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    BPI Expert Faculty

    Karie Willyerd

    Chief Customer Strategy Officer

    GP Strategies Corporation & Learning Technologies Group (LTG)

    Key Takeaways

    • 1.Led learning functions at Sun Microsystems and Visa, guiding both to achieve ATD's #1 global ranking.
    • 2.Co-authored the bestselling books The 2020 Workplace and Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace.
    • 3.Received the ATD Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award in 2017 for her impact on the field.
    • 4.A six-time Chief Learning Officer, she currently serves as Chief Customer Strategy Officer for GP Strategies.

    About Karie

    Karie Willyerd is a renowned Chief Learning Officer and workplace futurist, recognized for her transformative leadership in learning and talent development across global enterprises and her contributions to the Best Practice Institute as an expert faculty member.

    Who is Karie Willyerd?

    Karie Willyerd is currently the Chief Customer Strategy Officer for GP Strategies Corporation and Learning Technologies Group (LTG). In these roles, she focuses on customer learning and talent strategies, bringing over 30 years of experience in the field to shape organizational growth and development. She also serves as a Chief Learning Officer in Residence and Advisor for Skillable and a fractional CLO for Uplimit.

    Willyerd is globally recognized for her impact on corporate learning, having led two organizations to ATD's #1 global ranking for learning functions. Her career demonstrates a consistent commitment to innovation in talent management, from co-founding a video-based learning platform to advising ed-tech startups.

    Quick facts about Karie Willyerd

    Role
    Company
    Expertise
    Notable for
    BPI affiliation

    What is Karie Willyerd known for?

    Karie Willyerd is known for her extensive contributions to the field of learning and development, including:

    • Executive Leadership in Learning: Serving as a six-time Chief Learning Officer (CLO) at major corporations such as Visa, Sun Microsystems, SAP/SuccessFactors, and Solectron.
    • Award-Winning Learning Programs: Guiding both Sun Microsystems and Visa to achieve ATD's #1 global ranking for learning functions.
    • Entrepreneurial Ventures: Co-founding and serving as CEO of Jambok, an innovative video-based informal social learning software platform that was later acquired by SuccessFactors.
    • Bestselling Authorship: Co-authoring the award-winning book The 2020 Workplace and Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace, an Amazon Editor’s Pick.
    • Distinguished Recognition: Receiving the prestigious ATD Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award in 2017.
    • Workplace Futurism: Pioneering discussions and research on the future of work, talent trends, and AI-enabled corporate learning.

    What is Karie Willyerd's background and experience?

    Karie Willyerd has a distinguished career spanning over three decades in learning and development. Her executive roles include SVP & CLO at Visa, CLO at Sun Microsystems, Head of Global Education and Workplace Futurist at SuccessFactors (an SAP company), and Chief Talent Officer for Solectron Corporation. Earlier in her career, she held leadership positions at Lockheed Martin in people development and at H.J. Heinz in executive development.

    Her academic credentials include:

    • Bachelor of Science from Texas Christian University
    • Master of Science in Instructional and Performance Technology from Boise State University
    • Doctorate in Management from Case Western Reserve University

    Willyerd also co-founded Jambok, a video-based social learning platform, which was acquired by SuccessFactors in 2011. She contributes to the academic community as a member of the global leadership council for the business school at Colorado State University and as a 2024-2025 Fellow at Harvard’s Learning Innovation Lab (LILA).

    What topics does Karie Willyerd speak and write about?

    Karie Willyerd is a prolific author and speaker, focusing on critical topics that shape the modern and future workplace. Her writings explore themes such as leadership, organizational development, workplace culture, and the evolving landscape of talent development. She is particularly interested in the future of work, AI readiness, and effective workforce learning strategies.

    She frequently contributes to prominent publications like Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and authors the "Last Word" column for Training Magazine. Her work often addresses how organizations can adapt to new challenges, attract and retain top talent, and foster environments where employees can thrive and continuously learn.

    How does Karie Willyerd contribute to the Best Practice Institute?

    As an expert faculty member at the Best Practice Institute, Karie Willyerd brings her extensive knowledge and experience in learning, talent development, and the future of work to the BPI community. Through her insights, she helps organizations understand and implement best practices that align with BPI's mission to identify, research, and share leading-edge management and leadership practices. Her expertise directly supports key areas of BPI research, including fostering Most Loved Workplaces® and utilizing the SPARK Model for organizational excellence.

    Where can you learn more from Karie Willyerd?

    To delve deeper into Karie Willyerd's insights, you can explore her published works, including The 2020 Workplace and Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace. Her articles on Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Training Magazine also offer valuable perspectives. Follow her contributions to GP Strategies and Skillable, and look for her current and upcoming public appearances at industry conferences.

    Background & Perspective

    Background and Career

    Karie Willyerd has over three decades of experience in learning and development. Currently, she is the Chief Customer Strategy Officer for GP Strategies Corporation and Learning Technologies Group (LTG), focusing on customer learning and talent strategies. Her executive career includes serving as a six-time Chief Learning Officer at major companies like Visa, Sun Microsystems, SAP/SuccessFactors, and Solectron. Early in her career, she held leadership roles at Lockheed Martin and H.J. Heinz.

    An entrepreneur, Willyerd co-founded Jambok, a video-based social learning platform that was acquired by SuccessFactors in 2011. She holds a Doctorate in Management from Case Western Reserve University, an M.S. in Instructional and Performance Technology from Boise State University, and a B.S. from Texas Christian University.

    Areas of Expertise

    As a workplace futurist, Karie Willyerd focuses on the future of work, AI readiness, and effective workforce learning strategies. Her expertise covers a wide range of topics within organizational development, including leadership, talent development, and workplace culture. She is recognized for developing innovative talent management strategies and pioneering research on AI-enabled corporate learning environments.

    Published Works and Speaking

    Willyerd is the co-author of two bestselling books: The 2020 Workplace and Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace. A prolific writer and speaker, she frequently contributes to publications such as Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and authors the "Last Word" column for Training Magazine. Her work explores how organizations can navigate new challenges and create cultures of continuous learning.

    Industry Contributions and Awards

    Karie Willyerd's contributions to talent development have earned her significant recognition. She led the learning functions at both Sun Microsystems and Visa to the #1 global ranking from the Association for Talent Development (ATD). In 2017, she received the prestigious ATD Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award. As an expert faculty member at the Best Practice Institute, she shares her extensive knowledge to help organizations implement leading-edge leadership and management practices.

    Areas of Expertise

    Chief Learning OfficerTalent DevelopmentWorkplace FuturistOrganizational DevelopmentWorkforce LearningAI ReadinessLeadershipWorkplace Culture

    Research Topics

    Learning & DevelopmentTalent StrategyFuture of WorkLeadership Development

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    Best Practice Institute

    Best Practice Institute is the research organization behind Most Loved Workplace® certification, the SPARK Model, the Love of Workplace Index™ (LOWI™), and The Workplace Report.

    The Workplace Report

    The Workplace Report is BPI's original workplace culture research and editorial briefing series for CEOs, CHROs, people leaders, talent leaders, and employer-brand teams. It turns BPI's 25 years of research, Most Loved Workplace® certification data, SPARK findings, and current workforce signals into practical analysis leaders can use.

    The report format includes executive summaries, research-backed articles, company examples, methodology notes, and practical implications for retention, hiring, culture, leadership, and employee experience. New research and analysis is published on an ongoing editorial cadence at /workplace-report.