2025 Agenda - North American Learning Executive Summit

Stream One Co-Chair

Jeff Orlando

Chief Learning Officer

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Stream Two Co-Chair

Christopher McCormick

Chief Academic Officer

EF Corporate Learning

4:15pm - 7:00pm

4:45pm - 5:20pm

Panel: Shaping the Future of L&D: Innovations and Best Practices for Talent & Learning Leaders in 2025 and Beyond!

Julie Dervin

Former Chief Learning Officer

Cargill

Heather Stefanski

Chief Learning & Development Officer

McKinsey & Company

AMS Sencovici

Chief Talent Officer

Royal Caribbean Group

Session Details

How can leaders adapt learning & talent development strategies to meet the changing needs of today’s evolving workplace?
What are some best practices for designing inclusive learning opportunities that cater to the diverse needs of employees?
How can AI-powered tools, machine learning, and automation be leveraged to personalize learning experiences and boost employee engagement?
How can organizations effectively identify and develop future leaders through targeted leadership development programs?
What approaches can be taken to create continuous development paths that align with future industry trends and technologies?

5:20pm - 5:55pm

Communicate Better: Use the Timeless Language of Color Energies to Connect Teams Across Geography and Generations

Mark Leisegang

Practice Lead – Education

Insights Learning and Development

Session Details

Understand how color energy can be used to create a common language that transcends generations, geographies, and technologies, fostering deeper connections and understanding across teams.

Insights into the power of color energy: Discover how the Insights language of color energy can be used to bridge generational gaps between employees and improve communication within teams.
Connect across cultures: Learn how to use color energy to foster understanding and collaboration between teams located in different countries and cultures.
Navigate technological transformation and AI: Explore how color energy can help organizations improve training to guide their employees through the challenges of digital transformation and enhance productivity with change environments.

To get the most from this talk and glean communications strategies relevant to your own situation and challenges, we recommend you download your own Insights Discovery personal profile before the event. Click here to get started

6:00pm - 7:00pm

7:30am - 8:30am

8:30am - 8:35am

Opening Remarks and Important Announcements

8:35am - 8:45am

Chair’s Welcome Address

Jeff Orlando

Chief Learning Officer

Bristol-Myers Squibb

8:45am - 9:05am

The Future of AI, Learning, and Leadership

Brian Glaser

Vice President & Chief Talent and Learning Officer

Google

Session Details

Understanding patterns and forces of change
Identifying world and workforce trends to help foresee the future
Embracing co-intelligence and developing capabilities in the AI era
Identifying the questions we need to be asking ourselves and our teams to succeed in the future

9:05am - 9:40am

Fear to Fascination: Talent Development on the Spectrum

Ramona Arora

Vice President- Enterprise Career Development

The Walt Disney Company

Session Details

Modernizing talent through reimagined GTM strategies
Rethinking HR’s four key pillars for modern impact
Leveraging emotional resonance to enhance learning outcomes
An alternative approach to creating truly inclusive learning experiences

9:45am - 10:20am

Lead. Inspire. Transform: Advancing Excellence Through Coaching

Robert Garcia

Vice President, Chief Staff Officer

International Coaching Federation Global Enterprise, Inc.

Katherine Lord

Director of Organizational Member Experience

International Coaching Federation Global Enterprise, Inc.

Michelle “Mickie” DeVeau

Director, Leadership Institute

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Session Details

Integrate Coaching into Leadership Development for Measurable Impact
Deploy Onboarding Coaching for Leaders
Drive Team Collaboration and Engagement
Utilize Coaching as a Retention and Career Development Tool
Demonstrate ROI and Long-Term Success through Coaching

9:45am - 10:20am

Archways to Opportunity: Empowering McDonald’s Restaurant Employees by Enhancing Language Skills

Christopher McCormick

Chief Academic Officer

EF Corporate Learning

Marianne Merola

Education Programs Manager

McDonald’s

Session Details

Discover the secrets behind McDonald’s award-winning “English Under the Arches” program and its impact on breaking language barriers
Gain insights into the program’s evolution, key learnings, and the tangible results that highlight its success
Understand how the program contributes to building a strong, inclusive, and values-driven culture
Learn how “English Under the Arches” enhances employee attraction, retention, and promotion among restaurant employees

10:25am - 12:05pm

Pre-Arranged One-to-One Meetings

10:30 am – 10:50 am: Meeting Slot 1/Networking
10:55 am – 11:15 am: Meeting Slot 2/Networking
11:20 am – 11:40 am: Meeting Slot 3/Networking
11:45 am – 12:05 pm: Meeting Slot 4/Networking

These mutually agreed-upon conversations are arranged and facilitated by Executive Platforms staff to ensure attendees have valuable discussions about their top-of-mind questions, challenges, and opportunities.

12:10pm - 12:45pm

Transitioning Towards a Skills-Based Organization

Session Details

Translating skills and a skills framework for business leaders
Understanding and closing skills gaps to ensure your organization is prepared for future challenges
Integrating skills-based initiatives into business strategy for seamless organizational alignment
Leveraging Generative AI to deliver the right skills for today and tomorrow’s workforce needs
Core governance best practices to maintain a Skills-Based Talent Ecosystem

12:10pm - 12:45pm

Fireside Chat: BMS’ Science-Based Approach to Manager Development and Effectiveness

Jeff Orlando

Chief Learning Officer

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Session Details

Learn about how BMS took inspiration from their core business to isolate what is most effective for manager development and effectiveness
Hear results from a partnership between learning and people analytics disciplines
Take away a methodology that could be applied in your organization

12:45pm - 1:45pm

Overflow Lunch Seating

12:45pm - 1:45pm

Explore this year’s themed lunch discussions led by industry leaders, where executives engage in focused conversations over a meal, discussing topics they’re passionate about alongside their peers.

Training as a Strategic Business Unit: Approaches to Ensuring Measurable Outcomes and Continuous Improvement?

Jennifer Harrison

Vice President, Training

American Bureau of Shipping

L&D’s Role in Employee Wellbeing

Amy Cribb

Sr. Director of Enterprise Learning, Development & Culture

BorgWarner

Developing For Tomorrow: Best Practices to Foster Talent Development and Leadership Programs

Arielle Brown

Director, Talent Development

Danaher

Making the Case: Strategies for Securing Stakeholder Buy-In for Workforce Development Investments

Stephanie Quillen

Principal Executive Advisor

Guild

Empowering the Frontline: Building and Retaining a Skilled Trades Workforce

Doug Donovan

CEO

Interplay Learning

Negotiating the Future of Talent and Learning: Building Bridges for Growth and Innovation

Terrance Chatman

SVP, Learning and Org. Development

InvestCloud

The Role of Emerging Tech and AI in Professional Training

James Kulesa

Head, Learning Center of Excellence, Innovation, Design, Onboarding

Regeneron

Developing the Skills and Mindset to Foster Peak Performance

Ryan Smith

Head of Global Leadership & Career Development

T. Rowe Price

Reflecting on the Last Five Years and Charting the Next Five: The Transformative Journey of L&D

Chenier Mershon

Relationship Manager

TrainingPros

1:45pm - 2:20pm

Unlocking Career Growth at Scale: Leveraging AI and Emerging Technologies for Hyper-Personalized Learning

Ashley Walvoord

Chief Learning Officer

Verizon

Session Details

Real talk about skills and tech, and guidance for how to demonstrate effectiveness and fairness of skills solutions to enhance employee learning and career development
Learn how to address the challenge of serving diverse populations with personalized learning experiences
Explore how AI and skills-based learning can drive career growth and meet the demand for hyper-personalized development
Understand why an enterprise-wide approach to learning can give companies a competitive edge in the talent market and drive long-term success

1:45pm - 2:20pm

EQ to Supercharge Your Success!

Charlie Gibson

Regional Head Security; Emotional Intelligence

Amazon

Session Details

Do you want to be calmer under pressure?
Do you want to be more resilient in the face of adversity?
Do you want to build cultivate more confidence? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then be sure to attend this talk on the vital skill that helps create all these outcomes—emotional intelligence. Come and learn more about what experts say produces a majority of your professional (and even personal) success. It’s not just your IQ…it’s your EQ that matters!

2:25pm - 3:00pm

How AI Reshapes Leadership Development and the Workplace

Matt Confer

VP Strategy & Business Development

Abilitie

Session Details

Explore the latest trends in work environments and understand how these trends are reshaping organizations
Equip yourself with forward-thinking and adaptable strategies to prepare your teams and future leaders for the complexities of the modern workplace
Analyze successes and pitfalls in developing AI-enabled L&D programs and the use of LLMs (large language models) to teach management and leadership
Evaluate AI-enabled experiential learning that goes beyond asynchronous usage of AI bots and AI-enabled coaching

3:05pm - 4:15pm

Pre-Arranged One-to-One Meetings

3:05 pm – 3:25 pm: Meeting Slot 5/Networking
3:30 pm – 3:50 pm: Meeting Slot 6/Networking
3:55 pm – 4:15 pm: Meeting Slot 7/Networking

4:20pm - 4:55pm

Powering the Workforce of the Future Through Learning & Development: Putting the Employee at the Center to Navigate Their Career Journey

Sandra Humbles

Chief Learning Officer

Johnson & Johnson

Session Details

Ensuring employees can gain full transparency into their career paths, enabling them to view their own skills gaps and navigate their growth
Unlocking potential through a framework that scales, guaranteeing both employees and leaders are equipped with essential skills to thrive in a connected ecosystem
Upskilling leaders with coaching and resilience frameworks, fostering highly capable leaders who can fuel the advancement of the ecosystem
Building a workforce that is well-prepared, resilient, and supported by scalable standards, promoting a focus on wellbeing and skill development

4:55pm - 5:00pm

Chair’s Closing Remarks

Jeff Orlando

Chief Learning Officer

Bristol-Myers Squibb

5:00pm

7:30am - 8:25am

8:25am - 8:35am

Chair’s Welcome Address

Jeff Orlando

Chief Learning Officer

Bristol-Myers Squibb

8:35am - 9:10am

Building Learning Strategies to Drive Frontline Equity

Shannon Custard

Global Head of Learning

IKEA

Session Details

Identifying the themes and challenges that exist for frontline populations and internal barriers that naturally exist in these roles
Taking Action, using data, to shift our mindset and take action
Exploring our challenges and creating sustainable strategies for long-term success, ensuring every co-worker has access to skills development and growth opportunities
Understanding the role of testing and trying in order to demonstrate the value of committing to equitable learning and development

9:10am - 9:45am

The Skills Movement: Preparing for the Future of Work

Jennifer Buchanan

Vice President, Walmart Academy

Walmart

Session Details

Fostering a culture of lifelong learning
Shifting from degrees to skills
Emphasizing soft skills and leadership capabilities
Building career pathways for internal mobility

9:50am - 10:25am

From Turbulence to Comeback: Mastering the Talent Challenge in Aerospace

Martin Stöckl

SVP Talent, Leadership & Organisation

Airbus

Session Details

The Post-COVID Talent challenge in Aerospace: Setting the stage with the industry’s sharp ramp-up, skyrocketing recruitment needs, and the critical shortage of certified skills
The Talent Market paradox: How we handled an unprecedented volume of applications while navigating the scarcity of technical talent
Building Talent Pipeline: Collaboration with industry partners to create new training pipelines for candidates
Balancing External Recruitment with Internal Growth: Shifting focus to upskilling and internal mobility to sustain long-term talent health
Success Stories and Lessons Learned: Practical insights from our recovery journey

10:25am - 11:15am

Pre-Arranged One-to-One Meetings

10:30 am – 10:50 am: Meeting Slot 8/Networking
10:55 am – 11:15 am: Meeting Slot 9/Networking

11:20am - 11:55am

Supporting Growth: The Vital Role of Leaders in Helping Employees Navigate Their Careers

Kim Troxwell

Head of Commercial Learning and Development

Abbvie

Session Details

How can leaders serve as role models by demonstrating a commitment to personal and professional growth?
What steps can leaders take to secure resources and advocate for employee development at an organizational level?
How can leaders identify and remove barriers to career advancement, such as systemic biases or limited opportunities?
What methods can managers use to collaborate with employees on stretch assignments that enhance their skills?
How can leaders cultivate a growth mindset and encourage resilience in employees’ career development journeys?

12:00pm - 12:35pm

Leadership Transformation Through Being More BMW

Vaishali Ahuja

Vice President of Human Resources, Region Americas

BMW Group

Session Details

Focusing on effective programs, systems, and processes to engage and retain top talent that will deliver maximum employee retention
Making sure that you are purposeful when designing and building your company culture and aligning leadership on values
Understanding employee eagerness to stay with companies that deliver both upward and lateral development and long term professional growth
Exploring the benefits of developing robust talent review processes

12:35pm - 1:35pm

Overflow Lunch Seating

12:35pm - 1:35pm

Open seating organized to study a particular subject and think up new solutions.

Strategies for Creating L&D Infrastructure

Creative Approaches to Evolving Talent Development Strategies

Workforce Innovations: Organizational Development as a Driver for Success

How AI is Revolutionizing Leadership Development

Best Practices and New Ideas for Coaching Coaches

Cultivating a Continuous Learning Culture

1:35pm - 2:10pm

Fireside Chat: Executive Leadership Development: Top50 Program

Katy Jones

Vice President Global Learning & Leadership Development

Medtronic

Session Details

Strategies for keeping employees engaged and connected
Maintaining a high-performing workforce that is productive from anywhere
Meeting employees desire for a strong sense of purpose tied to their work and company values
Fostering an environment that sustains an empowered and high-performance workforce while attracting Top Talent

2:10pm - 2:45pm

Panel: Utilizing Data Collection and Analytics to Measure ROI and Training Effectiveness

Shannon Custard

Global Head of Learning

IKEA

Matthew Daniel

Senior Principal, Talent Strategy

Guild

Session Details

How are we measuring the effectiveness of training initiatives?
Strategies for using data collection and analytics to identify trends in learning behaviors, track performance, and pinpoint areas where further investment is needed
Identifying areas that require investment for building robust data-collection policies, tools, and training
How can we create smarter training plans that are tailored specifically to our employees’ needs?
Assessing learning experiences quickly according to the changing industry trends or dynamic markets

2:45pm - 2:50pm

Chair’s Closing Address

Jeff Orlando

Chief Learning Officer

Bristol-Myers Squibb