Global Training Provider event at PartnerWorld

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 We enjoyed the opportunity to meet with our Global Training Providers (GTPs) in Las Vegas at PartnerWorld.

Over that week, we had an Advisory Board meeting with all of the GTPs in attendance, and were also joined by Donna Walker, Bob McDonald, Larry Irvin (Business Partner Enablement), Amy Purdy Hirst (z Systems, Power, and Storage Technical Training), and David Zaharchuk (IBM’s Institute for Business Value, and author of the “Facing the Storm” study about the global skills crisis), along with the Partner Relationship Managers and other members of the IBM Training & Skills team.

In addition to discussing ways that IBM and the GTPs could further improve the working relationship and exploring the “Facing the Storm” study in more detail, we were led in a Design Thinking session by Meg Petersen, where we discussed the opportunities presented by the needs of four particular personas whom all the GTPs encounter in their work.

Also during the week, we met one-to-one with the GTPs to discuss 2016, what has been going well, and what we can improve. We recorded new GTP interviews (that should appear on our YouTube channel this week – please subscribe!), replacing the ones from last year done by Nick Falkingham. Our GTPs had productive meetings throughout the week with partners and Business Unit leaders.
We wrapped up those meetings with a delightful evening of tapas and conversation.

We look forward to the opportunity to gather again later this year for another, longer, face-to-face meeting and time to collaborate.