Meet the OEB22 Speakers: Keynote Meredith Wellard

Meredith is currently the Vice President Group Learning Talent and HR Platforms for Deutsche Post DHL. An established HR professional, she has a Master’s Degree in Organizational Development and Learning, with a diverse career spanning customer service, HR and talent management. Meredith commenced working for DHL Express 14 years ago in in the Middle East and after moving to the Global Headquarters, now lives in Germany and outside of transforming employee experiences, enjoys travelling throughout Europe learning about the history and culture of each country. We are delighted to have Meredith joining our line of distinguished keynote speakers for OEB22.

Who, or what, was your most important teacher?

I have had some of my greatest learnings from living in a range of countries and cultures around the world.  This has given me the chance to experience not only different cultures and environments but also different types of leaders creating an awareness that there is no one “right” way but a “right” set of beliefs about people.

What was your most important lesson?

That there is no end to learning, every single day I learn something new and surprise myself.

If you could try out any job for a day, what would you like to try?

I would really love to be a forest ranger for a day…I love the wilderness and wildlife…I find it so exciting, relaxing and engaging all at the same time.

A genie gives you three wishes—what are they? 

Not to be cliché but I would wish for peace in the world, health and happiness for all…who doesn’t want that?

What current learning trend do you think will have a lasting impact?

The shift to skills-based and personalised learning – and utilisation of AI.  These bring such great opportunities for learning to be highly targeted and customized/personalized and learner-centric.  I am excited about where it can go and the impact it could have on learners’ engagement and growth.

Which technology, in your view, had the biggest influence on the way we learn now?

Social Media capabilities and AI – this targeted consumption and socially motivated engagement has a huge impact on learning today.

What is the coolest gadget / technology / tool you have seen lately? 

StoryTeller – a really simple and pragmatic tool for creating, telling and sharing stories from your own phone ready to share anywhere…

Who would you recommend in the Learning World to follow on social media right now? 

Me 🙂 …no seriously I think you need to be following a range of people and companies. There are so many technologies and concepts developing and still no dominant design or thought leader on many topics…I like Mckinsey learning and talent reflections, and Fosway have a great tech view…but so many influencers fill this space.

What would be the title of your autobiography?  

The Last Memsey…My nickname is Memsey and it’s a play on words from a movie titled the Last Mimzey…my children used to call me that!

What was your first thought about our overall theme, “Re-Imagining our Vision for Learning”?  

It’s really time, we are in a perfect position for it – we need to determine the future of learning it is no longer a teenager – and is now a mature adult of a function so let’s show what we can do…We should not restrict ourselves with a fixed mindset and rather open our eyes for a future vision.

What do you hope to take away from OEB?

Inspiration to adapt and adjust our future as leaders in the learning space I am keen to keep the momentum going.

Thank you, Meredith. We look forward to learning more about your work and insights at OEB Global 2022.