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What are the biggest priorities for Chief Learning and Talent officers?

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What are the priorities driving global Heads of Learning, Talent, and Leadership? Before every iVentiv event, we ask you to tell us what areas you’re focusing on, and what questions you want to ask your fellow participants.

The front cover of the iVentiv Pulse 2022 Review

In the iVentiv Pulse Review, we’ve pulled together those responses into a report summarising the big themes and key trends driving HR as we head into 2023.

The report includes the key takeaways, with commentary from experts in learning, talent, and leadership, including:

  • Jay Moore (Global Learning & Culture Leader, GE Crotonville)
  • Priya Shahane (Former Global Head of Executive Talent & Career Management, Axa)
  • Charles Jennings (Co-Founder, 70:20:10 Institute)
  • David Watkins (SVP, Group Talent, Transformation & Engagement, Oerlikon)
  • Stefaan van Hooydonk (Former Chief Learning Officer, Cognizant)
  • Brian Murphy (Sr Director, Employee Skilling, Microsoft)

Who was surveyed for the iVentiv Pulse?

578 respondents from 435 companies completed the questionnaire ahead of conversations in 13 cities on four continents and online. iVentiv events are open exclusively to function leads in global companies. That means every respondent who contributed to the data in the review is a senior leader in HR.

What topics are Global Heads of L&D, Talent and Leadership focusing on?

Across all territories and job functions, the topics that the most leaders in HR said they were prioritising were:

  1. Leadership and Executive Development
  2. Reskilling and Upskilling
  3. Learning Platforms (LMS/LXP) & Tech (VR, AR, AI)
  4. People Data/Insights, measurement and ROI
  5. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

The full report delves into the quantitative and qualitative data to suggest why those themes have predominated, how the different areas interact, and what businesses are doing to address them. It includes insights around coaching, hybrid working, and learning culture, with commentary from experts and examples of the challenges that C-suite executives have raised.

Read the full report for free 

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What Makes a Good Learning and Development Budget in 2025? 

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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.

Sandvik's Holistic, Integrated Approach to Talent Optimisation

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.
 

Culture, Team-Centric Leadership, and AI with The Learning Hack Podcast

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 as a Strategic Futurist: How ArcelorMittal is Redefining Workforce Readiness

“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.

Must-Attend Events for Global Heads of Learning, Talent & Leadership in 2025

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.

Leveraging AI for Seamless Employee Skill Management at E.ON

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 Future of Learning, Talent, and Leadership

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.

The What, the Why and the How of Building a Skills-Based Organisation

For more than 50% of the iVentiv community, ‘Reskilling and Upskilling’ is a topic that remains top-of mind as we push ahead into 2025 – an increase of almost ten percentage points from a year ago according to the iVentiv Pulse, which tracks the priorities of Global Heads of Learning and Talent.

What questions have your peers been asking?

  • ‘How do we establish a skills-based framework?’
  • ‘How do we successfully upskill an organisation with skills for today and tomorrow?’
  • ‘How do we upskill and reskill our workforce to become future-ready?’

This blog dives into the topic of skills-based organisations (SBOs), pulling from the insights of some of the most influential voices in Learning, Talent, and Executive Development. Read it now.

The iVentiv Pulse: What Are The Top Priorities for Heads of Learning and Talent in 2025?

As we step into 2025, the landscape of Learning and Talent Development is evolving at an unprecedented pace. 

The 2025 iVentiv Pulse report sheds light on the key priorities and challenges that Heads of Learning, Talent, and Executive Development are grappling with. This comprehensive report, based on iVentiv pre-event questionnaire responses from 563 leaders across 448 companies, offers a unique glimpse into the future of work and the strategies that will shape it.

You can download the full report here, or read on for a summary of the top five topics:

 

Solving Big Challenges in Learning and Development, with Charles Jennings, Medbase, Lindt & Sprüngli, and the L&D Challenges Podcast

This L&D Challenges Podcast from iVentiv’s Learning Futures Basel event in 2024 is a must-listen for C-suite executives aiming to transform Learning and Development into a strategic organisational advantage.

Adam Lacey, Co-Founder of Assemble You and Host of the L&D Challenges Podcast joined iVentiv's Learning Futures Basel at the Bovartis Campus for conversations that got to the heart of L&D's biggest challenges.

Featuring insights from industry leaders Charles Jennings, Co-Founder of the 70:20:10 Institute, Sina Melder, Head of Global Organisational Development at Lindt & Sprüngli, and Leon Jacob, Director of People Experience at Medbase, this episode delves into demonstrating L&D’s organisational value, fostering a unified learning culture, and leveraging AI beyond content creation.

Join us to discover how these strategies drive innovation, enhance employee engagement, and align global initiatives with local needs, equipping organisations to thrive in a competitive and ever-evolving business landscape.

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