Building Ireland’s Future Workforce with Breda O’Toole, Head of Client Talent Development & Digitalisation at IDA Ireland

A few years ago I predicted that a Chief Skills Officer would appear in the C-suite. In this episode I’m joined by someone who became one and has taken it further: Celine Floyd, chartered occupational psychologist and Chief Leadership and Skills Officer at Cappfinity. After 20 years studying what makes people thrive at work, Celine has just launched Cappfinity’s Leadership Contribution Platform, built on one bold idea: leadership is defined by contribution, not hierarchy. We cover why a solid skills architecture matters before you invest in any platform, and why that framework should never be set in stone. We get into #talentmobility and the real reasons managers hold on to their best people, the research showing we are poor judges of our own skills, and how personality and strengths tools give people the language to represent themselves. We also look at what is keeping leaders up at night, and why Celine believes this is a hard but potentially brilliant time to lead.. If you’re a leader, a talent or learning professional, or someone figuring out your next move, this one is for you. #humanskills #futureofwork Links Celine Floyd at Cappfinity: https://www.learnevents.com/celine-floyd-stephanie-hopper/ (speaker bio; she is presenting at World of Learning, October 2026) Cappfinity: https://www.cappfinity.com Cappfinity Leadership Contribution Platform launch announcement: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cappfinity-announces-launch-of-new-leadership-contribution-platform-302824204.html Global Skills Podcast: https://globalskillspodcast.podbean.com/ Key Timestamps 02:17 Is the Chief Skills Officer role becoming mainstream? 04:51 Connecting learning and development to business performance 07:59 Why people only identify about 30% of their own skills 10:51 Why skills architecture and skills frameworks must come before the technology 13:57 Reskill, redeploy or redundancy: the talent mobility decision 17:40 Why internal mobility stalls and the enterprise talent mindset 18:38 The law graduate story: losing hidden skills inside your organisation 19:58 Is the real role the Chief Human Officer?

Why do capable people still fall back on old habits when it matters most? That question is what drew me to Matt Webb, and in this episode we dig into his answer. Matt has spent three decades in sales, from twelve years leading teams at Vodafone to nearly twenty at Mentor Group, where he's now CEO. He calls the problem the execution gap, and his XQ concept reframes capability as the ability to act when it counts, even as AI changes what selling looks like. We cover a lot of ground: whether AI avatars threaten the human salesperson, why senior leaders often get the least coaching on their own impact, and Matt's sports analogy about how little time salespeople spend training compared to athletes. We also talk about role-playing tough conversations with AI before you have them with a real customer, and how to support early-career hires who don't yet have the experience to judge AI output critically. #salesenablement #executiongap #XQ #AIinsales #salestraining #emotionalintelligence #salesleadership #humanskills Connect with Matt Webb LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matt-webb-3b34ab9 Mentor Group: mentorgroup.com Connect with Vanessa Wainwright and the Global Skills Podcast Vanessa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vwainwright Global Skills Podcast: globalskillspodcast.com Abodoo: abodoo.com

What does great recruitment look like when AI can write a convincing CV, but employers still need to understand what someone can actually do? In this episode of the Global Skills Podcast, I’m joined by Dionne Atwill, CEO and co-founder of Exec TA Social, to explore how AI and skills-based hiring are changing talent acquisition. From her beginnings in theatre to leading a global community of talent executives, Dionne shares why transferable skills, empathy and curiosity matter. We discuss alternatives to traditional CVs, task-based assessments, and how connecting recruitment with employee development can help organisations recognise talent already within their teams. Proudly sponsored by Abodoo, helping organisations and educators close the skills gap through skills technology. Connect and explore Dionne Atwill on LinkedIn:https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dionneatwill Exec TA Social:https://www.execta.social/community Vanessa Wainwright on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vwainwright/ Global Skills Podcast website and community:https://globalskillspodcast.com/ Global Skills Podcast on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-skills-podcast Abodoo:https://www.abodoo.com/

In this episode of the Global Skills Podcast, I’m joined by Tom Verboven, Senior Director at Mercer Talent Enterprise based in Dubai, to explore the future of talent and the changing world of work. Tom shares his international experience across Belgium, the UAE, Lebanon, the UK, and the US, and explains why making the right talent decisions can have a major impact on organizational success. We explore skills-based organizations, internal talent mobility, reskilling, and upskilling, and why companies need to understand both the skills they have today and the capabilities they will need tomorrow. Tom also explains why talent teams need to collaborate more closely and why having a clear strategy, culture, and focus on key skills can help organizations build stronger talent ecosystems. We also dive into AI, human skills, assessment, and the future of leadership. Tom shares why organizations may need to assess more for wisdom, judgment, creativity, and experience as AI takes on more knowledge-based tasks. We discuss bias, “noise” in assessment, and how AI could potentially make some aspects of talent evaluation more consistent

In this episode of the Global Skills Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Deepak Bhootra, a seasoned sales leader, executive coach, and entrepreneur, to explore the skills that can shape our careers and professional success. Deepak shares his journey from growing up in North India and learning the fundamentals of selling from his grandfather to building a global corporate career and eventually moving into entrepreneurship, coaching, and professional development. We explore why sales is more than simply selling a product or service and why it can be one of the most valuable skills for career growth. Dr. Deepak Bhootra explains how learning to communicate your value, sell yourself, understand people, navigate cognitive biases, and handle rejection can transform the way you approach your career. We also discuss career transitions, redundancy, resilience, and why continuous learning is essential in an evolving world of work. One of my biggest takeaways from this conversation is that sales is ultimately about understanding people and creating value. Whether you're building a business, looking for your next opportunity, leading a team, or changing careers, the ability to communicate, adapt, recover from setbacks, and understand different perspectives can make a significant difference. Dr. Deepak Bhootra offers practical insights into sales, leadership, career development, and the importance of continually investing in yourself. Connect With Dr. Deepak Bhootra https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepakbhootra/ Connect with the Global Skills Podcast