Top Young Trainers - 2010

Budget and staff cuts in 2009 forced many young training professionals to do more with less, flex their leadership muscle, and create new cost-effective training solutions. Based on the nominations we received for Training magazine's 2010 Top Young Trainer (TYT) awards program, they responded to the challenge admirably. Our judges found it a difficult task to choose the winners out of so many deserving nominations. For the third year, we are pleased to recognize the outstanding talents, accomplishments, and leadership exhibited by 40 learning professionals age 40 and under. 

The young leaders profiled here were nominated by their industry peers last December and selected for TYT honors by Training editors and an independent judging panel comprising members of Training's Editorial Advisory Board. 

To qualify, candidates were required to possess a minimum of three years' experience in the training field and manage one or more direct reports or lead a large-scale training/learning and development initiative. Nominees also were judged on criteria including: 

 • Leadership skills and technical competence 

 • Demonstrated career progression in an accelerated timeframe 

• Success in meeting a difficult training challenge or completing a training turnaround job 

• Development of innovative training solutions or programs 

• The ability to consistently produce training results (as evaluated by the Kirkpatrick model) 

• A demonstrated ability to design training programs that are strategically aligned with the business 

This year's winners represent a variety of industries, from health care and hospitality to finance/insurance and retail, to automotive and public relations. Some TYTs are moving their organizations' training into the virtual arena. Others are focusing on change management initiatives, employee development, and workflow restructuring. In all cases, they are concentrating relentlessly on harnessing training's power to drive significant, measurable business results.On these pages, you'll find in-depth profiles of the Top 10 Young Trainers (listed in alphabetical order), plus shorter profiles of the other 30 Top Young Trainers. And we continued our tradition of creating a "10 to Watch" list, which features up-and-coming leaders who didn't receive an award this year, but who are well on their way to becoming future Top Young Trainers. 

"From boasting a solid ability to deliver complex initiatives and big bets to rescuing learning management systems and converting uncooperative techno-phobes, these Top Young Trainers reacted effectively to changing environments, produced great business results, and created value within the learning function," says TYT Judge Bruce Jones, programming director for Disney Institute. 

Adds TYT Judge Dave Jenkins, VP, Commercial Operations, Learning & Development, Pfizer, Inc., "These Top Young Trainers demonstrate great leadership qualities and demand excellence from both their teams and themselves. They are forward thinkers who drive continuous improvement, ensure senior management buy-in, and align with corporate objectives. And that's what successful training is all about."