Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 25 Women Chief Learning Officers of 2024. The Chief Learning Officer, or CLO, is a key member of the C-suite for any business, institution, or organization, reporting to either the CEO or head of HR. Incorporating corporate learning into the training and talent acquisition strategy, this executive is attuned to the overarching goals and mission of the organization, and they execute programs to enhance the learning and development of employees at all levels.
Among the top CLO leaders is Leah Houde, the Chief Learning Officer of PwC, a network of firms in 152 countries with over 327,000 people. With nearly a quarter century of experience, she is not only a CLO, but a prominent thought leader in the industry.
Next, we recognize the accomplishments of Brenda Sugrue, the Global Chief Learning Officer for EY, a professional services firm. At EY, Sugrue oversees the strategic direction and operational leadership of learning for EY's over 250,000 people worldwide.
Lastly, we honor CLO of the United States Air Force, Wendy Walsh. In her role, Walsh provides leadership, support, and technical direction to collectively build, share, and sustain an accessible, meaningful continuum of learning for Airmen.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 Women Chief Learning Officers of 2024.
1. Stephanie Fitzpatrick
Chief Learning Officer, UnitedHealth Group
Stephanie Fitzpatrick is the Chief Learning Officer (CLO) for UnitedHealth Group, which Fortune magazine ranked No. 5 in the 2023 rankings of the 500 largest U.S. corporations based on 2022 revenues. In this capacity, she supports all learning and development activities across United Healthcare and Optum's platforms, which include businesses focused on technology, healthcare delivery, healthcare benefits, pharmacy services, and healthcare financial services.
Stephanie previously served as Optum's Chief Talent Officer. In this role, she focused on human-centered, experiential, data-driven solutions to drive business impact through an engaged employee population.
Prior to UnitedHealth Group, Stephanie enjoyed a 10-year career with Apple. While at Apple, she served as the Apple Retail Market Leader for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama before transitioning to lead their Global Talent Development organization. She later became the Senior Director of Retail Learning and Development. Throughout her career, she has blended operational and human-centered experiences, providing unique perspectives and business acumen in her roles. Before Apple, she worked for 18 years with Limited Brands, running a business segment and serving as director of learning and delivery programs.
Dr. Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Fitzpatrick received a double distinction for her study titled Menopausism: A Phenomenological Exploration of Menopause and Female Executive Careers.
3. Brenda Sugrue
Chief Learning Officer, EY
Brenda Sugrue is the Global Chief Learning Officer for EY, a professional services firm with over 260,000 employees. EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people, and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform, and operate.
At EY, Sugrue oversees the strategic direction and operational leadership of learning for EY's over 250,000 people worldwide. In previous roles, she led learning, innovation, and research programs at IBM, ITT Corporation, Kaplan, the Association of Talent Development (ATD), and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). She was a professor of instructional design and technology at the University of Iowa and founded an e-learning software company.
Throughout her career, Sugrue has championed evidence-based practice in learning. She translates learning science into scalable processes and systems for designing, delivering, and measuring learning.
5. Wendy Walsh
Chief Learning Officer, United States Air Force
Wendy Walsh is the Chief Learning Officer for the US Air Force at Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. Walsh is responsible for providing leadership, support, and technical direction to enable an Air Force culture of learning. She connects learning professionals to collectively build, share, and sustain an accessible, meaningful continuum of learning for Airmen.
Walsh is a connector, community builder, educator, and researcher, as well as a complexity and systems thinker with expertise in homeland security and emergency management. She focuses on information sharing and design thinking. She excels in facilitation and the art of hosting. She develops and facilitates executive and adult education programs. Walsh is skilled in public speaking and cybersecurity strategy. She also has expertise in psychological first aid. Before joining the Air Force, she was a talent transformation director at FEMA. Before that, she was a homeland defense and security coordinator at the Naval Postgraduate School. Earlier in her career, she worked with the State of California’s Sonoma Developmental Center as an assistant to the executive director.
Walsh graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration in 2003 from Sonoma State University. She earned her Doctorate in Education Leadership from Frostburg State University in 2021. A career public servant, she has worked in state and federal agencies for the last 30 years. Walsh has an impressive track record of collaborating with governments, academia, industry, and communities to develop research, grow education, apply innovation, and expand possibilities to create culturally relevant, effective educational experiences responsive to organizational needs.
7. Vidya Krishnan
Chief Learning Officer and Global Head of Learning & Development, Ericsson
Vidya Krishnan is the Chief Learning Officer and Global Head of Learning and Development of Ericsson, with responsibility for transforming capability creation (skillsets and mindsets) for every one of Ericsson’s over 95,000 people in over 180 countries around the world. Ericsson Inc. operates as a provider of telecommunications equipment and related services.
Krishnan is a technology and entrepreneurial leader with over 20 years of experience in networks, digital services, learning, engineering, consulting, and business transformation operations. She began her career in engineering operations with AT&T, then worked at Nortel, building and launching wireless networks before joining Ericsson in 2009, where she has held a variety of leadership positions in networks, digital services, consulting, and now people.
Krishnan holds a BS from Princeton University and an MS from Stanford University in Electrical Engineering, with a specialization in how technology can uplift impoverished areas. Krishnan is particularly proud and privileged to lead the Ericsson-Girl Scouts Alliance, a unique and growing partnership dedicated to building tomorrow’s STEM Leadership Pipeline today. Since 2006, she has volunteered as a coach for Destination Imagination, a global nonprofit creative learning organization.
9. Maria Taylor
Chief Learning Officer, United Airlines
Maria Taylor is the Chief Learning Officer of United Airlines, where she is responsible for providing best-in-class learning to support United’s strategic priorities and operational compliance for airport operations, customer service, and professional and leadership development.
Taylor’s passion is creating innovative solutions to build strategy, leadership, and organizational capability across many industries, military, and government organizations. Before joining United Airlines, she served as the executive director of executive education at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University and the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University. She also was the director of learning solutions for Raytheon Professional Services and a Vice President at Maryland National Bank.
Taylor co-authored Human Resource Transformation (Davies-Black, 2008) and The Strategic Human Resource Leader: How to Prepare Your Organization for the 6 Key Trends Shaping the Future (Davies-Black, 1998). She recently collaborated with Penn State’s Leadership and Innovation Laboratory to apply research on how organizations can best identify, recruit, and develop innovation leaders. Taylor received a Master of Business Administration in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University.
11. Jennifer Alesia
Chief Learning Officer, ADM
Jennifer Alesia is the Chief Learning Officer for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. They’re a premier global human and animal nutrition company, delivering solutions today with an eye to the future.
Alesia joined ADM with over 25 years of experience designing and implementing talent development solutions, leadership development, executive coaching, professional development, and succession planning programs. She has a proven track record for building curriculums that increase job efficiency, develop leadership skills, and promote an atmosphere focused on open communication and teamwork. Before joining ADM, Alesia spent two years as the CLO for Jabil, where she created and implemented leadership development programs for mid-level C-suite leaders. Before Jabil, she spent five years as a global learning leader for GE. She began her career at Telephonics Corp. and has held a variety of senior learning and development positions at IBM, Bear Stearns & Co., OneBeacon Insurance, Citibank, and Mizuho Bank.
Alesia graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC with a degree in psychology. She also holds multiple certifications, including the Hogan Assessment, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Strength Deployment Inventory, Kenexa, and DDI.
15. Angie Vanarsdale
Chief Learning Officer, Sandia National Laboratories
Angie VanArsdale is working at Sandia National Laboratories as the Chief Learning Officer. Sandia conducts research and development into the non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons. Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier DOE science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation. VanArsdale’s team of scientists, engineers, researchers, and business specialists apply their knowledge and skills toward delivering cutting-edge technology in an array of areas. Before this role, she served Sandia as the manager of talent management and development.
VanArsdale has extensive work experience in various roles related to learning and development. She started her career at the University of New Mexico as an adjunct professor from 2009 to 2013. She then joined Presbyterian Healthcare Services, where she held multiple positions, including director of leadership development and organizational effectiveness and manager of leadership development and organizational effectiveness.
VanArsdale obtained a BA in Communications Public Relations from Kansas Newman University. She also studied communication and media at Bethel College-North Newton. She later earned an MA in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies from the University of New Mexico. Additionally, she has obtained various certifications, including being a Certified Dialogue Works Facilitator, Certified Knowledge Manager, Certified Organizational Development Consultant, Certified Personalysis Consultant, Certified Professional Career Coach, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Prosci Change Practitioner.
View the complete list of awardees.
18. Amy Schultz
Chief Learning Officer & Executive Director, Organizational Effectiveness, DTE Energy
Amy Schultz is the Chief Learning Officer and Executive Director of Organizational Effectiveness at DTE Energy, a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Schultz is responsible for the design and delivery of the enterprise strategy for culture and embedding DTE purpose throughout the organization and for enterprise employee engagement, talent planning, performance management, onboarding, and organizational change management. She oversees the strategy and deployment of leadership and professional development, DTE’s University (Aspire), and safety, regulatory, and technical training. Schultz is also responsible for developing and executing DTE’s culture of service transformation.
Before joining DTE in 2014, Schultz held several positions at Henry Ford Health System. During her career there, she served as the director of organizational effectiveness and engagement leading the corporate strategy for succession planning, employee engagement, and performance management. Following that role, she led the culture transformation and system-wide change management strategy, HR operations, and training for the design and implementation of a new and fully integrated electronic medical record and revenue system.
Schultz currently serves on the board of directors for the American Society of Employers, the board of directors for Inforum of Michigan (a nonprofit organization that combines strategic connections, development, and research to accelerate careers for women and boost talent initiatives for companies), and as vice chair for Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business Advisory Board. She is a member of the Chief Learning and Talent Officer Board for the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) and is a recent graduate of the i4cp UpNext Cohort (a program that develops CHRO readiness). Schultz earned a Master of Human Resources and Organizational Development from Eastern Michigan University, an MSW from Wayne State University, and an undergraduate degree in sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder.
20. Niyoka McCoy
Chief Learning Officer, Stride, Inc.
Niyoka McCoy, Stride’s Chief Learning Officer, has decades of experience building strong academic programs, driving initiatives that promote academic equity, and creating professional development opportunities for teachers and school leaders.
Before her current role, McCoy served as Stride’s chief academic officer and senior vice president of academic services. In these positions, McCoy, in partnership with the regional vice presidents of academics, led a suite of programs and initiatives that tracked and supported achievement and growth among students, administrators, and school leaders. Additionally, she managed the academic services organization, including the assessment, special programs, accountability, counseling, and talent development teams.
A published author and former teacher, McCoy earned a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, a Master’s degree in Education from Mercer University, and a postgraduate degree in curriculum and instruction from Capella University.
22. Noemi Wierwille
Chief Learning Officer, Teach For America
As a purpose-driven, C-Level Executive for one of the most dynamic nonprofit organizations in the world, Noemi Wierwille is committed to improving and re-imagining education systems that empower students to create a more equitable future. As the Chief Learning Officer at Teach for America, SHE leads the organization’s efforts to learn, improve, and increase impact in communities.
Wierwille has seen the change empowered young leaders can create for their communities. She has dedicated her over 20-year career to driving action and transformation for those supporting young people to lead the way. Influenced by her natural curiosity and growth mindset, she quickly emerged from an educator and administrator to program director, vice president, senior vice president, and Teach for America’s management team member. Wierwille’s strategic leadership in development, analysis, and operations has contributed to innovation and accelerating Teach for America’s reach, responsibility, and results. With vast cultural experience in and out of the country, Wierwille approaches complexities with an emotional intelligence lens that enables clear, inclusive strategies that strengthen people and organizations. She is continuously scanning for emergent ideas and solutions that might drive more learning for students and organizations.
As an executive coach and facilitator for leadership cohorts within education, as well as a youth ski coach and involved parent within her community, Wierwille is a champion for young people. She graduated from Saint Peter's University with an MA in Education, Administration, and Supervision and from Dickinson College with an undergraduate degree in political science.
23. Ekaterina Barabanova
Chief Learning Officer, Rostelecom
HR professional with over 10 years of experience, now responsible for the learning and development of thousands of employees, Ekaterina Barabanova is the Chief Learning Officer of Rostelecom today. PJSC Rostelecom is one of the largest national telecommunications companies in Russia and Europe, with a presence in all segments of the communications services market and covering millions of households in Russia.
Barabanova is a competent and results-driven professional in HR leadership and strategy, talent management and organizational development, transformation and change management, strategic communications, and business development within large and medium tech companies. Barabanova focuses on empowering managers to lead teams successfully, accelerating sustainable business growth through people development and engagement, improving user experience, and driving innovations to deliver a positive impact on the business.
Barabanova first got her start in 2013 as a media producer at Digital October Center. From there, she went on to Amediateka, before eventually rising to director of business development at NNTC (Innovative Technology Company), her most recent position before joining Rostelecom. Barabanova graduated from the Higher School of Economics with a Master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism and from Bauman Moscow State Technical University with an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics.
24. Arletha McSwain
Chief Online Learning Officer, Central State University
Dr. Arletha McSwain currently serves as the Chief Online Learning Officer at Central State University of Ohio. Dr. McSwain is the 2017 recipient of the United States Distance Learning Association Hall of Fame Award and has over 25 years of higher education teaching and administration.
She previously held the position as the Dean of Extended Learning and Professor of Education at Norfolk State University. During her tenure at Norfolk State University, she provided leadership and academic expertise to support the design, development, and execution of the distance education programs in keeping with accreditation and federal guidelines. This exemplary leadership resulted in Norfolk State University’s distance education programs receiving Quality Standards Certification offered by the United States Distance Learning Association. Norfolk State University was the first university in Virginia to have received this national recognition.
This same leadership has resulted in Bethune Cookman University being the first university or college in Florida to also receive the Quality Standards Certification offered by the United States Distance Learning Association. Dr. McSwain is the recipient of the 2013 Phenomenal Woman Award- NSU WoMen’s Economic Development Center (WEDC). Dr. McSwain is the 2011 award recipient for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology - International Conference on College Teaching and Learning. Dr. McSwain graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education.
25. Trena Minudri
Chief Learning Officer & VP for Employee Growth and Experience, Coursera
Trena Minudri is an experienced professional who has held various leadership roles in learning and development throughout their career. Currently serving as the Chief Learning Officer at Coursera, Minudri is responsible for leading strategies related to employee growth and development, leadership development, and talent assessment. Coursera partners with more than 200 leading universities and companies to bring flexible, affordable, job-relevant online learning to individuals and organizations worldwide.
Minudri leads companies, leaders, and people in rapidly and effectively preparing for the economic imperative of lifelong learning. As a talent expert, she has deep experience driving business results in learning, leadership, talent analytics, culture change, and organizational effectiveness. Before her current role, Minudri held positions at IBM, where she led global digital learning initiatives and played a key role in enhancing learning and development programs for employees. With a strong background in organizational communication and business, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her current role. Earlier in her career, she worked with PwC Consulting as a management consultant.
Minudri earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Communications and Business from Cornell University and an undergraduate degree in communication and PR from Carroll College.
View the complete list of awardees.