In this episode of L&D Disrupt, Kelsey from HowNow sits down with Jordana Cole, founder of Ignited, to explore why organisations may be approaching AI all wrong.

Rather than positioning AI as a tool for efficiency or task replacement, Jordana argues that we should think of it as an operating system for people enablement, one that can amplify uniquely human strengths, support personalised growth and help people work in entirely new ways.

They explore why L&D needs to move beyond linear, step-by-step AI training and focus instead on behaviour change, experimentation and learning in the flow of work. Jordana shares practical ways to help people build confidence with AI, from treating it as a collaborative partner to simply asking, “What questions do you have for me?”

The conversation also challenges L&D to move beyond being an “order taker” and become a more strategic business partner — understanding the organisation, asking better questions, designing for outcomes and creating the conditions for people to experiment safely.

From communities of practice and AI QA skills to improv, playfulness and uncovering the strengths people bring from outside work, Jordana shares a fresh perspective on what it takes to navigate change, and why the future of L&D might actually be people enablement and AI enablement.

Why organisations are getting AI adoption wrong, how L&D can move from content and order-taking to strategic people enablement, and how to build the confidence, skills and conditions for people to experiment with AI. We also explore learning in the flow of work, communities of practice, AI quality and judgement, and the role of play and experimentation in navigating change.

00:00 AI Efficiency Fears
01:31 Meet Jordana & Her Journey
03:44 AI as an Operating System
08:22 Prompting & Working With AI
09:54 From Content to Behaviour Change
10:39 Making L&D More Strategic
17:36 AI Quality, QA & Risk
22:35 Building Communities of Practice
27:32 Learning in the Flow of Work
28:57 Improv, Play & Experimentation
34:13 Overcoming Barriers to AI Adoption
34:53 Pilots, Champions & Proving Value
40:37 Unlocking Strengths Beyond Work
45:39 The Future of People Enablement
47:33 Stop Taking Orders
50:05 Closing Thoughts

In this episode of L&D Disrupt, Pauline sits down with Asi Degani, former Director of Skills and Talent at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and now Head of the AI Academy at **NTT DATA, to explore what it really takes to build a skills-based organisation.

Asi shares how LSEG developed its Career Navigator talent marketplace, creating a transparent framework that mapped roles, skills and proficiency levels across the business. He explains how a voluntary rollout, manual skills taxonomy and Skills 360 assessments helped improve internal mobility, support fairer promotions and give leaders a clearer view of workforce capability.

They also discuss why organisations should start with the business problem, not the technology, how smaller companies can adopt a skills-first approach, what to look for when choosing learning technology, and why AI should be framed as an opportunity to enhance work rather than simply drive efficiency.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome & Introductions00:52 Asi's Career Journey02:47 Why Skills Matter More Than Ever05:03 Building LSEG's Career Navigator07:16 Skills vs. Competencies09:59 Driving Adoption Across the Business12:16 Skills 360 Assessments16:12 Fairer Promotions Through Skills Data18:38 Measuring Success19:49 Applying Skills in Smaller Organisations24:02 Start With Your "Why"25:30 Reducing Bias Through Skills Visibility26:09 Choosing the Right Learning Technology27:40 Why Integration Matters28:39 Building the Business Case for Skills30:26 AI Upskilling Beyond Efficiency33:19 Changing the AI Narrative36:00 Jobs Will Change, Not Disappear38:50 Vibe Coding & Local LLMs39:54 Hallucinations vs. Human Bias40:52 Preparing for the Future of Work42:51 What's Next & Closing Thoughts

What happens when L&D stops thinking like a support function and starts thinking like the business?

In this episode of L&D Disrupt, Kelsey Botne from HowNow is joined by Elizabeth Chaloner, Head of Learning & Talent Development at Lastminute.com, to explore what it really takes to align learning with business priorities.

Elizabeth shares why L&D professionals should see themselves as business people with L&D expertise not the other way around, and explains how this mindset shift changes everything from stakeholder conversations to measuring success. Using her memorable "pastry chef" analogy, she discusses why understanding the outcome should always come before designing the solution.

The conversation also explores how AI is helping L&D teams work smarter, from analysing qualitative feedback and performance reviews to building assessments and sense-checking strategy. Elizabeth explains why capability metrics, behaviour change and business outcomes matter far more than course completions and learning hours.

If you're looking to increase L&D's influence, prove impact, and use AI in practical ways, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why L&D needs to think like the business
• How to become a strategic partner instead of an order taker
• Which learning metrics leaders actually care about
• Practical ways to use AI in L&D beyond content creation
• How to measure capability and behaviour change
• Why shipping quickly often beats waiting for perfection
• How to build a culture of continuous learning during constant change

Timestamps:

00:00 Why L&D Must Think Like the Business01:22 Meet Your Host01:44 Elizabeth's Career Journey02:19 Becoming a Business Partner03:31 The Pastry Chef Analogy04:44 Listening for Business Strategy05:52 Using AI as a Strategic Coach06:40 Navigating Barriers & Trade-offs08:13 Showing Value Early11:15 The Metrics That Really Matter13:42 Empowering Your Team16:01 Growing While Delivering17:20 Leading Through Constant Change18:31 Progress Over Perfection19:04 Forecasting with Data20:23 Building a Learning Mindset22:31 Making Time to Learn24:29 Staying Curious About AI25:43 From Learning Content to Behaviour Change28:00 Balancing Learning with Business Priorities29:08 AI for Learning Insights30:59 Avoiding AI Distractions32:17 Hot Takes & Closing Thoughts

In this episode of L&D Disrupt, host Pauline Taylor, VP of People at HowNow, sits down with Daniel Gualdino, Head of Head of People, Talent & Culture at Oatly, to explore why HR should start thinking more like a product team. Daniel explains what Product-Led HR really means: designing employee experiences around people's needs, using data to drive decisions, and measuring success through business outcomes, not vanity metrics.

Together, they unpack how People teams can move beyond reactive policies and administrative work to become strategic business partners. Daniel shares why mapping the entire employee journey is key to identifying moments that matter, how to combine qualitative and quantitative data to tell a compelling business story, and why understanding how the business makes money is essential for earning a seat at the table.

The conversation also explores where AI can create genuine value for HR, why critical thinking and context still matter, and what defines a truly high-performance culture. From psychological safety and continuous feedback to recognition and manager effectiveness, Daniel explains why great managers remain one of the biggest drivers of organisational success.

Daniel's hot take? Put people before processes, and processes before tools.

00:00 Rethinking People Strategy
01:27 Meet Daniel Gualdino
02:18 From Psychology to HR
04:12 What Product-Led HR Means
06:42 People, Processes, Then Tools
08:16 Metrics That Matter
11:16 Mapping the Employee Journey
14:41 AI Hype vs Fundamentals
17:36 Discovery Through Data
21:15 Getting Comfortable With Analytics
25:40 The Future of Traditional HR
26:13 Elevating the People Function
26:43 How AI Changes HR's Value
27:08 Building a Product Mindset
28:55 Earning a Strategic Seat
30:17 Defining High Performance
31:35 Goals, Feedback & Psychological Safety
35:04 Why Managers Matter Most
39:31 AI Coaching for Managers
42:42 Next Disruptions Ahead
46:44 Unlearning & Closing Thoughts

In this episode of L&D Disrupt, host Pauline speaks with Monika Holliday, Head of People at British Airways Euroflyer, about why traditional approaches to talent development and performance are no longer fit for today's workforce.

Drawing on a career that has spanned multiple industries, Monica shares how the world of work has fundamentally changed since COVID and why organisations need to rethink learning, career development, and employee growth. She explains how British Airways Euroflyer supports a multi-generational workforce by creating flexible development platforms instead of one-size-fits-all programmes, encouraging employees to take ownership of their learning, and embracing reverse mentoring to share knowledge across generations—including emerging AI skills.

Monica also introduces "Career Shapes," an alternative to the traditional nine-box talent matrix that helps employees define their own career ambitions through meaningful conversations with managers and personalised development opportunities.

The conversation explores the difference between high performance and sustained high pressure, why culture and teamwork are at the heart of organisational success, and how more agile goal setting can help organisations adapt in an ever-changing business environment.

Monica's hot take for L&D teams? Stop forcing everyone up the same career ladder, create opportunities for people to grow in ways that work for them.

00:00 Meet Monica Holliday
00:38 Squiggly HR Journey
02:22 Post COVID Work Shift
03:50 Rethinking L&D Programs
05:33 Managing Generations
06:48 Platforms Not Programs
08:51 Reverse Mentoring AI
11:50 BA Mentoring Culture
14:32 Culture Champions Inclusion
16:55 Career Shapes Explained
17:19 Beyond Nine Box
20:17 Owning Your Career
21:37 Career Shapes In Action
22:23 Career Shapes Coaching
24:55 Quiz To Career Paths
27:16 Growth Without Promotion
32:02 High Performance Culture
35:27 Making Goals Work
39:09 Final Advice And Wrap

In this episode of L&D Disrupt, host Kelsey speaks with Derek Bruce, Chief Learning Officer at Easygenerator, about what's holding L&D back and what the function needs to become next.

Derek argues that learning teams spend too much time creating content instead of making better use of what already exists, and that L&D must become more closely connected to performance, skills, and business priorities by consistently asking one simple question: "So what?" He shares why learning needs to happen quickly and in the flow of work, why managers should be involved throughout the learning journey rather than only at the end, and why measuring application and business impact matters more than completion rates and satisfaction scores.

The conversation also explores AI beyond the hype, covering practical applications for trend analysis, efficiency gains, coaching and practice at scale, and improving learning experiences, while addressing concerns around AI replacing jobs or encouraging shortcuts.

Derek explains why transparency, guardrails, and human expertise remain essential as organisations adopt AI, challenges the growing obsession with overly complex skills taxonomies, and outlines his vision for the future of L&D as a more business-facing, facilitative function embedded across the employee lifecycle.

Derek's hot take for L&D teams? Stop building more content and start solving business problems.

00:00 AI Learning Gaps
01:32 Welcome and Introductions
02:44 What's Wrong With L&D
04:00 Link Learning to Performance
06:17 Managers Enable Application
08:02 AI Beyond the Hype
10:13 AI Cheating and Trust
13:55 Human First AI Second
18:57 Common AI Mistakes
23:04 Protect Entry Level Skills
26:52 Skills Based Organisations
30:11 Reorgs and Future Skills
33:17 Future Role of L&D
35:58 Stop Vanity Metrics
37:42 Closing Thanks

In this episode of L&D Disrupt, host Kelsey speaks with Ruth South, who leads Talent Development and Learning at Costa Coffee, about what it really takes to build a learning culture that drives business success and meaningful internal mobility.

Ruth explains how Costa invests in apprenticeships, coffee craft, and centrally funded talent pathways that move people from barista to leadership roles , including transitions into the support centre across functions like data, digital, supply chain, and procurement. She shares how the team connects learning strategy to business outcomes, measuring impact through promotion rates and customer metrics like net promoter score, while getting the balance right between digital, face-to-face, and in-the-flow tools like skills cards next to the coffee machine.

The conversation also covers leadership development through coaching programs and a CEO-sponsored global talent initiative, ongoing onboarding improvements, the realities of supporting a largely under-25 workforce, and Costa's evolving thinking on AI and the youth employment agenda. Ruth also shares her hot take for L&D teams: stop waiting for a seat at the table, start creating one.

00:00 Create the Table

01:31 Meet Ruth South

02:24 Careers Beyond Transient

04:08 Talent Programs Ecosystem

05:10 Apprenticeships as Strategy

06:24 Data Driven L&D Impact

07:43 Learning Culture Stories

09:02 Apprenticeship Playbook Tips

10:59 Building Learning Community

13:00 Managers Coaching Leadership

15:53 Onboarding and Transitions

20:46 Early Careers Skills Balance

23:31 Self Serve Flow of Work

27:34 Measuring ROI and Value

30:17 Next Frontier AI Youth

35:05 Hot Takes Start Stop

36:14 Final Advice and Wrap

In this episode, strategic talent and development leader and coach Shane Halifax shares how he moved from being a general manager at DFS into L&D after realizing he most enjoyed developing people, and explains what he learned about what does and doesn’t translate from courses into workplace performance. He outlines a capability-based approach: defining role capabilities, benchmarking with top performers, using 360-style input to identify gaps, and aligning development to both business needs and squiggly career mobility through transferable skills. Shane discusses gaining C-suite credibility by engaging early in strategy conversations, focusing on root-cause diagnosis and measurable outcomes (KPIs, engagement, customer satisfaction), and demonstrating ROI beyond “bums on seats.” He also covers making mentorship strategic and scalable using technology, including matching for chemistry, tracking outcomes, and experimenting with group and reverse mentoring, plus how AI can accelerate content creation while keeping L&D focused on real business problems. 

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 

00:26 Shane’s Path Into L&D

01:13 Learning That Sticks at Work

03:19 Capability Mapping and 360 Gaps

05:23 Squiggly Careers and Transferable Skills

06:50 Making Skills Strategic With Leaders

09:25 Diagnosing Requests With 5Di

12:26 Mentorship That Actually Works

15:13 Scaling Mentorship With Tech

19:48 Upskilling New Managers

22:30 Rolling Out Relevant Training

24:26 Marketing Learning for Adoption

25:55 Getting a Seat at the Table

28:29 Proving ROI That Execs Care About

30:01 The Future of L&D and AI

32:28 Wrap Up and Where to Connect

We’re excited to kick off Season 4 with our new host, Pauline Taylor, VP of People at HowNow!

Join us for an engaging discussion with Ian Walker, an industry leader and expert in Learning and Development (L&D), as he explores the transformative power of L&D in driving business outcomes. In this episode, Ian highlights the crucial role L&D plays in unlocking potential, fostering collaboration, and enhancing organizational culture.

The conversation covers the significance of effective onboarding, the impact of mentorship and coaching, and the emerging influence of AI on learning practices. Ian also shares his experiences in building cohesive L&D programs, the importance of continuous learning, and practical strategies for measuring the business impact of L&D initiatives.

This episode offers valuable insights for anyone looking to elevate learning and development within their organization.

To learn more about HowNow, you can chat with the team here: HowNow Demo

🎉 Celebrating the 100th episode of L&D Disrupt Live at World of Learning!

Nelson Sivalingam is joined by four forward-thinking L&D leaders—Tara (AND Digital), Stephen (So Energy), Penny (inRiver), and Joe (Centrick)—for a conversation about how Learning & Development is evolving in today’s organisations.

They explore how L&D teams are moving from problem solvers to problem finders, sharing real-world strategies that work: from AI upskilling programs and centralised learning hubs to a skills-first approach that puts learners at the heart of learning.

The panel dives into meeting learners where they are, using technology to create meaningful impact, and focusing on business outcomes over content creation. Packed with practical tips, this discussion is a must-watch for any L&D professional looking to make a bigger impact in their organisation.

00:00 Introduction to L&D Challenges

01:40 Celebrating 100 Episodes of L&D Disrupt

02:21 Panel Discussion: Identifying and Solving L&D Problems

03:47 Tara's Approach to Evolving Learning Solutions

04:52 Joe's Strategy for a Unified Learning Ecosystem

06:42 Steven's Dual Focus on Compliance and Learning Perception

08:12 Penny's Certification Program Overhaul

09:30 Innovative Approaches to L&D Content and Engagement

15:08 AI Upskilling at And Digital

23:22 Moving Towards a Skills-Based Learning Approach

27:07 Engaging Line Managers in L&D

29:38 Final Thoughts and Actionable Takeaways