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The Learning & Development Podcast

The Learning & Development Podcast

By: David James
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 The Learning & Development Podcast is a fortnightly topical podcast show for L&D professionals hosted by David James and presented by 360Learning. In each episode David James discusses and debates topics affecting the profession alongside expert guests. David is the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning and a highly respected voice in the Learning & Development industry. With a focus on harnessing technology to drive impactful learning strategies, David is recognised as one of the top 10 global influencers in the L&D space. His expertise lies in helping organisations modernise their approach to workplace learning, ensuring measurable results and business alignment. The Learning & Development Podcast has amassed over 500,000 downloads and ranks in the top 1% of podcasts globally. With nearly 30,000 LinkedIn followers, David continues to shape the conversation around L&D innovation and best practices, drawing on his deep experience, including his time as Director of Learning, Talent & Organisational Development at The Walt Disney Company. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.360learning.com/2025 David James Career Success Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Finance Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Exposing L&D’s Operating Model: Navigating the Most Significant Disruption in L&D History with Tom Kupetis and Brandon Dickens

    Exposing L&D’s Operating Model: Navigating the Most Significant Disruption in L&D History with Tom Kupetis and Brandon Dickens
    Apr 28 2026
    In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, David James is joined by Tom Kupetis and Brandon Dickens to explore how AI is revealing deep-seated flaws in the traditional L&D operating model. They discuss why the industry’s long-standing reliance on static content and "one size fits all" curricula is no longer fit for purpose in a world where expertise is now available on tap. Tom and Brandon reflect on the shift from managing content production to facilitating "action learning," where L&D practitioners must act more like business consultants to drive real performance change. They delve into the return of the apprenticeship model - now enabled at scale through AI - and how the role of L&D must evolve from a reactive cost centre into a high-value sensing engine that predicts and solves business failures in real-time. Take your L&D to the next level Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership. It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D will have to stop being course producers and become performance partners. Working directly alongside the people who do the jobs to build apprenticeship-style coaching using AI. L&D must be deeply embedded in the business, driven by data and learning science, and judged on measurable performance outcomes, not on volume of training. BEST MOMENTS “Gen AI is … putting expertise on tap, basically.” “When you're trying to get a team to really adopt AI and champion it … you have to create that aha moment.” "If every L&D employee had the anthropic kind of ecosystem at their disposal, it would 10x what they're doing." GUEST BIOS Tom Kupetis, Executive Vice President, St. Charles Consulting Group Tom has 20+ years’ experience delivering management consulting and learning solutions to Fortune 500 organisations. A results-focused advisor, he partners with senior leaders to link learning directly to business outcomes such as strategic transformation, risk reduction, revenue growth, and speed to profit. As Executive Vice President, Tom leads new client acquisition and firm growth, shaping St. Charles’ client‑centric go‑to‑market strategy and positioning in strategic learning services. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-a-kupetis-ii-5a427b3/ Brandon Dickens, Vice President for Advanced Solutions, NIIT Brandon is Vice President for Advanced Solutions at NIIT, where he leads AI-powered learning innovation for Fortune 500 clients. He focuses on AI coaching systems, adaptive simulations and performance platforms that shift L&D from content delivery to measurable business impact. Brandon helped create NIIT’s Modal AI Coach framework and “Judy,” an AI activity generator and coach for K-12 teachers built with The Writing Revolution. He co-authored The Transcendence Doctrine series, arguing that AI ends the business case for content-centric learning and forces L&D to prove value through performance. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandondickens/ VALUABLE RESOURCES https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. CONTACT METHOD  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective https://360learning.com/blog https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    47 mins
  • L&D at the AI Table: Shaping Strategy, Not Just Providing the Training with Simon Brown

    L&D at the AI Table: Shaping Strategy, Not Just Providing the Training with Simon Brown
    Apr 14 2026
    In this episode, Simon Brown takes us inside his role as Global Learning & Development Leader at EY, sharing how he sits at the table shaping the organisation’s AI agenda rather than just delivering training. We explore how L&D can move from a support function to a strategic driver in the AI era, the practical ways his team is role-modelling AI, and the benefits of taking an integrated approach across departments to unlock real impact. Simon also gives his perspective on the speed at which AI is transforming L&D, what this means for day-to-day operations, and how teams can stay relevant in a rapidly changing landscape. He shares actionable advice for L&D leaders who feel they might be behind the curve, offering insights into how to forge influence, make AI work for learning, and prepare their organisations for the next wave of skills development. Take your L&D to the next level Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership. It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model KEY TAKEAWAYS A skills-based learning ecosystem where skills act as the “connective tissue” and people build visible skills profiles, earn badges by applying new capabilities, and are then scheduled onto projects based on those skills turns learning into a direct driver of real work opportunities and career growth. A clear vision, strategy and operating model, agreed with the C‑suite, gives L&D a mandate and protects it from shiny object tech decisions. L&D only stays relevant if it matches consumer-grade, AI-powered experiences and uses AI itself to accelerate and personalise learning. Be part of early AI conversations. BEST MOMENTS “The learning is actually done by interaction with an AI agent, and that agent will guide you through step by step what might be a good agent for you to build.” “We've tried to role model how to use the (AI) technology ourselves in how we build the learning solutions.” Simon Brown Bio Simon Brown is Global Learning & Development Leader at EY and international best-selling author of The Curious Advantage. A commercially minded learning leader, he was previously Chief Learning Officer at Novartis and has led major learning transformations across sectors, including at Lloyds Banking Group. Earlier in his career he co-founded Brightwave, one of the UK’s leading e-learning companies, and consulted at Accenture for global brands such as BT, BP, Microsoft, and Canon. His work has earned multiple Chief Learning Officer Strategy Awards, and under his leadership Novartis was named #3 globally for Talent Development in the ATD BEST Awards. Simon co-hosts The Curious Advantage podcast, is a regular international keynote speaker, and is active in global learning communities and EdTech as an angel investor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoncbrown1/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Curious-Advantage-Paul-Ashcroft/dp/1648713513 https://www.curiousadvantage.com/curious-advantage-podcast VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. CONTACT METHOD https://twitter.com/davidinlearning https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    41 mins
  • Influence, Evidence and Building High-Impact L&D with Hillary Miller

    Influence, Evidence and Building High-Impact L&D with Hillary Miller
    Mar 31 2026
    In this episode, Hillary Miller takes us behind the scenes of scaling L&D across a complex healthcare system. She discusses how she adapted team structures to meet the needs of hospitals, outpatient services, and physician networks, and how she identified what was working and what needed to change. Hillary also explores her approach to influencing senior stakeholders, using evidence over anecdotes and guiding conversations from “what we want” toward “what the business actually needs.” She reflects on planning ahead, balancing competing priorities and building an L&D function that delivers real organisational impact. Take your L&D to the next level Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership. It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model KEY TAKEAWAYS Strategic partnerships with leaders, grounded in their metrics and realities, let L&D see 3–5 years ahead and shape the organisation’s future. Great L&D teams are built around people’s strengths, transferable skills, and trust so people can fill new roles as the business needs it. That´s far more productive than periodically re-organising the whole team. Relationships are the real infrastructure. They are the most vital element for any organisation or business. Curiosity, candour and humour with stakeholders and your own team make the hard conversations possible. Be ready to wait for the right moments to make your points or push for change. BEST MOMENTS “Quit calling them learners and students. These are our colleagues, right?” “I care a lot about looking around the corner. So, where are we going to be three to five years from now? What is the business going to be experiencing.” “Don't wait for the big wow. Acknowledge the things that are happening along the way that are actually helping.” “I really stand by HCA mission, which, above all else. We're committed to the care and improvement of human life. There is nothing more mission driven to me than taking care of other people.” Hillary Miller Bio Hillary Miller shares how she’s building an L&D function that delivers real organisational impact across hospitals, outpatient services, and physician networks. She unpacks how she uses evidence over anecdotes, guides stakeholders from “what we want” to “what the business actually needs” and drives measurable results at scale. Hillary also takes us behind the scenes of scaling L&D, transforming team structures, assessing what works and what needs to change, balancing competing priorities and planning strategically to ensure learning initiatives truly move the business forward. You can follow and connect with Hillary via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillarybmiller/ EPISODE REOURCES https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Michael-Bungay-Stanier/author/B002QK41GQ VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective Blog: https://360learning.com/blog L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    48 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Really informative and forward-thinking. The guests are varied and interesting, and the host is great at contributing and steering the discussion.

As an L&D professional, I'm really grateful this is available.

insightful

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I found this podcast to be really useful and has helped keep me in touch with what is ‘going on’ in the L&D profession.

Really insightful and useful!!

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Really interesting listen - refreshing to hear such insightful L&D chat, find every episode fascinating

A must listen for L&D professionals

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