Derek Bruce, DSM | Interview

Leadership is about so much more than KPIs and performance.

Derek Bruce has recently joined DSM as Global Lead, Performance Management and Learning Strategy. In this interview with iVentiv, he talks about the skills that leaders need in 2022 to make sure they can support individuals in the way they bring themselves to work. He talks about mindfulness, succession development, and especially purpose. These are the skills that Derek says are going to be especially important going forward, and he gives his advice on how to go about it.

What are the skills that leaders need in 2022?

Looking at the last two or three years, Derek says, "leadership as a skill and as a role has really changed". The key is how leaders manage performance. Derek explains that he doesn't mean performance in terms of KPIs, but in the way individuals bring themselves to work. Mindfulness, succession development, sense of purpose. "It's those kind of skills which I feel leaders are going to need going forward, especially with more synchronous and asynchronous working."

With virtual and remote working, Derek continues, "there's a need to reframe the role of leadership, but also make sure leaders and managers as well in the same context really have the ability to give their people a great employee experience as well."

That means coaching, communication and listening are key skills, "being able to articulate and also sense the non-verbal clues of their people as well".

You need to ask your people what they feel they're missing, Derek says. "It's not our role as HR to kind of think we know best. It's very much our role as HR to engage a lot of people, to engage with our leaders, to engage with the feedback, to engage in exit interviews and pulse surveys to see what people are saying they're really missing." Only then, he says, can you effectively support the business to fill those gaps. 

Derek thinks that the instability of recent years might continue. That means constant change and it means leaders have to develop "human-centric skills", they have to manage ambiguity. That means creating psychological safety, but Derek advises against using that phrase. "I think it's kind of way too HR-ey," he says, "but managers need to be aware that people do come to work for a reason and a purpose." Managers need to be "aware that individuals have different nuances which make them grow and perform better as well."

For leaders, that means being authentic. "If people see leaders behaving in a way where they're being authentic, it allows employees to also think okay well if I see this happening in the organisation I feel safe to come and do the same thing." 

How can organisations prioritise Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging more effectively?

Derek also spoke about DEIB. To be effective, he says, DEIB initiatives have to be aligned with performance development and succession. You do that by giving managers the ability to talk about individuals, hire them, and rate their performance without bias. Embed that within the process around performance management, Derek advises, "but also along the whole line of the employee journey as well".

When DEIB exists in isolation, with one person or team struggling to put new ideas into practice, it tends to fail. "What I want to do," he says, "is make sure it's embedded in what we do anyway, and actually then this is just how we work."

Beyond that, however, Derek says he still has "a bit of a butterfly stomach moment where I see lots, or I’ve seen lots of movement of roles, and lots of promises and commitments, but I also don't see lots of it changing." Whether it's gender diversity, age diversity, or race diversity, he reflects, "it's not getting bigger".

That's reflected in the "Great Resignation", or the "Great Reflection" as Derek calls it. "I think there's also people thinking if I am one of these people in this, in the diversity community, is this the right place for me? No, I’m gonna try something which may be better." But also, Derek says, "if I’m somebody and I see this kind of stuff not changing, it doesn't fit with my values, my purpose." If people don't feel they can grow and contribute, they leave.

What really works in performance management?


Asked to put one question back to the iVentiv community, Derek looks at performance management. "When we look at the whole concept of performance management," he asks, "what one thing do you think really works, what one thing do you think really annoys people?"

"I have a daughter who's 25," he says, "and I hear lots of things about different age groups wanting and not wanting certain things. What I think I’ve learned over the last couple of years is that it's not specific to a generational age group, it's specific to a mindset or age of mindset. I see people who are in their 20s and 30s in a traditional way of working and I see people in their 40s, 50s being very focused around working remotely, not being focused on organisations which don't align their values." 

Derek thinks it's time to move "away from this labelling of generations and towards understanding that there are certain mindsets people have, but the person behind it can be different ages, different genders, different sizes, different whatever."

Derek Bruce is the Global Lead of Performance Management & Learning Strategy at DSM, alongside his activities at Derek Bruce Associates. Previously he was Director of Leadership Development at Signify. Within this role he focused on three areas; deploying business related centralised learning programs for leaders; providing
consultancy services to management teams and HR to address business needs and be the organisations strategic thought leader on leadership development. Derek is an expert in communication, having performed at a TEDX conference in 2019, spoken at numerous global conferences and seminars as a keynote speaker, and coached and taught presentational skills. He also has extensive experience in Internal Communications.

Derek is also the Founder of Derek Bruce Associates, an organisation started in 2018 which provides coaching and learning anddevelopment consultancy. He also initiatedand runs the Extraordinary Mentors Network, a mentorship program which provides Black people with pro bono mentoring. This is an extension of his focus on improving inclusion and diversity, which has included embedding awareness of the benefits of DE&I to HR and Business communities, working as a Lead Ambassador in previous organisations, which involved developing DE&I communities, and introducing processes and policies to support the move to more inclusive HR ways of working Derek is Myers Briggs Type II certified, NLP Master Practitioner, and a Scrum Master. Outside of work, Derek is married to Floriana who lives in Milan, Italy, and his passions are men’s fashion, riding motorbikes, playing, and watching football, films and travelling.

More Insights

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 Executive Development.

“I was just so pleasantly surprised by everything,” she says. iVentiv events are “professional, of course–but also so human and so connecting.”

In this newly released case study, Tia reflects on her journey with iVentiv, from first-time delegate to multi-session sponsor, and shares how these experiences redefined her approach to learning, organisational development, and executive growth. 

Download the case study, and watch the interview now.

“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 through top-down mandates but by reshaping the very DNA of leadership across every layer of the organisation.

In a recent conversation with iVentiv, Christophe reflected on the seismic changes taking place within the Belgian postal service and how he’s leading an integrated transformation strategy rooted in leadership behaviour.

Christophe will be leading the conversation at Learning Futures Eindhoven on 10-11 June. Watch our interview and get involved, now.

The work of the Chief Learning Officer has always been dynamic. But the conversations captured across iVentiv sessions in Cologne, New York, London, and Copenhagen suggest we’ve entered a new inflection point—one where learning is more visible, more measurable, and more central to strategy than ever before.

This isn’t about checking-off trends. It’s about what’s happening right now inside global organisations that are restructuring the way they define skills, leadership, culture, and capability. Across breakout conversations, fireside chats, and iVentiv’s trademark Collaborative Café, senior learning leaders have reflected openly on what’s working, what’s evolving, and what’s next.

Read on for a detailed and nuanced synthesis—an exploration of facts that are shaping the L&D profession in real time.

“Are we spending too little on L&D?”

If you’re in a senior role in Learning & Development, you probably spend a lot of time worrying about this question. It’s a question that resurfaces in nearly every budget review and vendor conversation in the Learning space. 

Whether you’re setting your internal strategy or shaping the offering of a learning solution, the benchmark for a “good” L&D budget has never been more important — or harder to pin down.

That’s why we put together the iVentiv L&D Budget Report 2025: to provide a clearer picture of what companies are actually spending on L&D today — and what those numbers really say about priorities, value, and the future of work.

Based on responses from 126 senior L&D leaders across global organisations, the report dives into both total budget figures and spend-per-employee breakdowns. 

The headline? L&D budgeting is anything but standard.

Download the report now.

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 others can learn from their journey.

Watch our interview with Eva now to see how you could optimise your talent strategy.
 

In a special episode of The Learning Hack Podcast, recorded live at iVentiv’s Learning Futures London Executive Knowledge Exchange at the Shell headquarters, host John Helmer spoke to three of the leading minds in L&D. 

Against the backdrop of a world that feels more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) than ever, this episode explores how organisations are rising to meet the pace of change, and what it really takes to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

Featuring expert insights from:

  • Kevin Oakes, CEO of the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) and author of Cultural Renovation
  • Kim McMurdo, Head of Organisational Development, Standard Chartered
  • Terry Jones, Head of International Talent Development at Palo Alto Networks

this episode delves deep into the core themes shaping today’s workplace: transforming culture, fostering team-centric leadership in an age of hyper-individualism, and harnessing AI to elevate - not replace - human capability.

Whether you're leading a learning function, evolving your company’s culture, or rethinking the role of performance in a tech-driven age, this episode is a must-listen. Find it here and read on to learn more.

“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 conversation with iVentiv, Stacey shares how the world’s leading steel company, ArcelorMittal, is building a future-ready workforce through agile, scalable, and human-centred learning strategies.

Read more and watch our interview with Stacey now.

In the fast-paced world of Learning, Talent, and Executive Development, finding the right events to attend can be overwhelming. Your inbox is overflowing with conference invites, your calendar is packed, and the challenge remains, which events are truly worth your time?

Enter iVentiv, a global leader in Executive Knowledge Exchanges. In 2025, iVentiv is bringing invaluable conversations directly to you, hosted by top global organisations such as Citi, Shell, KPMG, AXA, Bosch, Visa and more.

If you’re seeking more than just another conference, iVentiv’s events are designed to deliver real impact. Read this blog to find out why an iVentiv event should be on your calendar this year.

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 while balancing technological innovation with cultural transformation.

Watch our interview with Markéta now to explore how AI-driven insights, an employee-centric approach, and a shift toward an opportunity marketplace are shaping the future of Talent Management at E.ON.

The world of corporate learning, talent, and leadership is undergoing a period of intense transformation. As organisations strive to build resilient workforces and agile leaders, Chief Learning Officers and Heads of Talent, and Leadership face an array of challenges and opportunities.

The conversations at iVentiv’s recent Learning Futures sessions in Atlanta and Paris highlight the pressing themes that are shaping the future of workplace learning. Leadership and Executive Development, Reskilling and Upskilling, AI, and Learning Culture were the four most popular priorities identified by Global Heads of Learning at iVentiv events in 2024, so it’s no surprise to see all four represented in the top priorities of attendees at last month’s events as well.

These sessions, attended by senior learning executives, surfaced key trends, strategic shifts, and organisational imperatives that will define 2025 and beyond. Read all about what's top of your mind for your peers here.

Pages