Sell the Problem, Not the Programme with Lori Anne Powell episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 20, 2026 · 36 MIN

Sell the Problem, Not the Programme with Lori Anne Powell

from The Assembly · host Assemble You

If your L&D team keeps landing the last seat at the table, the way in is to get close to the commercial reality of the business.Brigid McCormack sits down with Lori Anne Powell, leadership development consultant and co-founder of LVL London, to unpack how L&D earns influence the way any function does: with credibility, trust and results the business can see.Lori began her career at Harrods and went on to lead learning and development across Europe, the Middle East and Africa as Director of L&D at Tiffany & Co., supporting multi-territory teams at scale. She brings a commercial, human-centred lens to how learning drives performance in premium service environments.She breaks down how to build a commercial mindset in L&D, how to influence stakeholders when you do not hold budget or authority, and what luxury retail's high-stakes shop floor teaches every learning leader.What you'll learn:Why the most impactful learning creates a pull rather than a push, and how to build that appetiteHow to influence without authority by diagnosing before you prescribe, and making the stakeholder part of the solutionWhat it means to be the commercial thinking partner, and how to reverse engineer learning from sales, retention and developmentWhy the shop floor is where strategy meets reality, and how to close the friction between it and head officeThe skills for life that retail builds better than anywhere: presence, reading a room and recovering from rejection🔗 Connect with Lori Anne PowellLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-powell/📮 The Assembly DebriefA short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://www.assembleyou.com/the-assembly/newsletter👋 Come and connect with usWe're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world.Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/More from The Assembly & Assemble YouLearning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work. https://www.assembleyou.comPrivacy & DataThis podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

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