What’s Now and What’s Next: Inside the Minds of Today’s Learning Leaders

Submitted by Kerry Summers on 8 May 2025 - 8:27am

Updated March 2026
By Kerry Summers (Content Marketing Coordinator, iVentiv)

Key Takeaways

AI is moving from experimentation to enterprise impact
Skills strategies are now core to business execution
Leadership development must enable transformation, not just capability
Measuring learning impact requires better data and better storytelling
The CLO role is becoming a central driver of organisational performance

event participants

AI in Practice: Beyond Experiments, Toward Impact

For CLOs, 2025 marks a transition from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide application. Conversations have shifted from curiosity to execution. AI is now being deployed to personalise learning experiences, map organisational skills with greater precision, close capability gaps, and extend development access across a global workforce.

But the discussions didn’t stop at function—they moved into ethics. Learning leaders spoke candidly about their responsibility to embed governance, legal guardrails, and transparency into every AI decision. The aim, they said, is to build trust, reduce bias, and align all digital acceleration with human values.

At the same time, AI integration is reshaping internal priorities. CLOs are investing in digital and data literacy—not only within Learning teams but across the business. And as automation increases, so too does the need to double down on human competencies like creativity, adaptability, and learning agility. These qualities, seen as inherently human, are now becoming strategic.

The Skills Conversation Is Now a Business Conversation

Across sessions, the skills agenda was described not as a HR initiative, but as a business imperative. CLOs reported a growing demand for agility in how skills are defined, developed, and deployed. Strategy is now anchored in a few key questions: What work matters most? What capabilities will drive that work? Where are the gaps?

The foundations of this work include a clear skills taxonomy, integrated systems, and strong governance. But it was culture that emerged as a critical differentiator. Mobility, experimentation, and growth mindsets aren’t afterthoughts—CLOs see them as embedded expectations in high-performing environments.

AI plays a central role here too. It’s enabling faster, smarter skills mapping and supporting real-time decisions. But adaptability—among systems, leaders, and teams—was just as frequently cited as critical to success.

Measurement frameworks that prioritise progress, not perfection, are being used to monitor and refine strategy. And as leaders described, it’s not just about charting where skills are today, but how quickly capability can be built in response to what’s next.

Leadership Development in a Time of Transformation

Executive development is no longer about learning for leadership’s sake. It’s about enabling leaders to accelerate business transformation. The stakes are high, and expectations higher. Leaders, the group stated, are expected to operate like athletes—resilient under pressure, focused on performance, and capable of sustaining energy through uncertainty.

What’s emerging is a model of leadership development that’s deeply contextual, highly practical, and aligned with the lived experience of business challenges. One-size-fits-all has given way to situational learning tailored to both the leader and their ecosystem.

Power skills—empathy, collaboration, communication—are also seen to have taken on new weight. Not as soft skills, but as foundational to strategic execution. CLOs are using storytelling, business-aligned data, and transparent communication to demonstrate how learning outcomes tie directly to business performance.

The language of impact is being adopted with fluency. Learning teams are translating initiatives into narratives that senior stakeholders can understand and champion.

The ROI Equation: Visibility, Value, and Velocity

A common thread across every iVentiv breakout was the question of measurement. Specifically, how learning can be evaluated in ways that are visible, valuable, and velocity-driven.

Learning leaders described the ongoing challenge of budget justification. Many reported that, unlike revenue-generating functions, L&D is still expected to justify its existence in greater detail.

Technology is beginning to change that equation. Learning teams are using behavioural analytics, coaching data, and time-to-impact metrics to understand where change is happening and how quickly. Backend systems that capture learner interactions are also helping to replace anecdotes with evidence.

But justification also requires a shift in storytelling. CLOs are reframing Learning not as a cost, but as a solution. They’re linking learning to attrition challenges, engagement drops, productivity gaps—and showing where interventions are making a difference.

The insight was clear: people don’t resist change, they resist change without meaning. And often, they don’t leave companies, they leave leaders who failed to lead change with empathy.

Final Thought: The Strategic CLO

Across iVentiv’s spring sessions, one message resonated: Learning is not a support function. It’s a performance driver.

Today’s CLO is navigating AI ethics, building business-aligned skills strategies, redefining executive development, and tracking impact with sharper tools and bolder storytelling. These leaders aren’t waiting for change—they’re leading it.

The role of the CLO in 2025 is strategic, systemic, and central to the business. And as this momentum continues, the future of Learning will be shaped not just by what CLOs do, but by how visibly, collaboratively, and courageously they do it.

Thumbnail:

Feature on Homepage:

News category:

Learning & Development

Leadership and Executive Development

Reskilling and Upskilling

Artificial Intelligence

Latest Trends in Learning

More Insights

From Prediction to Practice: How Global L&D Leaders Are Navigating 2026 in Real Time

Earlier this year, we released iVentiv’s 2026 Predictions video which set out a clear direction of travel for Learning, Leadership, and Talent functions based on insights shared from iVentiv’s own Hannah Hoey (Content Director), Kristy Kitson (L&D Strategist), and Richard Parfitt (Marketing Director). Skills-based organisations, AI governance, and evolving learning cultures dominated the conversation, but predictions only really matter when tested against reality.

A few months on, and following Executive Knowledge Exchanges across Paris, Atlanta, New York, and London, a more nuanced picture is emerging. The themes themselves have not dramatically changed but the way organisations are engaging with them has. What we’re seeing now is how the conversation has shifted from what matters to what works. Watch the video now.

From LMS to Generative AI: How Learning and Talent are Evolving

As AI reshapes the workplace at unprecedented speed, learning leaders are being called to rethink not just how learning is delivered, but how work itself is structured.

In this conversation with Gordon Trujillo, VP of Enterprise Talent Management & Learning & Development at DaVita, we explore how AI is transforming learning, leadership, and organisational design, and why curiosity, experimentation, and human capability remain at the heart of it all. Watch the interview now.

Why Learning Culture Starts with Habits, Not Training Programmes

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to learn continuously is no longer a competitive advantage, it is a necessity. Yet many organisations still rely on traditional training models that struggle to keep pace with change.

So, what does it really take to build a learning culture that lasts?

In this interview, Laura Medina Escolano, Head of Global Learning & Development at DEKRA, explores the shift from training programmes to habit-driven learning. She shares why curiosity must become a daily behaviour, how leaders shape learning through small actions and why creating a safe environment for experimentation is critical to success. Watch the interview now.

From Individual Leaders to Atomic Teams: A New Approach to Organisational Performance

Across organisations, leadership development has long been treated as an individual pursuit. High-potential programmes, competency frameworks, and executive coaching are all designed to elevate the individual leader. Yet as organisations face increasing complexity and pressure to perform, Charles Jennings and Tue Krabbe-Juelsbo ask a fundamental question: what if the true unit of value is not the individual at all, but the team?

Watch our interview with Charles Jennings, Co-Founder, 70:20:10 Institute, and Tue Krabbe-Juelsbo, Senior Lead, Head of Leadership & People Development, Nuuday, to get their take on the power of atomic teams in your organisation, based on their upcoming research.

Inside Fanatics Commerce’s Talent Strategy: Scaling Leadership in a Hypergrowth Business

Is scaling leadership in a hypergrowth business just about doing more, faster? Or does it require a fundamental rethink of how leaders operate, how Talent functions deliver value, and how organisations balance structure with agility.

In this conversation with Richard Parfitt, Marketing Director, iVentiv, and Yulia Denisova, VP Talent & Development at Fanatics, we explore what it really takes to build leadership capability at pace in a business that has grown to 20,000 employees across 200 countries. From redefining prioritisation and decision-making, to introducing structure without bureaucracy, Yulia shares how Fanatics is evolving its talent strategy in real time.

The discussion also dives into the role of AI in leadership, the importance of maintaining human connection at scale, and why Learning and Development must shift from control to enablement. Watch the interview now.

What Makes a Good Learning and Development Budget in 2026?

As an L&D leader, you are certainly not alone in wondering if your budget matches up to the expectations placed on you and your team. It’s no surprise that 60% of CLOs say measuring ROI is one of their top priorities.

But what makes a good L&D budget in 2026? How much should your organisation be spending? What figures should you be benchmarking against?

Download the iVentiv Budget Report today for a detailed breakdown of how much senior Learning and Talent Executives have at their disposal in 2026, including average budget per employee. The report also lays out what L&D’s biggest spenders and biggest employers are prioritising.

Best Events for Chief Learning and Talent Officers

As a CLO or Global Head of Learning and Talent, there is no shortage of Learning conferences, events, or webinars that you can attend. There’s a keynote speaker, exhibition stands, and a room full of excited Learning professionals ready and raring to go.

Those events can be a good opportunity to hear case studies and take a whistle-stop tour of what’s happening in the industry. But they aren’t always the best way to take away real, actionable ideas. If you’re in a senior role at a big organisation, especially, you can spend a lot of time speaking to early career attendees from smaller learning teams who aren’t dealing with the same challenges.

But big conferences and ‘sit and listen’ events aren’t the only option for Heads of L&D and Chief Learning Officers. In this blog, we look at how CLOs can take the pulse of the industry, connect with other senior executives, and find solutions to their challenges at collaborative, iVentiv events in locations around the world.

How Global Learning Leaders Build Growth Cultures that Scale

In a world where AI, shifting business priorities, and accelerating change are redefining how organisations develop talent, Learning leaders face a critical question: how do you build a culture where learning truly drives performance?

In this conversation, William Varsos, Head of Global Learning at Marsh, shares practical insights on embedding learning into the flow of work, aligning development with business strategy, and avoiding the distractions of the latest trends.

From designing impactful leadership learning to rethinking the role of AI in learning functions, his perspective offers a grounded look at what it really takes to create a sustainable learning culture today. Watch the interview now.

Why Mindset, Not Skills, Is Today’s Biggest Leadership Challenge

In today’s fast-changing business environment, the biggest Leadership challenge may not be skills, it may be mindset. In this conversation with iVentiv’s Hannah Hoey, Nikhil Shahane, VP Global Head of People Development at TechnipFMC, explores why adaptability, curiosity, and the ability to let go of legacy ways of working are becoming critical Leadership capabilities.

From navigating a “BANI” world to embedding learning in the flow of work, Nikhil shares practical insights on how organisations can shift from skills-focused development to cultivating the mindsets that enable leaders and teams to thrive through constant change. Watch our interview with Nikhil now.

Developing Leaders That Deliver: Rethinking Talent and L&D in Hospitality

In an industry where thousands of frontline employees may be trained in a matter of hours rather than months, hospitality leaders are being forced to rethink how learning, leadership, and communication really work. Many take the view that traditional onboarding, static compliance courses, and one-size-fits-all leadership models simply can’t keep pace with the speed, scale, and expectations of modern hospitality.

In this conversation, David Goddard, VP Talent at Levy Restaurants, shares how one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment hospitality brands is developing leaders that deliver even in the most high-pressure environments. Read the blog now and watch the interview with David to learn more.