April 14, 2021
Accelerating at the Speed of Light:
Tech Trends and Challenges in 2021
Data from a recent McKinsey Global Survey of executives suggest that the COVID-19 crisis is a technology tipping point of historic proportions and that more changes will be required as the economic and human situation evolves. This half-day virtual event will explore what this extreme acceleration has meant for learning and development, and what the future might look like as we slowly emerge from the global pandemic. Featuring panels, interviews, TED-style talks and networking with chief learning officers and learning practitioners from the banking and financial services and technology sectors, discussion will focus on the increased reliance on technology for L&D, the challenges leaders face in finding (and gaining budget approval for) the right tools for their organizations and the difficulties of training a multi-generational workforce to use those technologies.
2021 Breakfast Club Speakers
Coming Soon

Agenda
9:30 – 9:45 am: Welcome/Networking
Kick off the morning in one of our virtual networking rooms, enjoying fresh conversation with professional peers who share your energy and excitement for Accelerating at the Speed of Light: Tech Trends and Challenges in 2021.
9:45 – 10:00 am: Interview/Talk with a CLO
A top industry professional will deliver a powerful 15-minute TED-talk style presentation focused on trending technologies of 2021.
10:00 – 10:05 am: Coffee Break
Grab a coffee, take five or explore the breakfast club platform.
10:05 – 11:00 am: Panel 1
Pivoting Amid Pandemic: Learning & Development in the Tech Sector
While the rest of the economy has struggled to survive the impacts of COVID-19, the technology domain is in a unique position, poised to respond to organizational needs in crisis management, supply chain management, remote work and collaboration, financial reporting, tax compliance and more. In so many ways, the tech industry has helped people and companies stay connected and keep their businesses afloat during these difficult times. But that does not mean the sector has been immune to the challenges of the pandemic. Join this panel discussion with learning leaders from the tech sector who will focus on how their teams stepped up within their firms to respond to the pandemic and its immediate challenges, how their role is changing as organizations begin recovering from the crisis, and how the sector will be forever changed going forward.
11:00 – 11:05 am: Coffee Break
Grab a coffee, take five or explore the breakfast club platform.
11:05 – 11:25 am: Presentations 1 & 2
Choose the solution that best suits your professional needs and attend either of our two simultaneous 20-minute presentations followed by Q&A.
11:25 – 11:55 am: Networking
Reconvene with peers to discuss the buzzing highlights of the morning as you prepare for a thought-provoking afternoon, discussing issues driving enterprise education, sharing best practices, and analyzing the strategic alignment of business goals and workforce education.
11:55 – 12:00 pm: Coffee Break
Grab a coffee, take five or explore the breakfast club platform.
12:00 – 12:15 pm: Interview/Talk with a CLO
A top industry professional will deliver a powerful 15-minute TED-talk style presentation focused on trending technologies of 2021.
12:15 – 1:15 pm: Panel 2
Reimagining L&D in Banking and Financial Services
The banking and financial services sector, like all industries, has faced a wide array of challenges during the past year. In addition to ensuring clear communication to retain their clients’ trust, addressing growing cybersecurity issues and being mindful of compliance responsibilities, investment in digital and analytics capabilities has been crucial, and will continue to be going forward. This not only requires changes to current culture and operations, but also the development of new workforce skills. This panel will feature chief learning officers and learning practitioners from banking and financial services firms who will discuss how they are upskilling and reskilling employees to ensure they have key digital talent in place for the future, as well as how they have reimagined learning and development offerings and delivery amid these incredibly tumultuous times.
1:15 – 1:20 pm: Coffee Break
Grab a coffee, take five or explore the breakfast club platform.
1:20 – 1:40 pm: Presentations 3 & 4
Choose the solution that best suits your professional needs and attend either of our two simultaneous 20-minute presentations followed by Q&A.
1:40 – 2:10 pm: Networking
Gather with peers once more to discuss the bold insights of the day and how they help to strengthen the link between learning and development and business strategy.
2:10 – 2:25 pm: Wrap Up
Join our editor in chief, Ashley St. John, to close out the day.

Register
*Please note that there are two ticket types for Breakfast Club this year. Entry for one person or entry for two people at the price of one, bring a colleague or a friend from the industry at no cost. Select a ticket type above before checking out.
Check out our other upcoming Breakfast Club events.
May 12, 2021
Learning & Development: On the Front Lines
June 9, 2021
Resilience Through Crisis and Recovery