FROM THE PRESIDENTLaura Last
Recently, I’ve had several conversations with my LTEN Board of Directors colleagues, LTEN members and other industry leaders that all circled around the same theme. I’d love your thoughts on this important issue as well.
Increasingly, organizations are using learning and development (L&D) roles as rotational assignments. High-potential employees spend time in the training function before moving into marketing, sales leadership or broader corporate roles. It’s often seen as a strategic stop along the way.
In many respects, this is a positive signal. It tells me that L&D is no longer viewed as purely operational. It’s a proving ground. A perspective builder. A role that exposes future leaders to the realities of organizational execution, cross-functional alignment and performance enablement.
That’s something to celebrate, but it also raises an important question for us as a profession.
When L&D becomes a stepping stone, how do we ensure it doesn’t become a shortcut? How do we ensure it gets the respect it deserves?
While L&D roles can develop well-rounded leaders, workforce development requires real expertise. Effective learning design isn’t simply about knowing the product or facilitating a workshop. It’s grounded in adult learning science, behavior change, measurement strategy and performance application. It requires rigor.
When we rotate talented professionals into L&D without equipping them with the fundamentals of instructional design and learning science, we risk diluting that rigor. Not because those individuals aren’t capable — but because we haven’t given them the full professional foundation the role deserves.
The opportunity in front of us is clear.
If organizations increasingly view L&D as a leadership accelerator, then we have a powerful platform to shape how future leaders think about learning and performance. We can ensure that when they leave our function, they carry forward a deep respect for instructional quality, learner experience and measurable impact.
That starts with intentional investment.
Strong onboarding for new trainers — especially those coming from the field — is critical. Credibility and business insight are invaluable assets. Pairing them with structured exposure to learning science, design methodology and evaluation frameworks ensures we protect both speed and quality.
It also means defining what excellence in L&D truly looks like. Clear competency models signal that training is a profession, not a temporary assignment. They create shared standards and reinforce that designing effective learning is both strategic and specialized.
Just as importantly, we must create growth pathways for those who choose to stay.
Not every talented professional in learning wants to rotate out. Many are passionate about building capability, architecting development ecosystems and advancing the science of how adults learn. When organizations recognize and elevate those career paths, they send a powerful message: L&D is not just a stop along the journey — it’s a destination.
As a community, LTEN plays an essential role here. We equip emerging trainers with foundational knowledge. We provide a space for seasoned professionals to sharpen their expertise. We advocate for the standards that elevate learning across life sciences.
The reality is this: L&D can be both a leadership accelerator and a respected specialty. Our responsibility is to protect the rigor while embracing the opportunity.
I encourage you to reflect on your own organization. Are new trainers receiving the grounding they need in adult learning principles? Are experienced L&D professionals given room to deepen their craft? Are we treating training as a strategic discipline, or simply a transition role?
The future of our profession depends on how we answer those questions and how we change according to those responses. It’s our job to ensure that any learning professionals who come into our organizations are well trained and understand the fundamentals and significance of what we do.
I’m confident that together — through conversation, shared standards and continued investment — we can ensure that L&D isn’t just a stepping stone. It’s a way to build future business leaders that respect L&D as a function and a way to build future L&D professionals who are experts at their craft.
Laura Last is executive director, head of global talent development and enterprise learning for BeOne Medicines USA (formerly BeiGene USA), and president of the LTEN Board of Directors. Email Laura at laura.last@beonemed.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/lalast.
