As part of our ‘Getting to Know’ series of blog posts, we’re talking to central members of the LEO Learning family so you can get to know them a bit better. Today we’re talking to Account Director, Sean Nugent.
Describe your role at LEO Learning.
I work with our customers to really understand their business and help them put in place learning that makes a difference to the way people in their business perform. I then work internally to make sure that we assemble the right team to put in place great solutions to our customers’ challenges. I also have to make sure that projects are a success for our customers as well as a success for LEO Learning, so we can continue to grow and develop new services and products.
Which part of working at LEO Learning do you love most?
I love the endless variety – you never quite know what’s happening next and no two days are ever the same. I love working with a great team at LEO Learning. We really have some amazingly talented people. I also particularly enjoy working with new customers who are right at the start of transforming the way they provide learning.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
I led some of the very first projects where we started to develop mobile learning at scale. It was very challenging and meant having to learn a whole new set of concepts which were constantly changing.
On a personal level, qualifying as a mountaineering instructor was probably one of the toughest things I’ve done – a few days on a steep face in a blizzard at -5 degrees with someone constantly asking if you are sure you know what you’re doing is a great way of building resilience and reflecting on your leadership skills.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?
I don’t know if there is one really big challenge or if it’s just lots of little ones. In the world of work it is to constantly learn new things and adapt to change. I’ve always tried to actively learn new things and not be afraid of new ideas. Most people’s natural state is to stick with what they know – you have to constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone, which is incredibly rewarding. It feels great when you do.
What are the three things you can’t work without?
A sense of humour, a sense of perspective and a determination to succeed and get to a good result no matter how difficult the process is to get there.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I’m not sure I ever grew up! I like the idea that no-one ever really stops thinking about what they want to be when they grow up and that everyone who watches football on Saturday afternoon is secretly waiting to be called onto the pitch. In my case, it’s probably something to do with music. The nearest I got was to spend a lot of time working on the other side of the stage, but I still live in hope that one day the phone might ring…