NovoEDTalks

Leadership Personas: Rethinking Talent Development in Manufacturing

On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Monica Anderton to explore the realities of talent development inside a rapidly evolving manufacturing environment. Monica shares how DS Smith is navigating workforce shortages, leadership development, generational knowledge transfer, and large-scale organizational change following a major acquisition. The conversation also dives into leadership personas, learning experiences that actually stick, and why organizations must balance AI adoption with human intuition and connection.

Leadership at Scale Through Change and Complexity: Building Human-Centered Leaders in an AI Era

On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Todd Harrison, Vice President of Global Leadership Development at GE Healthcare, to explore how leadership development is evolving in an increasingly AI-driven and uncertain world. Todd shares how his team is developing more adaptable, human-centered leaders through coaching, experiential learning, and scalable leadership programs designed for over 8,000 leaders globally. The conversation dives into balancing technical expertise with durable human capabilities, why coaching acts as a force multiplier, and how organizations can use AI to enhance leadership development without losing the critical human context that drives trust, judgment, and connection.

The Future of Work Requires 'Meta Skills': Leadership Lessons from Weis Markets

On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa Fiske sits down with Chris Chappell, Director of Learning and Development at Weis Markets, to explore how organizations can build learning cultures that prioritize curiosity, continuous improvement, and real-world application. Chris shares how his team approaches leadership development, durable “meta skills,” AI adoption, and learning measurement across a complex workforce of 23,000 employees — while balancing operational execution with long-term capability building. The conversation dives into why application matters more than content consumption, how AI should function as a “thought partner,” and why the future of work will depend on organizations developing more human-centered leadership capabilities.

Building Learning That Sticks: How Rotary Scales Development Across 1.2M Volunteers

On this episode of NovoEDTalks, we sit down with Sarah Remijan, Director of Learning and Development at Rotary International, to explore what it takes to drive meaningful learning across a truly global nonprofit organization. Supporting over 1.2 million volunteer leaders across cultures, languages, and regions, Sarah shares how her team designs learning experiences that engage, stick, and translate into real-world impact—despite limited time and no formal incentives. From participant-centered design to facilitation and applied learning, this conversation unpacks how Rotary is redefining global L&D at scale in one of the most complex learning environments imaginable.

Learning Without Limits: Balancing Global Scale and Local Relevance

On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Melanie Lepine, Global Head of Talent and E-Learning at a global real estate services firm, to explore how such a large, global organization is rethinking learning at scale. They unpack the shift from role-based development to skills-based agility, the growing importance of IQ, EQ, and TQ, and how organizations can balance global consistency with local relevance. Mel also shares practical insights on what actually drives learning impact—from experiential design to psychological safety and real-world application.