A Path for Every Learner

Since joining TBWA in 2001, Rhonda George-Denniston has risen through the ranks to become the global creative company’s first chief L&D officer, spearheading global learning program, known as TBWA\GLP. Focusing on a systematic and interactive learning approach, she advocates for individual growth plans for the company’s 11,000 employees who work in more than 40 countries.

“We lean heavily into interpersonal and leadership skills that will serve our people throughout their careers,” she says, noting the key programs cover broad competencies such as communication, team management, and business development.

Six stages of learners

GLP’s small team of four talent development specialists collaborates closely with global discipline leads to develop and deliver content and programs to support employees across six learner stages that span the full career life cycle, from entry level to the C-suite.

• New to the ship. New hires experience programming that revolves around global onboarding needs and introductions to the larger organization’s mission, values, and processes.

• Emerging. Employees who are either new to the work world or new to the advertising industry receive courseware and content that cover both technical and interpersonal skills.

• Thriving. Programs support employees who have a solid grasp of their roles and are beginning to understand their team’s broader impact on the organization.

• Rising. Development opportunities cater to individuals who are expanding their influence within their teams, agencies, and the industry.

• Leading. This stage comprises people who are responsible for shaping strategy and driving the future vision of their agencies.

• Executive. These learners are among the highest ranks of leadership. GLP offers a custom program for new executives that includes personalized coaching and expert-led sessions.

Three paths to learning

Within the six stages, learners can access GLP courses and content in three ways.

Nominated track. Programs in this path feature in-person programs for specific career stages and require a nomination by agency or regional CEOs via a dedicated portal during a nominations period, which takes place twice annually. Major programs in this track include Tiger Academy and Master Gunners, which are leadership development programs for employees in the Rising stage; Wright Academy, an immersive team-based program for Emerging talent; and Sea Legs, a leadership development program for employees in the Thriving stage.

Focusing on the latter, “the dictionary defines sea legs as a person’s ability to be on a moving vessel and not get motion sickness,” explains George-Denniston. Geared toward first-time managers, Sea Legs helps employees make the shift from team member to team leader. “We give them the skills, tools, and resources to get to that place where they’re that boss that everyone wants to work for,” she continues.

Cohorts typically include 30 to 35 employees from diverse geographies and disciplines, and programs run as often as twice per year.

“It’s important to keep these cohorts small and diverse. With a global cohort, they’re not only learning from great coaches and instructors but each other. It’s an exchange of ideas, learnings, and lived experiences, so learners leave the program richer and better,” George-Denniston states. “The best thing that you can do to have people always learning and have a growth mindset is really to connect them with peers who are on a similar trajectory.”

Application track. This learning path is anchored by TBWA\Bursary, a scholarship program available for employees in the Emerging stage Applicants submit a video to earn credentials from an external institution. Then, the public votes via YouTube to determine a short list of potential recipients, and the previous year’s bursary winners choose the finalists.

In 2024, the program participants pursued a creative strategy diploma from Miami Ad School Europe in a six-week virtual experience. The GLP team supports learners before, during, and after the initiative.

“We’re always in contact with the cohort,” George-Denniston says. “Before the program, we connect with them and give them the TBWA lens for approaching the learning. In the middle, we connect again to see how the content and learning is working for them. Does this resonate with them? What are they liking? What are they not liking? What can we do differently?”

GLP concludes the program with a formal graduation ceremony where participants present their learnings to managers, co-workers, family, and friends, who are also invited to celebrate the achievements. “We’re very much about having our people be seen and heard,” notes George-Denniston.

The GLP team meets individually with any applicants it did not select for the final bursary squad, to “see what their interests and ambitions are and if they can be matched to other learning and growth opportunities,” she continues.

Self-directed track. This path comprises live and on-demand classes from external and internal experts on core competencies such as constructive feedback, executive relationship management, consultative sales, delegation, negotiation, and evaluating creative work. Those programs are available on an open-access learning platform, referred to as TBWA\U, which launched in 2021 and enables all employees to take control of their careers.

In addition, learners can participate in Table Gatherings, which present intimate discussions on personal and professional growth. Further, through the Coaches Corner, employees can access expert guidance to get advice and help addressing real-world challenges.

"Over the years, we have meticulously crafted a portfolio of development initiatives,” says George-Denniston, adding that she and her team “continue the work of expanding growth opportunities for our people to be lifelong learners, thriving personally and professionally at TBWA."

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