Welcome to the Global HRD Featured Guest Speaker Blog Series. The purpose of this series is to introduce the topics and guest speakers from the Global HRD track of the ASTD 2014 International Conference & Exposition. This week’s featured guest speaker is Peter Casebow, presenting, “Developing Commercial Acumen in L&D and HR Professionals.” We have asked him to answer the following questions to help our community members gain insight into some of the content he will cover at this year’s conference.
What is the topic of your presentation?
Developing commercial acumen in L&D and HR professionals.
Why is this topic important for L&D professionals?
The ability to deliver business-focused outcomes is fundamental to the success of an HR function. Commercial acumen is more than a set of skills—it is a mindset that ensures the focus and priorities of the HR community are aligned with the needs of the organization.
What will be the top three takeaways from your presentation?
1) See how the commercial acumen mindset can be applied to global HR functions.
2) Explore the application of the different elements that make up a successful change process.
3) Get the templates and processes to apply in their organizations.
What is your experience with ASTD or the ASTD International Conference & Exposition?
This will be my third ASTD International Conference & Exposition, and my first as a speaker. The previous two events have been excellent.
What do you expect to get out of this year’s event?
Quite simply, I expect to get new ideas and inspiration to help my company, GoodPractice, with its mission of improving the performance of leaders and managers. With so many great delegates, sessions, and speakers, it’s impossible not to come away with loads of fantastic ways to improve the service we offer.
What are some suggestions you have for attendees to get the most out of their experience at ASTD 2014?
My top tip is to collaborate with a group. As part of the UK delegation, I’ve always found it really valuable to share learning and ideas around the group. At a very practical level, the group can split sessions and then share ideas and learning.
About the Speaker
