Top Young Trainers 2011

By Lorri Freifeld

Their names belong on a marquee, surrounded by dazzling lights and adoring fans as they are the young stars of the training industry. They are the movers and shakers, the ones who think out of the box and get things done, the ones who lead by example and always have time to coach or mentor those around them. They have faced significant challenges and forged new paths. They are the 2011 Top Young Trainers.

For the fourth year, Trainingmagazine is 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’seditor-in-chief and an independent judging panel comprising members of Training’s editorial advisory board. Some 125 nominations were submitted.

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
• Demonstrated career progression in an accelerated timeframe
• Proven 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
• Technical competence

In the PDF below, 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.

Notes TYT Judge Vince Gonzalez, “Trainingmagazine continues to attract the best and the brightest in our of Learning & Development industry. The 2011 Top Young Trainer awards presented the industry’s best talent and leadership for the future of our industry and challenge us all to reach to new levels of performance excellence.”

“I am always impressed by the talent that is revealed in the Top Young Trainer nominations,” says TYT Judge Mike Hamilton. “This year was no exception. Several of the nominations noted the extraordinary efforts undertaken by an individual to understand the details of the challenge being faced by the business and to propose a solution that was ‘unexpected’ by the business leader. Perseverance seemed to be an important component of success this year.”

TYT Judge Nick Schacht says this is the strongest group of nominees he’s had the privilege to review in years of judging. “The impact of their energy and their initiatives on their employers’ business results is truly impressive, and clearly demonstrates the value and importance of a vibrant, energized, empowered training function in today’s economy.”

“Trainingmagazine has always served as a dynamic catalyst for sharing best practices across our profession,” notes TYT Judge Nancy Lewis. “This is one of the best ways to accelerate the development of our younger practitioners—to enable their building expertise off the shoulders of those exemplary practices. Our future is in good hands! There is a lot we can all learn from the collective expertise of our Top Young Trainers.”

TYT Judge Bruce Jones says he loves this year’s nominees’ focus on weaving learning and development into the strategies and culture of their organizations, noting, “that’s the ticket for long-term success in this field.”

“The applications reflect not only the significant accomplishments of each individual and the values and leadership abilities they bring to their roles, but also the high regard of their nominators,” says TYT Judge Cyndi Bruce. “Congratulations to all the well-deserving winners!”

Adds TYT Judge Rebecca Ray, “No profession can survive without a strong bench of emerging leaders. Given this year’s crop of young trainers, the Learning & Development profession should do just fine.”

Download the PDF below to read profiles of the 2011 winners.