The Learning and Talent Podcast

On 1 December 2021, Theresa Cook, then EMEA Talent Development head for TikTok and ByteDance, and her team attended a Town Hall where they were told that the talent development global function was being made redundant."Now, in any organisation that is quite a shock," Theresa recalls, "however, in a startup organisation, which I did sign up for, I also knew that these are the kind of...

Skills, reskilling and upskilling are high on the CLO agenda right now. Peter Sheppard, previously the Head of Global L&D Ecosystem at Ericsson, talks about how to demonstrate the value of skills in your organisation and how to tie your reskilling efforts to key business goals in this fascinating interview.

For decades, Learning & Development has been organised around a familiar production model: a business identifies a need, L&D designs a programme, content is created, employees complete it, and despite a genuine desire to measure business impact, success is often reported through attendance, completion rates and satisfaction scores. But the advent of AI is beginning to dismantle that model,...

In this interview, Dean Cannarozzi, Head of Sika Global Business School, talked to us about his work to reposition Learning and Development (L&D) within Sika as an organisation that has traditionally focused primarily on Talent Development. The Sika Business School manages a range of learning and talent programmes for Sika, often branded with "leadership" in their titles, which are c...

Skills-based organisations have become one of the biggest talking points for Learning and Talent leaders, but are they a genuine route to greater agility, or just another HR trend wrapped in new language? In this exclusive iVentiv interview, Vidya Krishnan, then Chief Learning Officer at Ericsson, and Nigel Paine, former Head of People Development at the BBC, explore whether skills-based organisat...

Following iVentiv's Learning Futures Cologne 2024, Richard Parfitt (Marketing Director, iVentiv) spoke to Klaus Scheile (then VP of Learning & Development, T-Systems) to delve into the T-Systems approach to skills and talent development. Listen to the full interview and read our blog to understand more about how T-Systems fosters a learning-centric culture, empowers personal development, a...

Leadership Development continues to be a topic of huge interest to Global Heads of Learning, with 60.5% of you highlighting it as one if your priorities so in 2024. In an interview with Berry Lumpkins, then Global Head of Organisational Development at NKT, Berry explained how the organisation has built its approach to Leadership Development from the ground-up, and, crucially, how important it was...

iVentiv's Hannah Hoey took some time to dive into the dynamic world of Learning & Development (L&D) at Fugro, spearheaded by Wouter Jan Kleinlugtenbelt, the Global Head of L&D. During this conversation, Wouter Jan talked about Fugro's transformative journey, adapting to cutting-edge technologies like uncrewed vessels and augmented reality, with the aim of enhancing operational...

As a leading player in the transformation to a technology-driven enterprise, ZF Group has launched the Skills Hub to address the evolving needs of its global workforce. Daniela Prinz, Global Head of Learning & Competency Development at ZF Group, sheds light on how this platform is pivotal in supporting employees as they navigate through the megatrends of e-mobility, digitalisation, and sustain...

With her extensive background in teaching entrepreneurship at leading UK business schools, Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj has cultivated a deep passion for fostering women in leadership. Through her work, Shaheena emphasises that true innovation requires not only diverse teams but also a leadership model that embraces psychological safety, an entrepreneurial mindset, and continuous learning. Join us as w...

In our interview with Trish Uhl, Senior AI Specialist, we explored the transformative potential of AI within the Learning & Development (L&D) functions of organisations. Trish, an expert in AI and technology, shared her insights on how AI is reshaping professional development and learning processes. Trish's insights underscore the urgent need for L&D to catch up with technological...

In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, companies like Expedia and Microsoft are harnessing the power of new technologies to drive learning, talent, and business objectives. Leveraging AI, including generative AI and tools like Microsoft's Copilot, these companies personalise learning experiences, enhance performance management, and streamline operations. Led by iVentiv's Hannah Ho...

In today's fast-paced business environment, the importance of mindfulness in leadership cannot be overstated. As leaders navigate the complexities of decision-making and relationship-building, mindfulness serves as a crucial tool for maintaining focus, fostering empathy, and enhancing executive presence. In this blog, we explore the insights of Matthias Birk, Global Director of Partner Develop...

In this insightful interview, Jay Moore, former Chief Learning Officer at GE, and Jo O'Driscoll-Kearney, then Global Head of Learning & Leadership Development at Majid Al Futtaim, delve into the strategies that organisations can adopt to stay competitive in a rapidly changing world. In a conversation with iVentiv's Hannah Hoey, Jo and Jay discuss how to create ecosystems that continuou...

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace faster than most organisations can comfortably adapt to. For Chief Learning Officers and Talent Leaders, the challenge is no longer whether AI will transform work, but how to prepare people for that transformation in a meaningful, sustainable way. During a recent iVentiv interview, Fabio Sacoman (VP, Learning & Development) shared how Expedia...

In an age of constant change, Zurich Insurance has embraced a skills-based approach as a core strategy to future-proof its workforce and drive business success.  In an interview with iVentiv, Adrian Stäubli, former Group Head of Skills Development Solutions at Zurich Insurance, highlighted Zurich’s commitment to identifying, developing, and deploying skills across its global workforce.  This model...

As digital transformation reshapes the corporate landscape, organisations are rethinking how they manage talent and skills. At E.ON, AI is at the heart of this evolution, revolutionising skill management, employee development, and internal mobility. Markéta Alešová, Vice President of Global Talent and Diversity, shares how E.ON is leveraging AI to create a more transparent, skills-based workforce...

“Learning doesn't necessarily have to just be the partner,” says Stacey VanderHeiden Güney, Global Head of Learning at ArcelorMittal University. “It can actually, I think, be the futurist.” In an era of relentless disruption and global complexity, Learning is no longer a support function – according to Stacey and many Heads of L&D, it’s a strategic lever for transformation. In this convers...

At a time when organisations across the world are rethinking the way they develop and retain talent, Sandvik is taking a holistic, integrated approach to talent optimisation.  Eva Wikmark Walin, Global Head of Employee Experience at Sandvik, sat down with iVentiv’s Content Manager, Hannah Hoey, to reflect on how the Swedish engineering company is building a connected talent ecosystem, and what oth...

“You need to change the people, and changing the people goes through leadership.” – Christophe Vanden Eede, Global Head of Talent Management, bpostgroup As the demands on global organisations evolve in the face of disruption, digitalisation, and competitive reinvention, Christophe Vanden Eede’s work at bpostgroup offers a powerful case study in how leadership can catalyse transformation, not just...

When HU-X Founder Tia Katz first attended an iVentiv event, it marked the start of a relationship that would help shape her business, her thinking, and her sense of what’s possible in Leadership Development. Having first attended as a delegate in a corporate role at Citi, she now attends regularly as a sponsor, helping her connect with the iVentiv community of senior leaders in Learning and Execut...

What does sustainable leadership really look like in today’s high-pressure business environment? For Amy Cribb, Head of Learning, Development & Culture at BorgWarner, the answer starts with a mindset shift: resilience alone is no longer enough. In this conversation with iVentiv, Amy explores why organisations need to rethink burnout, recovery, and wellbeing as critical leadership capabilities...

In a world of rapid technological acceleration, generative AI is no longer a distant promise—it is an active force reshaping how people learn, work, and grow. For C-suite executives, particularly Chief Learning Officers and Heads of Talent, this presents both a challenge and a strategic opportunity. At the heart of this evolution is a reimagining of the role of the Chief Learning Officer (CLO)—fro...

“Every single leader, especially in Germany and Europe, will realise they need to invest in their people — otherwise they will lose this competition.” - Katrin Marx , Head of Corporate Learning, Bosch The race for talent is no longer about recruitment alone. For multinationals navigating economic changes, AI disruption, and intensifying competition, the real differentiator is how fast organisation...

For Michelle Agnew, Global Head of Learning, Engagement, and Culture at CNH Industrial, the work of L&D goes far beyond delivering skills training. It’s about creating an environment where “people want to come to work, and they’re excited about that and giving it back.” With more than 20 years of experience in HR and Talent Development which includes senior roles at the American Red Cross, Mic...