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. The full executive summary is available for you to read on iVentiv’s Global Learning Network iKnow now.

Leadership & Executive Development: A Strategic Business Imperative

Leadership and Executive Development remain at the forefront of corporate priorities. This was top of mind for 56% of attendees in Paris, and in Atlanta, we saw this climb to 62%. According to participants at both sessions, businesses are increasingly aligning leadership programs with organisational strategy, ensuring leaders are equipped to drive transformation.

Key themes from the discussions included:

  • Visionary Thinking & Agility: Leaders, they said, must anticipate industry shifts and embrace an adaptive mindset.
  • Data-Driven Decision-Making: Balancing data insights with qualitative perspectives remains a challenge, but is critical for leadership effectiveness.
  • Peer-to-Peer Learning & Mentorship: Continuous leadership refinement comes from structured mentorship programs and experiential learning opportunities, say many.

Notably, the debate continues around whether Leadership Development should lead or support business strategy. However, what is clear, based on the outcomes of the conversations, is that CLOs feel leadership initiatives need to evolve beyond traditional approaches and focus on practical, real-world applications.

Reskilling & Upskilling: Crucial for Workforce Transformation

For 52% of leaders in Paris, and 48% of leaders in Atlanta, ‘reskilling and upskilling’ is a topic that continues to resonate. Organisations are experiencing accelerated demand for new skills, learning leaders recognise that the shelf-life of skills is shortening, and there is a growing urgency to embed reskilling and upskilling into the corporate agenda.

Findings from last month’s Executive Knowledge Exchanges suggest that a successful skills strategy hinges on:

  • Clear Skill Taxonomies: Defining skill frameworks and competencies aligned with business objectives.
  • Data-Driven Learning Strategies: Leveraging workforce analytics to assess capability gaps and forecast future skill needs.
  • Embedded Learning in Workflows: Shifting from standalone training initiatives to an integrated skills development culture.

Future-focused skills development, experts say, is not just about keeping pace with change—it is about ensuring workforce adaptability in the face of uncertainty.

Artificial Intelligence in Learning: Balancing Innovation with Ethics

Although AI is the third-most selected topic overall for both cohorts, at 56% the raw percentage is notably higher in France. The group was no more tech-driven than those who gathered in Atlanta, but the high percentage may reflect a genuine drive among French businesses to get ahead with AI, with more than one respondent referring to company-wide technology drives or, in one case, “AI transformation”. 

AI is reshaping the Learning landscape, but its successful integration, for Heads of Learning, requires strategic foresight. Leaders discussed how AI is revolutionising corporate learning and identified key priorities for 2025:

  • Ethical AI Deployment: Maintaining human-centric learning while embracing automation and efficiency.
  • AI-Driven Skills Mapping: Personalising learning experiences through AI-powered skill tagging.
  • Reallocating Freed-Up Capacity: Using AI to automate routine tasks and allow L&D teams to focus on higher-value initiatives.

The use of AI-driven leadership simulations is also growing, providing leaders with immersive, real-world experiences to refine decision-making. Insights from an exclusive session led by iVentiv partner Abilitie shed light on how simulations are transforming leadership learning. They mentioned:

  • AI-Powered Decision-Making: Enabling leaders to test strategies in risk-free environments.
  • Team-Based Challenges: Offering dynamic, real-world business scenarios to build leadership confidence.
  • Blending Technology with Human Interaction: Ensuring that AI enhances leadership learning rather than replacing human judgment.

This shift towards experiential, scenario-based learning underscores a growing demand for practical, high-impact leadership development. One recurring theme was the importance of AI augmentation rather than replacement—ensuring that technology enhances rather than diminishes human engagement.

The Future of Work: Organisational Learning at the Speed of Change

Learning culture has taken the top spot on the priority list for 60% of attendees from our Paris cohort. They said that, to thrive in an era of disruption, organisations must ensure that their learning ecosystems evolve faster than the external environment.

Insights from the iVentiv community pointed to key strategies for achieving this:

  • Fostering a Culture of Curiosity: Creating an environment where learning is continuous and self-directed.
  • Measurement & Impact: Implementing robust metrics to assess the ROI of learning initiatives.
  • Strategic Agility: Embedding learning within business strategy to ensure responsiveness to emerging trends.

Participants also highlighted a paradox: while leaders often question L&D’s impact, they also acknowledge that organisational learning is essential for future resilience. Bridging this gap, the groups said, requires L&D teams to integrate business-first metrics and demonstrate tangible value.

What’s Next for Learning, Talent, and Leadership?

The themes emerging from iVentiv’s Learning Futures exchanges in Atlanta and Paris highlight a transformative moment for corporate Learning, Talent, and Leadership teams.
CLOs and senior leaders are grappling with rapid technological change, shifting workforce expectations, and increasing demands for business alignment.

To navigate this evolving landscape, the experts at both events suggested that organisations must:

  • Align skills strategy with business needs using clear competency frameworks.
  • Enhance Leadership Development with data-driven and qualitative insights.
  • Scale AI-driven solutions through strategic vendor partnerships.
  • Build a learning culture that balances structure with adaptability.

The biggest takeaway from conversations across both events was that the future of Learning & Development will not be defined by incremental improvements—it will be shaped by bold, strategic shifts that reimagine the role of Learning in business success.

As we move into 2025, one thing is certain: the conversation around Learning, Talent, and Leadership is just getting started.

Read the full summary and more in this series on iKnow now.

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More Insights

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.

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.

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:

 

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.

Data-driven decision-making, personalisation, and measuring impact to enhance learner engagement were hot topics at iVentiv’s Learning Futures Basel event in October of this year.

Adam Lacey, Co-Founder of Assemble You and Host of the L&D Challenges Podcast took the time to join us for those discussions, and got into the thick it with key thought-leaders in his most recent podcast episode: How Roche and STMicroelectronics are Harnessing the Power of Data and AI in L&D.

Sam Zalcman, Global Head of Learning & Development at STMicroelectronics, Priyakumar Nair, Global Head of Learning Services at Roche, and Professor Peter Fisher, Associate Professor of Marketing & Academic Director of Creative Destruction Labs’ AI stream at HEC Paris made up this episode’s panel of distinguished leaders, and the discussions illuminated cutting-edge strategies in L&D and their implications for organisational transformation.

Join us as we listen in on a podcast that provides a wealth of insights for C-suite executives in multinational organisations, focusing on how L&D leaders are leveraging data, AI, and cultural shifts to address modern challenges.

In a dynamic and transformative era, the Learning & Development sector is grappling with profound questions about innovation, technology, and leadership. The Learning Hack Podcast, hosted by John Helmer, offers rich insights into these themes through candid conversations with global leaders. 

In a recent episode inspired by conversations at iVentiv’s Learning Futures Basel Executive Knowledge Exchange, three thought leaders — Anne-Valérie Corboz (Dean, HEC Paris), Jane Underwood (Global Head of Learning, Reckitt), and Sarah Otley (SVP, Global Head of Akkodis Academy) — came together to share their perspectives on navigating the future of L&D, with discussions covering the evolving nature of leadership, the role of generative AI in L&D, and the enduring challenges of aligning learning strategies with business goals. 

Read more

The advent of generative AI has sparked widespread discussions across industries, but for Learning and Development, its potential remains a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, for many leaders, AI promises to revolutionise the way learning is designed and delivered. On the other, it risks reinforcing old habits and hindering meaningful change.

In a recent episode of The Learning Hack Podcast, hosted by John Helmer, guest Charles Jennings— iVentiv Advisory Board member, regular iVentiv Event Chair, pioneer in L&D transformation, and Co-Founder of the 70:20:10 framework—offered deep insights into these challenges.

This blog unpacks the key themes from their conversation and asks how can L&D leaders avoid complacency? How can they leverage AI responsibly? How can they refocus on performance improvement over outdated methodologies?

Read more

In an age of constant change, Zurich Insurance has embraced a skills-based approach as a core strategy to future-proof its workforce and drive business success. 

In an interview with iVentiv, Adrian Stäubli, Group Head of Skills Development Solutions at Zurich Insurance, highlighted Zurich’s commitment to identifying, developing, and deploying skills across its global workforce. 

This model isn’t just a tool— to Adrian it’s a "secret ingredient" that touches every aspect of employee development, from career progression to job design, setting Zurich apart as a truly agile and resilient organisation.

Watch our interview now to see how Adrian has embraced skills, and how it’s transforming Zurich’s employee experience.

 

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