Talent Development Summit: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner

L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner

The L&D profession is uniquely positioned to improve performance and drive business success through people development. Yet too often, our efforts are limited by a transactional, order-taking mindset that keeps us from making the impact we are capable of. This half-day summit session will challenge learning professionals to rethink how they approach their work by embracing the role of strategic business partner. Through a blend of research-backed insights and practical application, participants will explore how to identify true performance challenges, avoid defaulting to training as the automatic solution, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to implement solutions that deliver measurable results.

The session will begin by uncovering why L&D remains stuck in low-impact roles, then reveal the mindset and behaviors that define high-performing strategic partners. From there, attendees will learn how to evaluate requests through a performance lens, determine if training will close the gap, and respond with confidence and credibility. Even when immediate change feels out of reach, the session will show how to find small but powerful opportunities within every training request to influence outcomes and move closer to a strategic partnership.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided. All registrations will receive a copy of Jess Almlie's new book "L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner".

 Jess Almlie

Jess Almlie is a seasoned leader and advocate for transforming the L&D profession. Throughout her 30 years of experience in the field, Jess continuously focused on improving the impact of L&D in the organizations where she worked.

As a former Vice President of Learning, Jess led teams through complex initiatives, blending her expertise in learning strategy, performance consulting, and leadership development to deliver effective, business-aligned outcomes.

In March 2023 Jess founded Almlie Consulting, a firm dedicated to upleveling the work of L&D to be more strategic, intentional, and measurable. As a learning and performance consultant, Jess works with both small and large organizations to create strategic learning blueprints. She also equips L&D leaders and teams with the tools and confidence to shift from reactive order takers to strategic business partners.

Jess is a sought-after speaker and consultant, known for her practical insights, engaging storytelling, and ability to inspire action through small steps that add up to big changes. She believes that by aligning L&D strategies to business goals, organizations can foster growth and innovation while empowering their people to succeed.

Jess holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from North Dakota State University where her thesis research focused on whether leadership can be learned in a classroom. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Concordia College Moorhead.

When she’s not working, Jess is usually spending time with family and friends, hiking, or binge-watching baking competitions.

Jess is the author of the upcoming book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner, to be published by ATD Press in September 2025. You can also find Jess hosting her podcast, L&D Must Change, connect with her on LinkedIn, or learn more about her writing, consulting, and speaking at jessalmlie.com.

Not a current ND ATD Member?   

Become a member and attend the summit for a great discount!  Save $30 on your membership and attend the Summit for the discounted price, saving another $25! 

Use the ticket option of "New Member + Summit" to take advantage of this offer! 

NOTE: By attending the event, you agree to our Video/Photo Release Disclosure policy.