On May 22 in Paris, we marked a major milestone: 25 years of shared learning, growth, and innovation. But Next 2025 wasn’t just a celebration. It was a turning point.
We brought together forward-thinking L&D leaders, learning designers, partners, and HR strategists for one simple reason:
To ask bold questions about the future—and start building it.
One question echoed loudest through every keynote, breakout, and conversation:
How can L&D drive meaningful, measurable business impact?
From provocative frameworks to practical insights, from AI-enhanced learning journeys to the deep power of human connection, the message was clear: It’s L&D’s moment to lead.
Here are five big ideas that emerged from the day—each one a spark for what comes next.
1. Learning isn’t the end goal. Impact is.
CrossKnowledge CEO Guillaume Gérard set the tone early with a striking idea:
“What if learning wasn’t the end game?”
Coming from a digital learning pioneer, it’s a provocative shift. But as Guillaume explained, knowledge alone doesn’t transform organizations—behavior does.
We’ve entered a new era where speed and stakes are higher. Success now depends on designing systems for impact, not just delivering content.
“The organizations that will thrive aren’t the ones with the biggest learning libraries,” Guillaume said. “They’re the ones building systems that drive adaptability, performance, and transformation.”
That’s why CrossKnowledge is evolving—integrating consulting, content, tech, and services to help clients go beyond learning moments to lasting behavior change and measurable outcomes.
This isn’t about abandoning learning. It’s about redefining its purpose.
2. Regenerative design: learning that gives back
How do you create learning that fuels not just performance, but resilience, growth, and long-term adaptability?
Nathan Furr—professor at INSEAD and one of the world’s most respected voices on innovation and transformation—offered a surprising answer: by making learning regenerative.
He told the story of a Michelin-starred chef who transformed not just his food, but his entire ecosystem—by focusing on soil quality. His message: healthy outcomes start from healthy foundations.
It’s the same with people.
“Regenerative design… it’s not about food. It’s about organizations. Are your people growing delicious, nutritious oranges—or not?”
To face uncertainty with strength, organizations need learning that restores and empowers. That means:
- Making learning deeply personal, emotional, and compelling enough to return to
- Redefining failure as part of the learning loop, not the end of the road
- Building environments that nurture people, not deplete them
This is the future of learning design: sustainable, human-centered, and transformational.
3. To future-proof your workforce, start by rethinking L&D.
In a dynamic session, Guillaume Gérard and OD strategist Andre Scholtz made one thing clear:
Business change is outpacing traditional learning. Learners are turning to tools like ChatGPT—not for strategy, but speed.
So the real question isn’t “How do we train faster?”
It’s “What is L&D really here to do?”
The answer: build capabilities, not just skills.
Skills help complete tasks. Capabilities help people adapt and stay effective through change.
As Andre said:
“When the context shifts, skills fade. But adaptable, supported, behavior-driven capabilities endure, and that’s where real impact happens.”
Building capability means L&D must go beyond content. It needs to:
- Align learning to KPIs like productivity and retention
- Address systems, culture, and leadership
- Use data to show impact
- Speak the language of the business
That’s where Organizational Development (OD) comes in. It helps L&D address root causes, not just symptoms.
To guide this shift, Guillaume and Andre introduced three CrossKnowledge models:
- The Future-Proof Workforce Model – aligns learning with critical capabilities
- The Skill-to-Impact Model – links initiatives to outcomes
- The L&D/OD Capability Map – helps teams evolve their own practice
This is L&D’s next chapter—not reacting to change, but leading it.
4. Technology doesn’t transform. People do.
What now?
In a high-energy session, Patricia Caginicolau, Head of Digital Product Management, and OD strategist Andre Scholtz tackled the big question on everyone’s mind—and Patricia summed it up in four words:
“We’ve got you covered.”
Over 25 minutes, they showed how CrossKnowledge is helping organizations build future-ready workforces by combining the right tools, data, and mindset.
Because having the tech isn’t enough—you need to know how to use it.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Skills Framework: A machine-learning-powered job and skills ontology (built on ESCO and real job data), plus AI auto-tagging. A solid foundation for building capabilities—even from scratch.
- Personalization: Intelligent recommendations based on roles, learner interests, and manager input—not just popularity.
- Programmatic Learning: Next-gen journeys that blend coaching, peer learning, avatars, and co-creation to drive real behavior change. (Powered by the Skills-to-Impact Model.)
- Integration: A growing suite of APIs and connectors enables seamless links to LMSs, HCMs, and third-party tools—giving you a unified view of capability growth.
- Data as a Service: Pre-built dashboards and insights that show how learning drives real business outcomes.
The takeaway: Tech matters—but transformation happens when learning is intentional, data is activated, and capability-building becomes part of daily work.
5. Stop chasing metrics. Start showing impact.
David Perring, Director of Research at Fosway Group, closed the day with a clear call to action:
L&D needs to prove its value—or risk being left behind.
He challenged us to move beyond traditional metrics like completions or time spent. These may show activity—but they don’t show business impact.
“If we don’t understand the business problem, how can we possibly solve it?”
L&D’s future depends on its ability to connect learning to strategy. That means:
- Starting with business goals—not content calendars
- Using data to tell stories that matter
- Demonstrating how learning improves performance, readiness, agility, and retention
This isn’t about vanity metrics. It’s about building credibility—and showing up as a strategic partner.
Looking ahead: The real work begins now
As the day drew to a close, our Chief Revenue Officer, Mark Harris, brought us back to the big picture.
“Learning can’t be isolated anymore. It needs to be embedded, connected, and tied directly to how your business moves forward.”
The future belongs to organizations that:
- Build capability ecosystems
- Design for sustained transformation
- Align learning with culture, leadership, and strategy
And it’s L&D and HR who are uniquely positioned to lead the charge.
The shift is already happening. And it’s gathering speed.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Next 2025!
The insights. The conversations. The energy. It all confirmed one thing:
Learning is evolving—and it’s our job to make sure it leads to something lasting.
We’re proud to be your partner in that mission.
Let’s build the future of learning.
Together