Learning Conference 2026 - Flipbook - Page 5
M THE PROGRAM
PANEL: WHO WILL BUILD THE FUTURE WORKFORCE? HOW BUSINESS AND
ACADEMIA MUST RETHINK SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
As AI, automation and rapid technological change continue to reshape work and workforce demands, the need for new skills
and continuous learning has become increasingly urgent. In this panel, leaders from business and academia discuss how
organizations and educational institutions must collaborate differently to prepare people, organizations and society for the
future of work. How fast are skill needs changing? What capabilities will matter most? And how do we build stronger connections between education, lifelong learning and real workforce needs?
Mattias Wiggberg, Docent/Associate Professor Management of AI, KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Expert Learning Lab.
Marie Ågren, Head of People & Culture, Telia Sweden. Fredrik Elieson, Head of Talent Growth, Volvo Trucks Technology &
Industrial Division. Expert Learning Lab. Selina Millstam, Senior
Vice President and Global Head of
People Growth and Leadership Excellence. Mikael Sundström, Lektor
i statsvetenskap och projektledare
för Lunds universitets hubb för utbildningsinnovation, EduLab.
LEADING WITH HUMAN SKILLS IN
THE AGE OF AI
REAL IMPACT: TRANSFORMING LEARNING
AND SKILLS
About Lori’s session: We are living through the most exciting
moment in the history of learning and development. The tools
available to us today would have seemed like science fiction a
decade ago, and the pace is only accelerating.
What I want to explore is what it actually means to seize that
moment. For example, the AI tutor is not a futuristic concept. It is
already out in the wild, via LearnLM, Copilot, ChatGPT, delivering
spaced, hyperpersonalised, contextualised learning that adapts
in real time. And, it delivers strong results and ROI. The courseless
L&D department is not a provocation. It is a real and achievable
future. The organisations that understand what that means for
their function right now, and move accordingly, are the ones that
will truly rightskill their people. This is
our moonshot moment. I want to help
people see it that way.
Lori Niles Hofmann, Senior learning
strategist with over 20 years of L&D experience across many industries, including
international banking, management
consulting, and marketing.
In this keynote, Nick will explore what truly differentiates
leaders in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. As AI transforms how organizations operate, learn,
and compete, the defining question for leaders responsible for learning and leadership development becomes
clear: which human capabilities will remain indispensable?
Drawing on extensive research and insights from his book
Leading with Human Skills, Nick will highlight five core
characteristics—intuition, integrity, instinct, imagination,
and identity—and the 50 essential human skills that future-ready professionals must cultivate.
Through practical examples and evidence-based perspectives, he will demonstrate how L&D leaders can design
development strategies that strengthen uniquely human
capabilities alongside technological advancement.
Endorsed by senior executives from leading global
organizations and top universities, this keynote offers
both inspiration and actionable guidance for building
human-centered leadership in
the age of AI.
Dr. Nick van Dam, Global
Thought Leader in Learning &
Leadership | Director, IE Center
for Corporate Learning & Talent
Management | Senior Advisor &
Faculty, McKinsey & Company.
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