Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with corporate L&D leaders

Hosted by Leigh Anne Lankford

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113

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Aug 2026

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About the show

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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September 1, 202627 min

How the Assumptive Yes Helps L&D Leaders Stop Waiting for Permission with Melissa Kruminas of Litmos

Join Melissa Kruminas , VP, Learning Experience and Enablement of Litmos , as she shares her path from asset management to leading learning at a learning company, and the moment a Six Sigma project taught her to tie training to a measurable business outcome. She also breaks down the "assumptive yes," a tactic she uses to drive training attendance and buy-in without waiting for permission, and explains why L&D teams don't need a five-star program when a fast, good-quality solution will do. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why L&D professionals hold themselves back by asking permission they don't need. 02:20 From asset management at Fruit of the Loom to leading learning at a learning company. 04:01 A Six Sigma project and the $70,000 lesson in measurable impact. 06:27 The Yoda-and-Dumbledore mindset shift: making others successful, not being the hero. 10:23 A blunt piece of feedback from a sales leader. 10:56 Radical candor: caring enough to tell someone what they need to hear. 13:54 The "assumptive yes": driving buy-in without asking permission. 15:40 The pizza analogy: progress over perfection. 17:47 AI and "learning in the flow of work," a decade after Josh Bersin coined it. 22:23 Melissa's go-to L&D resources: including LinkedIn and “Smart Brevity.” 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 Litmos Website: https://www.litmos.com/ Fruit of the Loom: https://www.fotlinc.com/ Brandon Hall Group: https://brandonhall.com/ Radical Candor: https://www.radicalcandor.com/ “Leading in the Age of AI” by Dr. Brigette Tasha Hyacinth: https://brigettehyacinth.com/books/ “Smart Brevity” by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz: https://www.axios.com/smart-brevity Josh Bersin: https://joshbersin.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

August 25, 202621 min

What a Learning Strategist Does Before Building Training with Allyson Roote of The Bonadio Group

Allyson Roote , VP, Learning and Organizational Development of The Bonadio Group , joins us to discuss why training shouldn’t be the default solution to every performance problem. After building Bonadio’s learning and development function from a team of one to a team of nine, Allyson shares why she starts with diagnosis, not design, and how that approach leads to more effective solutions. She also explores how AI is making distinctly human skills even more valuable in L&D, and why adaptability and authenticity are among the most important workplace skills today. She closes by reflecting on the mentor whose approach continues to shape how she leads and develops her team. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction: Why not every performance problem calls for training. 01:15 Scaling L&D at The Bonadio Group. 02:56 From psychology to L&D, sparked by an executive coach. 06:15 Why AI makes human judgment more valuable. 09:00 Why training can’t fix the wrong problem. 10:42 A mentor’s lesson: Know your worth before it’s recognized. 12:27 Why adaptability matters more than ever. 13:46 Authenticity, vulnerability, and Brené Brown’s leadership lessons. 16:39 Building curricula that speak the client’s language. 18:00 Two 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 The Bonadio Group (the accounting and advisory firm where the L&D function grew from a team of one to nine): https://www.bonadio.com/ Association for Talent Development (ATD) (a go-to resource for L&D industry news): https://www.td.org/ Training Industry (another regular industry resource for L&D news): https://trainingindustry.com/ McKinsey & Company (cited as a source for foundational learning and business research): https://www.mckinsey.com/ AICPA & CIMA (followed to stay current on the accounting side of the work): https://www.aicpa-cima.com/ Accounting Today (an accounting industry publication read to understand the client's world) : https://www.accountingtoday.com/ Journal of Accountancy (another accounting publication followed to build credibility with clients): https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/ International Coaching Federation (ICF) (the organization behind the ACC coaching certification earned along the way): https://coachingfederation.org/ “The Trusted Learning Advisor” by Dr. Keith Keating (the team calls it “TLA” and gives a copy to every new hire): https://www.thetrustedlearningadvisor.com/ “Hidden Value” by Dr. Keith Keating (the other recommended book, by the same author): https://www.hiddenvaluebook.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

August 18, 202630 min

How AI is Elevating the Instructional Design Role with Kara Kirby of TrainingPros

Join Kara Kirby , Relationship Manager at TrainingPros , as she shares her career journey from sales training in the tire industry to corporate learning and development, and discusses the experiences and lessons that have shaped her role in relationship management at TrainingPros. She also explains how the instructional designer role is moving towards analysis and strategy, showing organizations what custom corporate training can look like when personalized learning solutions are within reach. Learning leaders still need instructional design consultants who can organize training people will finish. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction to Kara Kirby and her role as relationship manager at TrainingPros. 01:26 How Kara found her way into L&D. 04:32 Career journey through corporate L&D. 11:03 The most rewarding part of relationship management. 13:42 The skill that helps most: coaching. 15:22 Themes in client conversations today. 16:51 What organizations are investing in now. 19:32 How AI could elevate instructional design. 21:37 What separates a good consultant from a great one. 24:16 Advice for consultants seeking contract work. 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 TrainingPros: https://trainingpros.com Ultimate Software (now UKG): https://www.ukg.com Dealer Tire: https://www.dealertire.com #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

August 11, 202632 min

The Leadership Skill That Fades as You Become an Expert with Kassy Laborie of Kassy Laborie Consulting

Kassy LaBorie , Keynote Speaker, Author and L&D Pioneer of Kassy LaBorie Consulting , joins us to talk about what a career built on noticing things, from people and patterns to vintage Barbie dolls, can teach the learning and development field about staying curious in the age of AI. Expert leaders know a lot, which paradoxically makes genuine curiosity harder. Kassy, host of The Spark Konnect podcast, discovered that stepping into unfamiliar territory forces the kind of authentic curiosity that matters most in learning leadership. When you move beyond your expertise, you stop performing knowledge and start asking real questions. That shift transforms how you approach talent development and team learning. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction to Kassy LaBorie, keynote speaker, author and L&D pioneer 01:33 Trading the label "corporate trainer" for “professional noticer” 04:12 How a lifelong Barbie collection became the perfect AI learning lab 05:59 A theater degree and a career fair led to an accidental path into Silicon Valley training 14:45 Interviewing athletes and artists reveals what curiosity actually requires of a host 23:51 A painter once told her to squint and see the basic shapes before filling in the details 25:53 The one thing AI can't replace: human expression 27:33 L&D leaders building AI-ready teams should focus on the strategic yes 28:21 Three books from women shaping the L&D conversation earn a recommendation 29:10 The debrief question used to bookend every session 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 Spark Konnect podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spark-konnect/id1847731623 Interact and Engage! 75+ Activities for Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars by Kassy LaBorie: https://www.td.org/product/book--interact-and-engage-2nd-edition/112209 Producing Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars by Kassy LaBorie: https://kassylaborie.com/book-producing-virtual-training-meetings-and-webinars/ Learning That Lasts by Katrina Kennedy: https://www.td.org/product/book--learning-that-lasts/112503 L&D Order Taker No More! by Jess Almlie: https://www.td.org/product/book---ld-order-taker-no-more/112509 #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

August 4, 202631 min

Evidence-Based Instructional Design for Modern Teams with Joe Stoup of RealPage

We sit down with Joe Stoup , Director of the Learning Experience Group at RealPage, Inc. , where he oversees content development, content management and content delivery for a team of 32. Joe shares how AI is reshaping instructional design, why curiosity has become his team's most important skill, and why the research doesn't back up one of L&D's longest-held assumptions: learning styles. KEY TAKEAWAYS 01:24 Joe shares how he came into L&D from computer science and running help desks. 07:17 The most impactful shifts AI has brought to L&D. 12:33 Why Joe believes AI works best in a “human, AI, human” sandwich. 13:37 The mentor who taught Joe how to manage up. 16:43 Why curiosity is the most important skill in L&D right now. 19:40 Building a culture of care, from Simon Sinek's “culture of care” to RealPage's learning advisors. 24:00 Why Joe turns to Google Scholar instead of typical industry sources. 26:04 The book Joe recommends for evidence-based L&D leadership. 27:23 Busting the learning styles myth with the research behind it. 29:49 Joe's closing thought on the privilege of helping people learn. 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 ReelPage, Inc. website: https://www.realpage.com/ “Evidence-Informed Learning Design” by Mirjam Neelen and Paul A. Kirschner: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/evidence-informed-learning-design-9781789661415 Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

July 28, 202629 min

Curiosity: The Critical Skill for Learning Leaders in Talent Development with Josiah Owens of INPO

Josiah Owens , Program Manager of Employee Development at INPO , talks about what it takes to build a career centered on impact rather than title. Josiah traces his path from video production and instructional design work to leading talent development inside the nuclear industry, and shares why he believes curiosity, more than expertise, is the most critical skill for learning and development professionals today. He also discusses his upcoming term as president of the ATD Greater Atlanta chapter, the mentor who shaped his leadership philosophy, and the book he recommends to every aspiring learning strategist building a career in talent development. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction to Learning Leader Spotlight and this week's guest, Josiah Owens. 01:15 Josiah shares his path from teenage video production work to a career in talent development. 02:09 Josiah describes himself as an "impact chaser" pursuing purpose through people development. 04:42 Josiah explains how wider access to tools and resources has reshaped who gets to build learning content. 07:31 Josiah predicts L&D will shift from content creation toward genuine partnership with the business. 10:57 Josiah outlines his plans as incoming president of the Greater Atlanta ATD chapter. 17:38 Josiah credits his grandmother, a career educator, as his most influential mentor. 20:58 Josiah names curiosity as the single most important skill in the workplace today. 23:39 Josiah recommends "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey to every aspiring L&D leader. 24:43 The conversation turns to using Covey's Circle of Control to lead through the pandemic shutdown. 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 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO): https://www.inpo.info ATD Greater Atlanta Chapter: https://atdatlanta.org The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey: https://www.franklincovey.com/books/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

July 21, 202625 min

Talent Development at the Speed of Business with Blair Bekker of Chewy

Blair Bekker , Director of Global Talent Development of Chewy , joins us to discuss why L&D must trade perfectionism for speed, how entire workforces learning new skills at once is turning L&D into a strategic partner to the business, and why proving measurable impact is what separates the leaders who move fast from the ones who stay stuck. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 01:35 What it looks like to lead talent development across every part of Chewy’s business, from corporate teams to the fulfillment floor. 04:22 Why Blair says the biggest shift in L&D isn’t a new model. 05:45 The uncomfortable mindset shift Blair has to coach her own team through every day. 09:05 Why Blair believes the entire workforce learning new skills at once is turning L&D into a strategic advantage. 09:55 Where Blair would put 10 times her current budget. 12:50 The skill Blair says is hardest to hire for on any L&D team right now. 17:05 The one book Blair credits with completely changing how she talks to the business. 19:00 How running a true A/B test gave Blair her first real proof that training moved the needle. 21:58 The career advice Blair says is the real unlock for L&D professionals. 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 Chewy Website: https://www.chewy.com “Return on Learning: Training for High Performance at Accenture” by Donald Vanthournout: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Learning-Training-Performance-Accenture/dp/1932841423 #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

July 14, 202636 min

How Measurement Transforms L&D From a Cost Center to a Strategic Partner with Christina Castelli of Accenture

Christina Castelli , Head of Learning Operations and Measurement of Accenture , makes the case that L&D’s credibility with the business depends on one thing: connecting learning to outcomes before the training ever runs — not after. Christina shares how she built Accenture’s SKY model, a learning-measurement framework designed to answer real business questions rather than justify program spend. She also explores what it means to use AI as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement, why discernment is the differentiating skill of the AI era, and how L&D professionals can start seeing generative AI as the opportunity to finally deliver the personalized, outcome-connected learning they’ve always wanted to build. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 01:30 How Christina’s path from consulting to social learning, design, operations and measurement led her to build and lead Accenture’s learning measurement function. 02:45 The tension that pushed Christina into measurement: L&D teams convinced of their own value, but unable to translate it into the language the business actually speaks. 05:04 Accenture’s SKY Model — and why identifying the business outcome has to happen before choosing a single metric, model level or measurement approach. 06:30 Why every section of the model connects back to the business outcome, and why not every program needs to measure every level. 08:13 What operationalizing measurement at scale actually looks like: a beginner guide, default approaches by audience size and an analytics dashboard built with the data team. 10:35 What Christina recommends for L&D professionals who don’t control the measurement standard — and why early stakeholder alignment changes the entire dynamic at the end. 11:15 Why you can’t be held accountable for data that was never available — and how to have that conversation with business partners before a program launches. 12:15 The mindset shift from vanity metrics to actionable insights — and the comment from a business stakeholder that crystallized everything for Christina. 16:36 Final measurement advice: think in a structured way, focus on what would actually answer the question and share what you can — rather than grasping for whatever looks positive. 17:45 “If you ask AI to replace you, it will. If you ask it to augment you, it will.” — what that means for learning developers navigating today’s AI inflection point. 19:25 The learning developer role at the AI crossroads: why handing off your thinking to AI is different from using AI to expand your thinking. 22:08 Why personal human understanding of content is still irreplaceable — and the risk of skipping the ingestion step that gives L&D professionals their real value add. 24:30 Discernment as the differentiating skill of the AI era: why polished output no longer signals quality, and what it takes to tell the difference. 26:45 A practical way into GenAI for L&D professionals: use it as a thought partner first, ask it what to prioritize and block 30 minutes a week as dedicated GenAI play time. 32:28 The mindset shift every learning leader needs right now: seeing AI as the opportunity to finally deliver the personalized, outcome-connected learning we’ve always wanted to build. 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 Accenture website: https://www.accenture.com Kirkpatrick Model: https://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

July 7, 202628 min

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

June 30, 202631 min

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