Want to stand out in today’s fast-changing L&D landscape? It’s not just about creating great learning—it’s about understanding the business behind the learning. Business acumen is the skill that sets top-performing L&D pros apart. But here’s the problem: most professionals don’t know what they actually need to learn—and what they don’t.
This session will provide clarity on both fronts. You’ll break down business acumen into five clear categories and discover exactly what kind of business knowledge matters most for L&D. No fluff, no finance degree required. You’ll uncover where to find key information inside your organization and create a personalized plan to grow your business acumen over time. If you're ready to stop guessing, start growing, and become the kind of L&D pro who brings real strategic value—this session is for you.
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Break down business acumen into five clear, actionable categories every L&D pro should know
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Understand what business information matters most—and what you can stop worrying about
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Determine where to find critical business insights within your own organization, even without formal access
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Build a realistic, personalized plan to grow your business acumen and amplify your impact
Special Bonus:
We are raffling off a copy of Jess' book! Join us to for a chance to win.
Important Note: 90 minute session with no separate networking period.
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.
Links to Learn More
Website: https://www.jessalmlie.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalmlie/
Podcast, “L&D Must Change”: https://www.jessalmlie.com/podcast
Blog, “L&D Must Change”: https://www.jessalmlie.com/blog
Subscribe to Jess’s Newsletter, “L&D Must Change”: https://almlie-consulting.kit.com/87e0251322
Business Insight, Consulting & Business Partnering
Central Massachusetts Chapter has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. This program has been approved for a maximum of 1.5 points.
