28 min
  2. Human Connection: The Skill Defining L&D's Future with Peter Plumlee of Ball Horticultural Company

    Jun 30

    Human Connection: The Skill Defining L&D's Future with Peter Plumlee of Ball Horticultural Company

    Peter Plumlee, Talent Development Manager of Ball Horticultural Company, explores why human connection remains L&D's most essential competency in an age of automation, what it really takes to lead a volunteer organization and how vulnerability is reshaping what great leadership development looks like. KEY TAKEAWAYS  00:00 Introduction. 05:17 The unexpected early experience that set the foundation for Peter's entire L&D philosophy.  07:13 The first question Peter asks before he ever builds a learning solution.  08:23 Why Peter thinks L&D's biggest challenge right now has nothing to do with tools. 11:15 The role every L&D professional must step into as AI accelerates.  13:27 What leading volunteers reveal about what real leadership actually requires. 19:43 The mentor relationship that shaped how Peter thinks about connection and giving back.  25:53 What 100 leaders in a room taught Peter about vulnerability.  27:11 Why Peter is convinced AI will never replace L&D's most important skill.  28:19 The unconventional book that reframes community for every learning leader. 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 Ball Horticultural Company: https://www.ballhort.com ATD Chicagoland:  https://atdchi.org/  "The Secret Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben: https://www.peterwohllebenbooks.com/the-hidden-life-of-trees #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    32 min
  3. Skills-Based Learning and the Future of Org Design with Dr. Katie Campbell of Equifax

    Jun 23

    Skills-Based Learning and the Future of Org Design with Dr. Katie Campbell of Equifax

    Dr. Katie Campbell, Senior Director, Learning and Talent Management of Equifax, shares how she approaches L&D strategy within one of the company's largest business units — bridging corporate vision and workforce execution across performance, succession planning and learning. Katie shares how she thinks about AI's role in reshaping workforce capabilities, why the shift to skills-based models is making learning ROI less squishy, and what Microsoft's sweeping HR overhaul signals about where org design is heading.  KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 03:30 How Katie stumbled into corporate learning without ever knowing it existed. 05:04 Why Katie says it would be remiss not to talk about AI's impact on L&D right now. 06:09 The shift that’s making learning ROI less squishy and easier to tie to business outcomes.  07:30 Why Katie hesitates to use the words "human capital." 08:10 What Microsoft's sweeping HR overhaul signals about where org design is heading. 10:18 The skill Katie says L&D teams overlook most. 11:30 The mentor whose authenticity changed Katie’s thinking about leadership forever. 14:12 The AI tool available inside Equifax, which Katie says has real applications for learning. 16:20 The neuroscience book Katie is reading right now and why she thinks every L&D professional should read it too. 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 “Engaging the Rewired Brain” by David A Sousa: https://www.amazon.com/Engaging-Rewired-Brain-David-Sousa/dp/1071923242 “Make It Stick” by Peter C Brown, Henry L Roediger III and Mark A McDaniel: https://www.amazon.es/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning/dp/0674729013 “Design for How People Learn” by Julie Dirksen:  https://www.amazon.com/Design-People-Learn-Voices-Matter/dp/0134211286 SHRM: https://www.shrm.org  Gartner: https://www.gartner.com  Google Gemini: https://gemini.google.com  NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google.com  #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    18 min
  4. Why Continuous Learning Is the Most Critical Skill in L&D Today with Demetrice Bryant of Priceline

    Jun 16

    Why Continuous Learning Is the Most Critical Skill in L&D Today with Demetrice Bryant of Priceline

    Demetrice Bryant, Senior Director, Support Services, Workforce Enablement (Customer Care) of Priceline, joins us to discuss the shift from training delivery to enablement partnerships — covering human-centered design, continuous learning, growth mindset, and what it means to connect L&D directly to business outcomes. From a career that started in a state government training room to leading workforce enablement at one of the world's largest travel platforms, Demetrice brings a perspective grounded in both the theory and the business reality of L&D. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 02:07 How an unplanned moment in a state government training session launched Demetrice's career in L&D.  04:15 What teaching children with autism taught Demetrice about breaking down complex concepts for any learner.  05:45 Why Demetrice believes the L&D profession has fundamentally changed — not just evolved. 06:30 Why human-centered design has always been at the core of L&D and why it matters more than ever now.  08:03 How instructional designers are becoming learning technologists and what that shift looks like in practice.  11:30 Why enablement is about change creation, not just content delivery.  18:16 The mentor who shifted Demetrice's thinking from training completion rates to business impact storytelling.  20:15 Why staying relevant in L&D means reading and attending events well outside the L&D space. 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 ATD:   https://www.td.org/  Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com Harvard Business Review: https://www.hbr.org Unmasking AI by Joy Buolamwini: https://www.amazon.com/Unmasking-AI-Mission-Protect-Machines/dp/0593241835  Reimagining Design by Kevin Bethune: https://www.amazon.com/Reimagining-Design-Innovation-Simplicity-Technology/dp/0262046504  TrainingPros: https://www.trainingpros.com #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    30 min
  5. Mindset Before Tool Set: A CLO's Framework for Real Learning Impact with Phil Rhodes of Phillips 66

    Jun 9

    Mindset Before Tool Set: A CLO's Framework for Real Learning Impact with Phil Rhodes of Phillips 66

    Phil Rhodes, Chief Learning Officer of Phillips 66, joins us to discuss what it means to shift L&D from a deliverable function to an enablement function — covering leadership capability, business acumen, data-driven credibility and the test-and-learn mindset he has applied across his 30-year career.  From his early days in the Peace Corps to leading enterprise L&D at an operating company, Phil brings a perspective rooted in behavioral science, experiential learning and the practical reality of driving change at scale. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 02:30 How Phil's experience in the Peace Corps introduced him to experiential learning and shaped his entire L&D philosophy.  05:30 Why every tool rollout requires mindset, skill set and tool set — in that order. 06:45 Why leaders, not L&D, drive behavioral shift — and what that means for how we design enablement.  09:30 Why Phil believes L&D is at a pivotal moment and the three areas he sees as most critical for the future.  18:45 The four skills Phil says every L&D professional needs to build credibility with the business.  20:45 How a single ATD exercise on influence led Phil to rethink influence as a team discipline rather than an individual one. 23:20 Why starting with technology almost always sets an implementation up for failure.  25:30 How Phil applied agile scrum principles to L&D while holding to core ADDIE methodology. 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: https://www.hbr.org “The Insight-Driven Leader” by Jenny Dearborn and Kelly Rider:  https://jennydearborn.com/insight-driven-leader/ ATD: https://www.td.org/about/atd-leadership  "FYI For Your Improvement” by Korn Ferry: https://store.kornferry.com/en/product/5a377843-f45e-4b8c-9057-525aee9bacec National Training Laboratories: https://www.ntl.org Outward Bound: https://www.outwardbound.org #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    31 min
  6. Positioning L&D as a Business Driver, Not a Cost Center with Mary Cooper of P.F. Chang's

    Jun 2

    Positioning L&D as a Business Driver, Not a Cost Center with Mary Cooper of P.F. Chang's

    Mary Cooper, Director of Learning and Development at P.F. Chang's, joins us to make the case that L&D leaders who can't speak the language of the business will keep losing the budget fight.  Mary draws on her path from operations to the L&D function to show why business acumen is now a core skill for talent development and learning strategy leaders. For training professionals navigating tighter budgets and higher scrutiny, her advice is direct: tie your learning solutions to sales impact, cost reduction and measurable business outcomes. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 03:05 Why Mary says speaking the language of the business is the most critical skill for L&D leaders right now.  04:20 How Mary's background in operations and ballet shaped her approach to helping others learn.  07:17 How AI is forcing L&D teams to rethink course length, delivery format and the pace of content creation.  09:04 Why Mary believes L&D is at a pivotal moment. 11:07 How to make the case for L&D investment when budgets are under pressure.  13:15 Why resilience and adaptability are the most important skills in the workplace. 16:20 Why Mary finds smaller format conferences more valuable than large ones for peer learning and connection. 18:30 The one book Mary recommends to anyone wanting to be a learning leader. 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 TD Magazine: https://www.td.org Consero: https://www.linkedin.com/company/consero-group/ The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501147765/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    21 min
  7. AI Slop, Skills Gaps and the L&D Wake-Up Call with Laura Campion of Pfizer

    May 26

    AI Slop, Skills Gaps and the L&D Wake-Up Call with Laura Campion of Pfizer

    Laura Campion, Director, Revolution Learning Specialist at Pfizer, joins us to discuss how L&D is evolving in the age of AI — from microlearning and embedded performance support to the diagnostic skills that no algorithm can replace.  KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 02:04 L&D is one of the few fields where your expertise travels across every industry.  03:30 The three biggest shifts Laura is seeing in L&D right now — and why one of them may surprise you. 05:03 The AI tool Laura is currently using at Pfizer to walk learners through complex decision-making in real time.  07:08 AI will create a clear divide in the L&D field — and what separates the two sides.  08:20 The counterintuitive prediction about the future of instructor-led training.  10:04 The mentor who changed the trajectory of Laura's career and how he helped her make the leap from classroom to corporate.  13:10 The diagnostic question every L&D professional needs to ask before recommending a single solution.  15:12 Why Laura says completions are not a metric worth measuring.  18:05 Two book recommendations, one for every L&D professional and one specifically for teachers considering a transition to corporate.  19:30 What more companies should understand about hiring teachers. 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 24/7 Education Group: https://247education.org/ devlin.ai: https://devlin.ai CLO Chief Learning Officer Conferences: https://www.clomedia.com/events “Map It” by Cathy Moore: https://blog.cathy-moore.com/book-map-it/ “Teachers to Trainers” by Lisa Spinelli: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1952157145 Pfizer: https://www.pfizer.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    23 min
  8. Why a Learner Mindset Beats Any Skill in Leadership Development with Anita Zanchettin of DoorDash

    May 19

    Why a Learner Mindset Beats Any Skill in Leadership Development with Anita Zanchettin of DoorDash

    We’re joined by Anita Zanchettin, Director, Talent Development of DoorDash, to discuss why leaders are the number-one customer of L&D, how to bring development into the flow of work, and what it really means to adopt a learner mindset in a world of constant change.  Anita shares how she builds leadership training and development strategy at a global scale across DoorDash, Wolt and Deliveroo — moving corporate L&D from isolated events into everyday workflow. She also dives into using AI as a delivery mechanism for personalized learning solutions and why fungibility matters more than any single competency for talent development today. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 01:00 Leaders as force multipliers — Anita's core talent development philosophy. 02:30 The origin story that led her from engineering to intercultural leadership. 05:05 Why a puzzle-solver mindset still drives Anita’s L&D strategy. 06:10 The three pillars reshaping employee training and development. 07:03 What in-the-flow-of-work learning looks like at DoorDash. 09:20 The AI inflection point for L&D teams. 10:09 The future: hyper-personalized and enterprise-wide — at the same time. 12:15 The mentor who shaped how Anita develops her own team. 13:02 The lesson that stays with Anita. 15:07 Why fungibility beats any single competency. 17:30 Why conversations outside L&D spark the best thinking. 19:12 The book every learning strategist should read. 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 DoorDash: https://www.doordash.com   Deliveroo: https://www.deliveroo.co.uk  “The Medici Effect” by Frans Johansson: https://www.amazon.com/Medici-Effect-Breakthrough-Insights-Intersection/dp/1422102823   #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

    23 min
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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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