Career history

20+ years of learning that moves people.

I've had the privilege of building L&D functions, leading teams, and designing learning experiences across industries. Here's a look at the work that's shaped my practice.

Founder/ Board Member

OrangeWave Group

2009 – Present
RemoteFull-time

Advises Fortune 500 enterprises on social media strategy, blended learning, and change management using the POST (People, Objective, Strategy, Technology) methodology. Designs custom sales and leadership programs, relational onboarding systems, and organizational communication frameworks that drive brand awareness, cross-departmental alignment, and top-line revenue growth.

Key accomplishments

  • Organizational Strategy: Championed social enterprise strategies for Fortune 500 clients using the POST framework, boosting brand awareness, revenue, and crossdepartmental communication.
  • Curriculum and Development: Designed and deployed blended learning programs, relational onboarding initiatives, and sales and leadership training tailored to strategic enterprise goals.
  • Change Management: Led organizational alignment and change management efforts to successfully connect multi-level teams through modern social networking tools and collaborative platforms.

Senior Instructional Designer

Wellstar Health Systems

2020-2026
RemoteFull-time

Designed and deployed a blended learning curriculum for 40,000+ clinical and administrative staff across 400 hospitals and  facilities. Partnered with subject matter experts and clinical leadership to translate complex compliance and skills content into engaging learning experiences.

Key accomplishments

  • Designed 1000+ eLearning modules using Articulate Storyline 360, Vyond and Synthesia.io
  • Award-Winning Content Creation: Concepted and produced an award-winning "Safety First" instructional video series using Vyond, creating "Mary"—a flagship animated character that significantly boosted learner engagement and safety compliance awareness.
  • Instructional Tech Innovation: Spearheaded the adoption of modern instructional software (Vyond and AI-driven Synthesia) including Virtual Reality training and hospital virtual tours across the Wellstar Design Team, modernizing legacy course architecture into dynamic, video-rich eLearning modules and VR training.

Master Trainer/Reseller

Total Inter Action

2009-2017
HybridFull-time

Spearheaded international market expansion and business development for HBDI (Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument) and Whole Brain Thinking programs. Custom-designed cognitive training frameworks for Fortune 500 clients internationally — including Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Turkey — increasing client satisfaction by 80% and doubling training evaluation scores across 1,000+ participants.

Key accomplishments

  • Measurable Program Impact: Delivered Whole Brain Thinking and HBDI-focused programs to Fortune 500 companies internationally — including Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Turkey — boosting client satisfaction by 80% and doubling training evaluation scores (100% increase) for 1,000+ participants globally.
  • HBDI Curriculum Customization: Designed and facilitated tailored HBDI (Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument) learning frameworks that translated real-world leadership challenges into actionable, high retention cognitive strategies for enterprise teams.
  • Business Development & Expansion: Spearheaded regional business development initiatives to capture new market share and open corporate accounts across North America.

Senior Learning Executive

Premiere Global Services

2006 – 2009
On-siteFull-time

Architected and executed global sales enablement and onboarding strategies across North America, APAC, and EMEA for 2,700 employees in 24 countries. Credited by executive leadership with driving a 4.2% Q4 net revenue increase by enabling 80% of sales reps to exceed quota, while establishing cross-departmental networks that accelerated deal velocity, enhanced margins, and reduced Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).

Key accomplishments

  • Direct Revenue Generation: Recognized by C-suite executives for directly driving a 4.2% increase in Q4 net revenue, designing and delivering new hire and veteran sales training for Premiere Global Communications Operating Systems (PGiCOS) that enabled 80% of new hires to exceed quota.
  • Talent Retention & Relational Onboarding: Pioneered an innovative relational onboarding framework that increased millennial and generational retention by extending onboarding accountability across Sales Development, Management, and cross-functional leadership.
  • Operational Efficiency & DSO Reduction: Architected an organization-wide communication network that streamlined cross-departmental workflows, enabling the sales force to boost profit margins, resolve client issues faster, and significantly lower Days Sales Outstanding (DSO). Establishing a peer-mentor and leadership development network; integrated global best practices across North America, APAC, and EMEA.

Tools & technologies

Articulate 360VyondSynthesia.ioCanvaAdobe CaptivateZoom / Teams facilitationSCORM / xAPI / LRSWorkday LMSKirkpatrick Evaluation Model

See the work

In action

Mary

Created with Vyond

Product CBL with quiz

Created with Synthesia.io and Articulate 360 Storyline

Want to see this in action?

I'm open to remote L&D leadership and consulting roles. Let's talk about what I can bring to your team.

Les Adkins

Learning & Development leader helping organizations grow through intentional design, facilitation, and human-centered strategy.

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"Learning is the work."

© 2026 Les Adkins. All rights reserved.

Available for remote consulting & speaking engagements