Donald H Taylor has worked in learning and technology since the mid-1980s. He's chaired the Learning Technologies Conference since 2000 and writes and speaks world-wide. His annual L&D Global Sentiment Survey, started in 2014, provides a unique perspective on L&D trends from over 100 countries. From 2010 to 2021, he chaired the Learning and Performance Institute. He chairs the Workforce Development board for VC firm Emerge Education, and advises several EdTech start-ups. The author of Learning Technologies in the Workplace, Donald is a graduate of Oxford University and the recipience of an honorary doctorate from London’s Middlesex University.

As this year's Learning Technologies Conference Co-Chair, Donald shares his insights on where our industry stands this year and what the future holds. In this interview, he gives his expertise on current trends in L&D, looks back at chairing the conference over the years, and looks forward to our upcoming event in April.

 

Can you give us an intro about yourself and how you got into workplace learning?

When I graduated in the mid-1980s I travelled for a while, and then decided to get a qualification in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). I spent the next five years in Istanbul, and haven’t looked back!

 

If you had to distil today's world of digital learning into three words, what would they be and why?

New, unknown territory.

 

What's a learning initiative you've seen a business implement recently that really impressed you?

It’s not recent, but it was the most impactful: Matt Defeo at Techtronic Industries identified an issue that could have a huge impact on the power tool business’s bottom line. People were returning power tools with batteries missing. By a simple set of interventions, he altered the bad returns rate, saving his company more than $30 million over 2 years.

But it wasn’t the scale of the solution that impressed me, it was its focus and simplicity. He found the issue, and he worked with managers and frontline workers to fix it. It didn’t need AI or clever content, just a clear message on what needed doing, and how to do it.

 

What's the best bit of advice you can give to a business hoping to upgrade their learning initiatives?

I’ll give the same advice as everyone: start with the business problem. The questions is, how do you know what the business problem is? You don’t just ask. First, you build a relationship. Then, based on that, you listen. Then you can ask, and you never accept the first answer. Always go deeper.

 

What have been some of the best moments at the Learning Technologies Conference over the years?

Seeing people from all over the world over meeting, talking and building relationships that last well after the conference has finished!

 

Which highlights from this year's Learning Technologies Conference are you most looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to the lunchtime sessions – Women in Learning and Accessibility in Learning. These are being run in a new format, in a new space, and I’m hoping the participants to build networks in those sessions that will carry on for years.

 

Obviously, AI has massively impacted the way all of us approach work. What's the biggest way it has impacted learning?

It’s given corporate L&D a huge challenge. In a world where anyone can create average content, what’s our role? It’s not creating more content. It has to be moving beyond that to truly supporting short-term performance and building long-term capability.

 

What's something businesses need to stop doing when it comes to learning?

Focusing on content creation.

 

What's your advice for getting teams more engaged in learning and training?

Make it useful. If you help people achieve their goals – personally or professionally, they’ll be engaged. If your offer doesn’t help, don’t expect people to devote precious time and attention to it.

 

If you could master a new skill instantly, what would it be?

Remembering everything I read. What happens to all those words? Where do they go? I would love to remember every character of every novel and every fact in every book of non-fiction. 😊

 

Don't miss Europe's leading workplace learning conference

This is just a teaser for what awaits you on 29-30 April 2026 at Excel London! Donald will be joined by Co-Chair David Kelly in delivering a world-class conference – with over 30 dynamic sessions led by more than 80 industry thought leaders, it's an unmissable event for all L&D professionals.

Secure your place today to join 1,000 like-minded professionals in shaping the future of learning and development. 

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