Lisa M.D. Owens

LISA MD OWENS is a learning expert who applies learning sciences to create training programs and strategies that move businesses forward. She founded Training Design Strategies LLC (TDS, 2012), following her retirement from Procter & Gamble. She is an author, consultant, and speaker.

AT PROCTER & GAMBLE, Lisa's decade of experience in Engineer (’77-93) gave her a unique perspective as she lead P&G global training programs (1994–2011). She was a sought-after internal training consultant, and a coach for executive trainers. She created a wide range of programs (GM Colleges for two CEOs, corporate universities, new hire onboarding), and training that covered a wide range of technical and soft skills topics (statistics, project management, quality assurance, time management, trainer training, and more.) She was an early adopter of e-learning, virtual classrooms, blended learning and performance support. She even used "remote presence robots” to “beamed in” experts from around the globe to interact with her course participants.

As a P&G manager, she implemented training governance and LMS software; she led programs impacting 60,000 employees, such as the 2001 open job posting software system and the annual employee survey questionnaire and data analysis.

HER PUBLICATIONS include “Designing for Modern Learning: Beyond ADDIE and SAM” (2020, ATD Press) “Leaders as Teachers Action Guide” (2014, ASTD), “Lo start-up di una Corporate University” (2012, Italian), and “Your Career: How to make it Happen” (9th edition 2016, 10th edition 2021, Cengage Learning). She was a contributing author for “Active Training: A Handbook of Techniques”, “Designs, Case Examples, and Tips” (2015) and “101 More Ways to Make Training Active” (2015).

LISA’S EDUCATION includes a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (1977 Georgia Tech), and Masters in Education (1996 UC). She gained invaluable experience through work at the Savannah River nuclear facility (’72-76), and at P&G as an engineer (’77-92). She shifted to full-time training in 1992. She was an online instructor for Ohio University for instructional design, and was on the Executive Advisory Board for GC-ATD for multiple years.

PERSONALLY, Lisa is married (since 1978), with two sons, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. She has been active in church education and was the lead instructional designer for multi-day nation-wide youth leadership training programs that are still in use today (NYLT, NAYLE and Trainer’s EDGE). She continues her youth leadership work through China Capable Teens.

LISA CURRENTLY WORKS with clients with national and international footprints. As a consultant, she shares her vast and varied experiences to fulfill her mission in life: Help the world’s achievers and leaders go beyond their goals and dreams by using powerful training, which she can help design. Her training philosophies include the following:

“One-shot training rarely causes long-term learning. STOP designing training and START designing Learning Clusters.”

“When learners walk out of the classroom door, what will they do differently? That’s what counts!”

“Learning happens in the head. If you don’t let learners talk, how will you know if they learned anything?”