Podcast Summary “Shaping the Future of Skills-Based Workforces with Carrie Berg of Teladoc Health”
The Path to L&D: A Natural Fit
Carrie Berg didn’t set out to become a learning and development leader, but looking back, it seems like it was meant to be. Her dad, a teacher, always told her she’d be great at teaching, but it wasn’t until she worked in medical device sales that the spark was lit. Her company noticed her knack for explaining complex healthcare topics in a way that was easy to understand, and just like that, her journey into training began.
Starting with clinical and sales training, Carrie’s career evolved into broader L&D leadership. Along the way, she leaned heavily into her background in healthcare and business, ultimately building a career where she could combine her passions for education, influence, and business impact. One big lesson from her sales days? Learning and development is often seen as a “nice to have”, so she’s spent much of her career mastering the art of making it a must-have.
Today, as VP of Learning and Development at Teladoc Health, Carrie oversees a centralized, global team handling everything from compliance training to physician onboarding to enterprise-wide performance initiatives. It’s a massive scope — but with an amazing team and a love for the ever-changing healthcare field, Carrie wouldn’t have it any other way.
Big Changes in L&D: Earlier Investment, Bigger Impact
While many leaders would point to AI or the pandemic as the biggest shifts in learning and development, Carrie offered a refreshing perspective: startups are investing in L&D earlier than ever before.
In the past, it wasn’t unusual for a company to exist for a decade (or two!) without a formal training function. Today, younger organizations are hiring L&D and talent professionals much sooner. To Carrie, that signals a critical mindset shift; newer generations of leaders are recognizing that investing in people early can fuel business growth faster and more effectively.
She ties this change back to generational differences: Gen Z and Millennials place a higher value on career development and learning opportunities than previous generations did at their age. They want clear career paths, ongoing skill-building, and visible investments in their futures, and they’re not afraid to ask for it.
L&D in the Future: Skills-Based and Smarter AI
When looking ahead five to ten years, Carrie sees two big trends shaping the future of L&D: skills-based talent planning and smarter, integrated AI.
She believes organizations will move away from bloated, vague job descriptions and toward a much more skills-driven approach to hiring and workforce development. Skills like project management, critical to almost every job but rarely listed in job ads, will be explicitly named and nurtured. Carrie sees this shift as vital to better career pathing, higher retention, and stronger talent mobility inside companies.
On the technology side, she’s clear-eyed about AI: tools that simply bolt ChatGPT onto their platforms won’t cut it. Companies will need integrated, intuitive AI tools that work seamlessly with their existing systems and truly personalize the learning experience. Without real integration and meaningful searchability, Carrie predicts today’s “AI-powered” tools will quickly fall behind.
Lessons from the Worst Managers
When asked about her most influential mentors, Carrie flipped the script — and we loved it. Instead of naming a single inspirational leader, she shared that it was actually her worst managers who taught her the most. Watching poor leadership in action, from leaders who lacked empathy, refused to listen, or prioritized their own careers over their teams shaped her own leadership style.
Today, Carrie emphasizes listening, advocating for her team, and hiring people who are even better than she is in their specialty areas. It’s proof that we can sometimes learn just as much (or more) from bad examples as we can from great ones.
The Most Critical Skill: Skills-Based Workforce Planning
Carrie sees skills-based workforce planning as the most critical competency for L&D and talent professionals moving forward. Companies that invest in understanding and leveraging the full skills of their employees — even the ones not fully used in current roles — will retain talent better and create more internal mobility. She acknowledges that it’s tough work, but it’s also absolutely necessary for the future of workforce planning.
Books and Resources: A Mix of L&D and Big Picture Thinking
When it comes to staying sharp, Carrie’s favorites include Training Industry, ATD, and of course, LinkedIn, which she treats as her daily go-to for news and fresh ideas. She’s also a big fan of thought leaders like Adam Grant and Simon Sinek, who help expand her thinking beyond pure L&D into broader organizational behavior and leadership strategies.
As for her book recommendation? Carrie suggests Drive by Daniel Pink. This book is a powerful read on motivation and growth mindset that resonates deeply with her leadership philosophy. In her words, as L&D professionals, if we’re not practicing a growth mindset ourselves, how can we expect to teach it to others?
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