L&D as a Change Catalyst: Cole Bastion on Leading L&D as a Strategic Engine

In this episode of Catalysts, I’m joined by Cole Bastion, Senior Director of Learning and Culture at HOA Brands, where he's helped reduce management turnover by 10% and transformed L&D into a powerful driver of enterprise-wide change.We dive deep into how Cole positions his team not as order-takers—but as change makers.Key topics we cover:Why L&D must become the “epicenter of transformation” in the orgThe risks of staying in the traditional training laneHow Cole earned the trust to facilitate annual strategy sessions with the executive teamHis process for evaluating new tech (and avoiding shiny object syndrome)Why visibility matters—and what it’s opened up for him as a leaderCole’s story is packed with insight on what it really takes to lead learning with purpose, partnership, and influence.🔗 Connect with Cole on LinkedIn: Cole Bastion, MSIOP🎧 Listen now and subscribe to Catalysts: The Leaders Shaping the Future of Learning and Growth.Connect & Learn More Connect on with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-ratliff Position Yourself as a Thought Leader in Your Industry: executivebrandbuilder.com Interested in joining the show as a guest? Click here!