The Learning & Development Podcast - podcast cover

The Learning & Development Podcast

David Jameswww.looop.co
The Learning & Development Podcast is a fortnightly topical podcast show for L&D professionals hosted by David James and presented by 360Learning. In each episode David James discusses and debates topics affecting the profession alongside expert guests.  David is the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning and a highly respected voice in the Learning & Development industry. With a focus on harnessing technology to drive impactful learning strategies, David is recognised as one of the top 10 global influencers in the L&D space. His expertise lies in helping organisations modernise their approach to workplace learning, ensuring measurable results and business alignment. The Learning & Development Podcast has amassed over 500,000 downloads and ranks in the top 1% of podcasts globally. With nearly 30,000 LinkedIn followers, David continues to shape the conversation around L&D innovation and best practices, drawing on his deep experience, including his time as Director of Learning, Talent & Organisational Development at The Walt Disney Company. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.360learning.com/
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Episodes

Taking the Pain Out of Compliance with Nick Taylor

For many L&D teams, compliance training is a necessary burden—dominated by tick-box exercises, clunky e-learning, and endless chasing. But it doesn’t have to be this way - even in highly regulated industries! In this episode, Nick Taylor, Head of Learning at Ishida Europe, shares how his team has reimagined compliance as a practical, performance-oriented part of everyday work. Drawing on his experience transitioning from less regulated sectors into one where compliance is non-negotiable, Nic...

Sep 01, 202548 minSeason 2Ep. 67

Organising L&D for Results with Guus van Deelen

Many L&D teams are under pressure to deliver business impact—but are held back by disorganisation, unclear positioning, and a lack of strategic focus. In this episode, Guus van Deelen, author of Organising L&D for Results , shares a practical approach for transforming how L&D functions operate from the inside out. Drawing on his experience and research, Guus explores why traditional L&D structures fall short, how organisational context shapes what “good” looks like, and why it’s ...

Aug 18, 202538 minSeason 2Ep. 66

Making Sense of the Learning Technology Market with Becky Willis

In this episode, Becky Willis joins David to explore the increasingly crowded world of learning platforms—from the evolution of LXPs to the challenge of aligning stakeholders with vastly different needs. Together, they tackle what’s hot (and what’s not) in the market right now, why so many organisations are still unhappy with their chosen platforms, and how L&D teams can start with strategy, not software. Becky also shares her insights on building tech ecosystems that support collaborative l...

Aug 04, 202550 minSeason 2Ep. 65

Driving Business Impact with Talent Development at Scale With Martha Soehren

Traditional L&D teams often struggle to prove their value—but at Comcast, Martha Soehren built a Talent Development function that drove measurable business impact at scale. In this episode, Martha shares how her team aligned with strategic priorities, built trusted stakeholder relationships, and embedded governance to keep L&D at the heart of business conversations. She also explains how data, storytelling, and a focus on succession planning helped elevate the function’s credibility acro...

Jul 21, 202544 minSeason 2Ep. 64

The L&D Podcast Experience, Live! – Rethinking L&D, Performance, and the Power of AI With Laura Overton, Donald Clark, and Gemma Paterson

In this special live episode recorded with a virtual audience, host David James is joined by an all-star panel of Learning & Development leaders - Laura Overton, Donald Clark, and Gemma Paterson - for a dynamic conversation on the future of workplace learning. Together, they explore: Whether "Learning & Development" is the wrong name for the profession. The growing shift from learning-centric to performance-focused strategies—and why this remains a point of contention. How AI is transfor...

Jul 07, 202552 minSeason 2Ep. 63

Reinventing L&D for Long-Term Impact with Avinash Chandarana

How do you continuously reinvent L&D while working with the same stakeholders and navigating constant change? In this episode, Avinash Chadarana, Global Learning & Development Director at MCI Group, shares the realities of leading L&D over the long haul—building from scratch, overcoming challenges like budget cuts and COVID, and evolving with a geographically dispersed remote team. We dive into the biggest shifts in L&D over the past few decades, the ongoing challenge of moving s...

Jun 23, 202543 minSeason 2Ep. 62

Rethinking L&D: Why Accomplishments Matter More Than Behaviours With Carl Binder

L&D has long been focused on behaviour change—but what if that’s the wrong goal? In this episode, Carl Binder challenges conventional wisdom and makes the case for shifting our focus from behaviours to work outputs —the measurable accomplishments that drive business results. Carl explains why this approach is more effective, how L&D teams can correctly identify and measure accomplishments, and what it takes to implement this thinking at scale. He also shares practical strategies for rede...

Jun 09, 202541 minSeason 2Ep. 61

Hope Isn’t a Plan: Building a Progressive L&D Strategy with Dani Johnson

Traditional L&D strategies rely too much on hope. Hope that training will stick, hope that stakeholders will engage, and hope that impact will follow. But as Dani Johnson of RedThread Research explains in this episode, hope isn’t a plan. Drawing on insights from the latest report, Dani outlines why L&D’s influence in strategic business discussions is declining - and what leaders must do to reverse the trend. She breaks down the five essential elements of a progressive L&D strategy, f...

May 26, 202530 minSeason 2Ep. 60

The L&D Maturity Model: David James in the Hot Seat

In this special episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, we’re turning the tables! Host of The Learning Hack podcast, John Helmer, takes over the mic to interview our very own David James about 360Learning’s new L&D Maturity Model. With a wealth of experience in the learning industry, John brings a sharp, inquisitive lens to this conversation, challenging David on why L&D needs another maturity model, how it’s been developed, and what makes it different from the many that have ...

May 12, 202550 minSeason 2Ep. 59

Live from New York: Leading L&D for Impact with Julianne Gill

For the first time ever, The Learning & Development Podcast was recorded in front of a live audience in New York! In this special episode, I sit down with Julianne Gill, Director of Learning & Development at Smile Brands, to explore what it truly takes to build an L&D function that delivers measurable impact. Julianne shares insights from her career journey, how she assessed and transformed L&D at Smile Brands, and the pivotal role of performance consulting and collaborative lear...

Apr 28, 202549 minSeason 2Ep. 58

The Great Reset: Unlocking the Power of Organisational Learning With Nigel Paine

In a time when organisations must adapt and evolve more rapidly than ever, the role of learning is at a crossroads. In this episode, Nigel Paine, author of The Great Reset: Unlocking the Power of Organisational Learning, shares his vision for transforming L&D into a strategic driver of culture, leadership, and inclusion-focused change. Nigel outlines the dimensions of organisational learning, the five values that underpin it, and the critical questions that leaders must ask to shift from tra...

Apr 14, 202549 minSeason 2Ep. 57

Designing Learning for Impact with Julie Dirksen

Too often, L&D delivers learning solutions that fail to drive real behaviour change. But why does this happen, and how can we design interventions that truly make an impact? In this episode, learning design expert Julie Dirksen unpacks the science behind effective learning and what actually motivates people to apply what they’ve learned. Julie explores the biggest reasons training fails, the role of attention and habit formation, and how L&D can move beyond information delivery to solvin...

Mar 31, 202559 minSeason 2Ep. 56

Revisiting Aviva’s Ambitious Digital Reskilling With Molly Howes & Alex Price

Reskilling is high on the agenda for many organisations, but how do you do it reliably—and at scale? In this episode, Molly Howes returns to share the incredible progress of the Aviva Foundry, an ambitious initiative to upskill employees from Customer Support roles into Digital careers, alongside Alex Price, who was a successful participant in the program. They discuss what’s changed since their last appearance, the processes that have made large-scale reskilling successful, and how they’ve ensu...

Mar 18, 202542 minSeason 2Ep. 55

The Long-Distance Leader, Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership With Wayne Turmel

As remote and hybrid work redefine the modern workplace, leadership must evolve to meet new challenges and opportunities. In this episode, Wayne Turmel, co-author of The Long-Distance Leader: Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership, shares invaluable insights on leading in this new era. Wayne explores how leadership has fundamentally changed, the unique challenges of asynchronous and hybrid environments, and what leaders can do to foster strong team cultures and productive coll...

Mar 04, 202540 minSeason 2Ep. 54

L&D Podcast Live: Strategy & Structures

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 ...

Feb 18, 20251 hr 1 minSeason 2Ep. 53

How Generative AI is transforming L&D right now With Sean Bengry

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 personalis...

Feb 04, 202549 minSeason 2Ep. 52

The Skills Advantage with Anish Lalchandani

In a world where skills gaps are widening and job demands are evolving at unprecedented rates, understanding how to gain a "skills advantage" is critical for organizations to stay competitive. In this episode, Anish Lalchandani, author of The Skills Advantage, delves into his insights on bridging skills gaps, building resilient teams, and preparing organizations for the future. Anish walks us through his approach, discussing how the right skills strategy can shift a team from good to exceptional...

Jan 21, 202551 minSeason 2Ep. 51

How To Establish Yourself and Your Team As a New Head of L&D with Sam Allen

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...

Jan 07, 202551 minSeason 2Ep. 50

The Talent-Fueled Enterprise With Mike Ohata

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 Talen...

Dec 10, 202441 minSeason 2Ep. 49

Non-Linear Careers in L&D with Jennifer Sutherland

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 i...

Nov 26, 202448 minSeason 2Ep. 48

What Your Finance Department Want To See From Your L&D Department with Ajay Pangarkar

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 c...

Nov 12, 20241 hrSeason 2Ep. 47

L&D and Leadership Trends with David Kelly

When we have an opportunity to understand L&D and Leadership trends from global L&D experts we should take them, right? On the eve of DevLearn, David Kelly (Chairman of the Learning Guild) gives us his perspective on the things we should be paying attention to as well as the areas we should be focusing our development on. KEY TAKEAWAYS Technology is changing the L&D landscape and we need to evolve with it, but this is something L&D has always done, the same conversations are happ...

Oct 29, 202444 minSeason 2Ep. 46

Unleashing The Power of L&D Through Governance With Noah Rabinowitz and Tom Kupetis

A governance structure in L&D is a move from implicit to explicit practices. It brings rigour and structure to decision-making practices that would otherwise be nebulous and ill-defined. It is a recognition that L&D is, fundamentally, a strategic function – equally critical for the organisation’s growth and for its survival in turbulent times. But it doesn’t exist in every L&D team. In this episode, Noah and Tom break down why it is essential and how we, as L&D, get to grips with...

Oct 14, 202442 minSeason 2Ep. 45

The Skills Accelerator with Heather Stefanski & Bjorn Billhardt

CLOs today must ask: Is our work building lasting, relevant skills right now? Are we delivering business impact? Is the work building or diminishing L&Ds effectiveness and credibility? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then perhaps it is time for a skills accelerator approach. This is the title of a CLO Lift report and in this episode, we unpack what it means and why it’s critical to us, in L&D, but more importantly to our organisations and employees. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D p...

Sep 30, 202440 minSeason 3Ep. 44

From ‘Time’ to ‘Value’: Reframing the Value of Organizational Learning

L&D leaders in large organizations often cite a lack of time as the main barrier to upskilling and reskilling. While increasing learning hours is important, the CLO Lift team found that time is not the most critical factor. Instead, the quality of learning has equal or greater influence on performance than the quantity of time spent. Rather than focusing solely on hours, business leaders and L&D professionals should emphasize value. This episode explores these insights with Lisa Christen...

Sep 17, 202444 minSeason 2Ep. 43

Numbers & Narratives 7 Steps to Proving L&D Value with Neil John Cunningham

At some point or another, we’ve all found ourselves struggling to demonstrate the value of our L&D solutions, wondering if there has been value or whether we’ll find it. For many of us, it’s a constant search. In this episode, Neil John Cunningham unpacks this for us and lets us in on the steps outlined in his most recent book, Numbers & Narratives, to prove the value of our L&D. KEY TAKEAWAYS Don´t worry about not understanding the data. Someone in the business will just ask them to...

Sep 02, 202439 minSeason 2Ep. 42

The Learning & Development Podcast Live with Nick Shackleton-Jones and Kenny Temowo

What do 146 L&D professionals care most about? What are the killer stats L&D should know about right now? Is ‘learning content’ really necessary? What questions will be pulled from the cuddly toy’s posterior? Find out the answers to all these questions and more in this very special live edition of The Learning & Development Podcast with guests Nick Shackleton-Jones and Kenny Temowo. KEY TAKEAWAYS Understanding how to provide their organisation with greater value and impact is a big c...

Aug 19, 202458 minSeason 2Ep. 41

Enterprise-Wide Skills-Based Learning with Ryan Tracey

L&D at enterprise scale is very difficult. To say the least. This is why so many start and end by ‘providing learning’ in the hope that some of it sticks and makes a difference. But the opposite to relying on hope is to stand for addressing skills gaps and holding yourself accountable to actually closing them. This is what Ryan has aimed to achieve in his roles and what he shares with us in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lead from the front. Start with skill-based learning now. Treat your skill...

Aug 05, 202442 minSeason 2Ep. 40

Organisational Culture Change With Lily Woi

Good or bad? Positive or toxic? Powerful or incongruent? Culture plays a huge part in our working lives. In L&D we ignore culture at our peril. But what does it mean to understand and change organisational culture? In this episode, former Deloitte Management Consultant, Lily Woi, unpacks this for us and provides insight and guidance on how we can change culture in our organisations. KEY TAKEAWAYS Culture is about more than behaviour and working practices. Structure and governance both have a...

Jul 22, 202441 minSeason 2Ep. 39

Organisational Learning Communities With Andy Lancaster

Learning communities transform organisations through sharing knowledge, spearheading practice, solving problems, seeding innovation, and supercharging development. So how can you develop a culture of learning in your organisation? In this episode, Andy Lancaster addresses this question - and many more. KEY TAKEAWAYS From the very start of humankind people have learned from each other, often in groups. Animals do it too. Learning from friends and colleagues is seen by practically everyone as bein...

Jul 09, 202443 minSeason 2Ep. 38
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