Chief Learning Officer magazine has named Kelly Stuart-Johnson, Global Head of Learning & Development at VML, as its 2025 CLO of the Year. The recognition is part of the publication’s annual Learning in Practice Awards, honoring leaders who have made significant contributions to advancing organizational learning and development.
Presented by Chief Learning Officer and BetterWork Media Group, the CLO of the Year distinction is the program’s highest individual honor. The award recognizes an executive whose career demonstrates measurable impact on business performance through workforce learning and leadership.
During the virtual Learning in Practice Awards ceremony held Thursday, Oct. 16, Stuart-Johnson also received three additional honors: Gold in the Business Impact Award, Gold in the Trailblazer Award, and Silver in the Innovation Award.
The Business Impact Award recognizes learning executives who have implemented a significant measurement or evaluation program that has demonstrated exceptional business impact from their workforce development programs.
The Trailblazer Award honors learning executives who have either launched a new enterprise learning function or completely overhauled existing workforce development initiatives in the past year.
The Innovation Award celebrates learning executives who have marshaled resources and applied innovative practices, processes, or technologies in a new and groundbreaking way to address a significant business or organizational opportunity.
Stuart-Johnson oversees VML’s global learning and development strategy, supporting professional growth and capability building across the agency’s worldwide network. Her selection highlights the expanding role of learning leadership in driving organizational performance and culture across global creative and communications industries.
Chief Learning Officer, founded in 2002, is a leading media and community platform for learning and talent development professionals. Through its research, editorial coverage, and events, the publication connects a global audience focused on improving workplace learning and employee development.
