Learning and Development Transformation Conference

Neil Solomon

How generative AI and intelligent agents can co-create learning with employees, delivering tailored content, coaching, and insights that evolve as learners grow, increasing engagement and speeding up capability building.

Francois van der Merwe

The topic will consist of the following: How internal and external hackathons can be used as structured “learning labs” where employees rapidly build future-fit skills, experiment with AI and emerging tech, and co-create solutions to real business problems—while embedding a culture of innovation, collaboration, and ownership across the organisation. In this session, Francois will explore how to move hackathons beyond one-off events and turn them into a core talent and culture capability: • Talent Development in Action: Using hackathons to build critical skills (AI, product thinking, experimentation, storytelling) through real-world challenges instead of theoretical training. • Spotting & Growing High-Potential Talent: Identifying future leaders, intrapreneurs, and “connectors” by how they show up under time pressure, collaborate, and solve problems. • Scaling an Innovation Mindset: Designing hackathons that normalise experimentation, fast feedback, and cross-functional teaming—so innovation becomes “how we work”, not a side project. • From Ideas to Impact: Creating post-hackathon pipelines (incubation, pilots, sponsorship) so winning ideas and teams don’t die on Monday morning. • Measuring Culture & Capability Shifts: Linking hackathon outcomes to learning metrics, engagement, and business impact to prove ROI and secure ongoing executive sponsorship.

Use virtual and augmented reality to simulate real-life business scenarios, enabling employees to practice high-risk tasks in a safe environment and accelerate competency development through experiential learning.

Thea Pelser

Embedding microlearning, performance support, and just-in-time resources directly into employees’ workflows to ensure learning is seamless, relevant, and immediately applicable, boosting productivity and retention.

Designing game-based experiences that drive intrinsic motivation, simulate business challenges, and reward mastery — helping learners internalise complex skills and behaviours in a fun, measurable way.

JP Van Zittert (CPsychol, AFBPsS, RS)

Building communities of practice, peer coaching, and knowledge-sharing networks that leverage social dynamics to scale collective learning, encourage collaboration, and democratise expertise across the organization.

Building dashboards that combine business KPIs, learning metrics, and learner behavior to demonstrate the impact of L&D investments and drive data-informed decision-making at executive level.

Antoinette Roberts

Identifying emerging skills, creating pathways for reskilling, and building agile talent pools to ensure your organization is prepared for digital disruption, role shifts, and future workforce needs.

Annette Breetzke

Cultivating a learning mindset across the organisation by embedding continuous learning practices, peer feedback, and reflective learning, fostering innovation, resilience, and adaptability in your workforce.

Thembi Myeni

Exploring the ethics of AI, data privacy, bias, and equity in learning programs — ensuring that digital transformation in L&D is aligned with organisational values and regulatory frameworks.

Shenaaz Patel

This keynote explores how organisations can cultivate leadership at every level by implementing structured learning journeys, mentorship, and coaching programs that empower employees, strengthen leadership pipelines, and align leadership development with long-term business goals in a rapidly changing workforce landscape.

Integrating mental health, psychological safety, and wellness into learning design to create resilient learning environments where employees feel safe to take risks and grow without burnout.

Implementing modular certification programs and digital credentials that validate skills and knowledge, supporting both career growth and business needs while providing measurable proof of competence.

Strategies to drive buy-in, adoption, and behaviour change for new learning initiatives, using stakeholder alignment, communication plans, and feedback loops to ensure transformation sticks.