In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast , David James is joined by Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers, co-authors of the new book The L&D Leader: Principles and Practice for Delivering Business Value . Together, they explore why the L&D profession must shift from delivering learning to driving business value and how leaders at every stage of their career can navigate this change. Drawing on 20+ years of benchmark data and hundreds of practitioner interviews, Laura and Mi...
Jan 20, 2026•51 min•Season 2Ep. 76
In this special live AI edition of the Learning & Development Podcast, David James brings together Egle Vinauskaite, Ross Stevenson, and Peter Manniche Riber for a candid, practical conversation about what AI really means for L&D today. The discussion explores the gap between hype and reality, the tools and applications that are starting to make a meaningful difference and how AI is already being used to improve performance, capability, and skills development. The panel examines what L&a...
Jan 06, 2026•59 min•Season 2Ep. 75
Recorded live at The Learning Conference in Stockholm, David is joined by Elliott Masie, Bob Mosher and Jennifer Florido to explore the forces reshaping workplace learning. From lasting shifts versus failed fads, to performance-first strategies, AI’s real impact, and rising stakeholder expectations, the panel cuts through the noise to share what matters most for L&D leaders right now. Packed with bold predictions and practical advice from three of the field’s most influential voices, this li...
Dec 09, 2025•41 min•Season 2Ep. 74
As AI reshapes the world of work, Learning and Development faces a defining moment. Will the profession double down on creating faster training or finally step up as a true driver of performance? In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast , David James is joined by Bob Mosher - Chief Learning Evangelist at APPLY Synergies and one of the world’s foremost advocates for workflow learning. Together, they explore why L&D’s obsession with “shiny pennies” and new delivery modes risks...
Nov 25, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 73
In this episode, Craig Friedman, author of Enterprise Skills Unlocked , joins David to explore what it really means to build a skills-based organisation, and why now is the critical moment for change. Together, they unpack the macro forces reshaping work, the difference between skills-based and role-based approaches, and the most compelling business cases driving adoption. Craig shares where organisations should start, the role (and pitfalls) of technology, and how governance and measurement com...
Nov 11, 2025•47 min•Season 2Ep. 72
L&D has long carried the “hangover” of legacy expectations: delivering courses, creating content, and measuring completions. But in 2025, those skills won’t cut it - and they could even put the profession at risk of being replaced by AI. In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast , David James is joined by Candice Mitchell - consultant, founder of the Talent Development Academy, and researcher into L&D’s future skills - to explore the next chapter for L&D. Together, th...
Oct 28, 2025•45 min•Season 2Ep. 71
In this episode, Egle Vinauskaite joins David to discuss the very latest AI in L&D report, The Race for Impact, and why L&D is at a pivotal moment. They explore the shift from AI experimentation to implementation, the barriers holding teams back, and the new models of impact outlined in her “Transformation Triangle.” With case studies from Leyton and TTEC, Egle shows how L&D can move beyond content creation to workforce enablement and lasting business value. If you want to understand...
Oct 13, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Too often, Learning and Development professionals find themselves reacting to requests, churning out courses, and struggling to prove their value. In this episode, Jess Almlie—L&D leader and author of L&D Order Taker No More—shares how L&D teams can stop spinning their wheels and start stepping into a more strategic, credible role. Drawing from her 20+ years of experience and the insights in her new book, Jess unpacks why L&D gets stuck, how legacy thinking from stakeholders hold...
Sep 29, 2025•54 min•Season 2Ep. 69
In this episode, Kevin Yates - widely known as the L&D Detective® - joins David to explore why measuring impact remains one of the most persistent challenges in Learning & Development, and how L&D can finally start getting it right. Together, they unpack why reporting on learning activity isn’t enough, what it really means to uncover evidence of performance impact, and how L&D must evolve to contribute meaningfully within the wider performance ecosystem. Kevin outlines the flaws ...
Sep 15, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 68
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, 2025•48 min•Season 2Ep. 67
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, 2025•38 min•Season 2Ep. 66
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, 2025•50 min•Season 2Ep. 65
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, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 64
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, 2025•52 min•Season 2Ep. 63
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, 2025•43 min•Season 2Ep. 62
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, 2025•41 min•Season 2Ep. 61
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, 2025•30 min•Season 2Ep. 60
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, 2025•50 min•Season 2Ep. 59
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, 2025•49 min•Season 2Ep. 58
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, 2025•49 min•Season 2Ep. 57
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, 2025•59 min•Season 2Ep. 56
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, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 55
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, 2025•40 min•Season 2Ep. 54
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, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 53
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, 2025•49 min•Season 2Ep. 52
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, 2025•51 min•Season 2Ep. 51
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, 2025•51 min•Season 2Ep. 50
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, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 49
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, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 48
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, 2024•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 47
