How to Hire a Chief Learning Officer

The Chief Learning Officer builds the capabilities a business needs to compete and adapt. Hiring one well means finding strategic learning leadership. Here is how.

Strategic learning leadership

The most important quality in a Chief Learning Officer is strategic capability — the ability to connect learning and development to the business's strategy and needs, rather than run disconnected training. Hire for a leader who thinks strategically about capability: what the business needs, where it is heading, and how to build the human capability to get there. A CLO who operates as a strategic partner to the business, not just a training administrator, delivers far more value, so assessing for genuine strategic capability is central.

Genuine L&D expertise

Alongside strategy, look for genuine learning and development expertise — real understanding of how people and organisations build capability, what makes learning effective, and how to design and deliver programmes that work. Learning is a genuine discipline, and expertise matters to the quality and impact of the work. Combining strategic capability with real L&D craft is what distinguishes strong learning leaders, because strategy without delivery expertise, or vice versa, falls short of what the role requires.

Anticipating future capability

Because much of a CLO's value is building the capabilities the business will need, hire for the ability to anticipate and respond to how capability needs are shifting — reskilling and developing the workforce for where the business and its industry are heading. A forward-looking leader who helps the business stay ahead of its evolving capability needs is far more valuable than one focused only on current training. Assessing for this anticipatory, future-oriented capability is worthwhile given how fast skill needs change.

Impact and culture

Look for a leader who can demonstrate the impact of learning on the business and who fosters a genuine culture of learning. The best CLOs connect learning to real business outcomes and help embed learning in how the organisation operates, rather than treating it as a cost centre running courses. A leader who shows impact and builds a learning culture elevates the role's contribution. Define the mandate and a retained search can match a strategic learning leader to your needs.

Frequently asked questions

What should you look for when hiring a Chief Learning Officer?

Genuine learning and development expertise combined with strategic capability — connecting capability-building to business strategy and needs, anticipating the capabilities the business will require, fostering a culture of learning, and demonstrating the impact of learning, not just administering training.

What makes a Chief Learning Officer strategic rather than administrative?

Connecting learning to the business's strategy and future needs, anticipating and building the capabilities it will require, demonstrating learning's impact on business outcomes, and fostering a genuine learning culture — rather than simply running training programmes disconnected from strategy.

Related: What Does a Chief Learning Officer Do? · How to Hire a Chief People Officer · Leadership Development & Succession