The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
From Manager, Learning Technology & Operations (L5)
3-5 years at L5Skills to master
- Transitioning from managing a function to defining its strategic direction, P&L ownership for a larger scope, executive presence and board-level communication, influencing cross-functional leaders without direct authority.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led a major learning technology implementation or upgrade project end-to-end.
- Consistently exceeded operational KPIs and demonstrated significant cost savings or efficiency gains.
- Developed and presented strategic proposals to senior leadership with positive outcomes.
- Mentored and developed high-potential talent within their team, preparing them for leadership roles.
- 2
From Head of L&D (Smaller Organisation)
5-7 years as Head of L&DSkills to master
- Scaling strategic thinking to an enterprise level (global scope, larger budget, more complex stakeholder landscape), navigating a larger corporate structure, managing a larger and more diverse team, deeper specialisation in learning analytics and data strategy.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully built and scaled a learning function in a smaller, fast-growing company.
- Demonstrated strong commercial acumen and managed a significant budget.
- Proven ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent.
- Experience in integrating learning technology with business outcomes, even if on a smaller scale.
- 3
From Senior Consultant (Learning Technology Advisory)
5-8 years as a Senior Consultant/Principal ConsultantSkills to master
- Moving from advising clients to owning and executing a strategy internally, building and leading a permanent in-house team, navigating internal politics and securing long-term budget commitments, operational accountability for system uptime and performance.
You're ready to move on when
- Led multiple successful learning technology transformation projects for diverse clients.
- Demonstrated strong client relationship management and influencing skills at an executive level.
- Developed and implemented strategic recommendations that led to measurable business impact.
- Understands the operational realities and challenges of managing a learning ecosystem day-to-day, not just the theoretical design.