Learning & Development Leader · Speaker · Consultant
Helping people and organizations grow — on purpose.
I'm Les Adkins — L&D strategist, facilitator, and speaker with 20+ years designing learning experiences that drive real behavior change.
“Learning isn't a department. It's a culture.”
— Les Adkins
Career highlights
A career built on impact
From Fortune 500 teams to healthcare systems, I've led learning initiatives that move the needle.
2009 – present
Founder & Principal Consultant
OrangeWave Group
Advises Fortune 500 enterprises on AI-augmented learning, change management, and the POST framework. Designs custom sales, leadership, and onboarding programs that drive cross-departmental alignment and revenue growth.
2020 – 2026
Senior Instructional Designer
Wellstar Health Systems
Designed and deployed blended learning for 40,000+ clinical staff across 11 hospitals and 400 facilities statewide — from curriculum architecture through LMS delivery.
2009 – 2017
Master Trainer & Reseller
Total Inter Action
Delivered HBDI-based thinking-preference workshops to corporate and government clients internationally — including Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Turkey — building a reputation for facilitation that creates lasting behavior change.
On the stage
Speaking that moves rooms
I bring energy, expertise, and real talk to stages, workshops, and virtual events.
The Future of Workplace Learning
How L&D must evolve to meet the demands of a distributed, AI-augmented workforce.
Building a Learning Culture
Practical frameworks for embedding continuous learning into the DNA of your organization.
Designing for Real Behavior Change
Why most training fails — and what science-backed design looks like in practice.
Areas of expertise
Where I do my best work
Leadership Development
Coaching frameworks and cohort-based programs that build the next generation of organizational leaders.
eLearning & Technology
LMS strategy, SCORM/xAPI development, and AI-assisted learning tools that scale without losing the human touch.
Facilitation
High-energy, participatory workshops that create real dialogue and lasting behavior change.
Instructional Design
Curriculum architecture, eLearning development, and blended learning programs that drive measurable outcomes.
Open to remote opportunities
Ready to build something meaningful?
Whether you're looking for a strategic L&D partner, a speaker who brings substance to the stage, or a consultant who rolls up their sleeves — I'd love to talk.
"I don't just design training. I design transformation."
Les Adkins