Orientation Week Begins: Aug. 4, 2026
Module One Opens: Aug. 12, 2026
Self-Paced Learning Through: Oct. 7, 2026
Virtual | Interactive
Now in its 11th year! The Chief Learning Officer Accelerator is a virtual, comprehensive and experiential development program focused on the most important topics and the latest Chief Learning Officer research and best-practice findings for high-level learning executives.
Participants receive access to the learning platform beginning Aug. 4, 2026, with a dedicated orientation week to explore the platform, meet faculty and connect with fellow participants before coursework begins.
Beginning Aug. 12, 2026, participants will progress through seven learning modules and complete coursework at their own pace. Designed specifically for busy executives, the Accelerator provides the flexibility to engage with content, discussions, assignments and faculty office hours according to your schedule.
To support varying workloads and schedules, participants will have access to the platform through Oct. 7, 2026. This extended access period is intentionally built into the program to provide maximum flexibility while maintaining a defined cohort experience. All coursework, assignments and discussions must be completed before that date. Extensions will not be available.
Aligned with Chief Learning Officer LearningElite organizational criteria, the Chief Learning Officer Accelerator places a premium on learning from its esteemed faculty and — equally important — your fellow learning professionals. You will participate in building the body of knowledge by sharing real-world experiences and lessons learned in discussion groups and missions, as well as creating a robust network to serve your role as Chief Learning Officer and help develop your contemporary career. The program comprises developing a personal action plan and presenting a case study application, with feedback from the entire Chief Learning Officer Accelerator faculty.
Secure your seat in this virtual executive development experience designed to fast-track new and aspiring Chief Learning Officers.
Early Registration Bonus
The first 12 individuals who register — regardless of registration level — will receive complimentary access to MentorPlus+, our exclusive executive speed-mentoring experience. MentorPlus+ takes place post-course (participants select one date; selection is first-come, first-served). LEARN MORE
What Your Registration Includes
CXO+ Member Pass
Become a member and save - $2,096: Now - August 10, 2026
Registration concludes August 10, 2026.
Buddy Pass
Accelerate your development together. Includes full program access for two participants.
Buddy Pass registration concludes July 24, 2026.
Individual Pass
Includes full program access for one participant.
Registration concludes August 10, 2026.
Mentorship Reimagined: Fast, Focused, Impactful.
Participants select one of the two dates to attend. Date selection is first-come, first-served. MentorPlus+ is a dynamic speed-mentoring experience designed specifically for Chief Learning Officers.
6 Mentors. 6 Mentees. 30-Minute Rotations
Engage in one-on-one sessions with six seasoned industry leaders who have navigated the same executive challenges you’re facing.
Targeted, Relevant Conversations
Bring your most pressing leadership questions and leave with actionable, executive-level insight.
Focused and Fast-Paced Format
Each 30-minute session is structured for high-impact discussion, followed by a reflection break before the next rotation.
Exclusive Access
Only six mentee spots are available per day — making this a rare opportunity for direct access to top industry mentors.
Immediate Impact
Walk away with practical strategies you can implement immediately to accelerate your leadership growth.
Once 12 seats across both days are filled, MentorPlus+ access closes.
Adri Maisonet Morales, EdD, MBA, MSOP, PMP
VP of Talent Management
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
LEARN MORE ABOUT ADRI
Kathleen O'Neill, Ed.D.
Organizational Leadership Practitioner
Center for Creative Leadership
Kevin D. Wilde
Executive Leadership Fellow
Carlson School of Management, U of Minnesota
Mary Kay Vona, Ed.D.
Change, Strategy, Transformation Leader Innovation and Digital Executive Educator, Mentor and Coach
Developed by a faculty of award-winning chief learning officers, the Chief Learning Officer Accelerator is a development program focused on the most important topics for learning executives, including leadership challenges and opportunities, strategy development, funding and infrastructure, learning technology and creating your personalized career development plan.
The Chief Learning Officer Accelerator is a next-generation learning experience designed specifically for learning and development leaders. This interactive program is tailored to the needs of aspiring and newly appointed Chief Learning Officers (and even experienced Chief Learning Officers looking to sharpen their edge, broaden their network, or expand into a new role) across all organization sizes and sectors. The program — designed by Chief Learning Officers, for Chief Learning Officers — will increase and quicken the learning curve to skills proficiency and offer a gateway to a robust network, accelerating your readiness for the Chief Learning Officer role and your impact within that role.
A new module will be launched each week. Students will work at their own pace and can attend “office hours” hosted by the faculty member for each respective module at the end of each week.
Launch Date: Aug. 12, 2026 | Office Hours: Aug. 18, 2026
Deepen your understanding of what it means to be a leader in your organization and the competencies you will need. This module explores the intricacies of determining business priorities and aligning with those priorities, gaining executive support, developing leadership practices, acquiring business acumen and thinking strategically.
Launch Date: Aug. 19, 2026 | Office Hours: Aug. 25, 2026
Strategic leaders are tuned into the needs of the business, understand how their actions impact corporate objectives and use data to make smart decisions. This module will help you establish a strategic mindset and ensure your actions align for success.
Launch Date: Aug. 26, 2026 | Office Hours: Sept. 1, 2026
Module three focuses on building infrastructure and metrics to support business strategy. Understand all the components of your learning infrastructure and the value of metrics, executive communication and technology support.
Launch Date: Sept. 2, 2026 | Office Hours: Sept. 8, 2026
Explore the vast and rapidly evolving tech landscape, as well as the impacts of AI and emerging technologies on the future of learning for both learners and learning professionals.
Launch Date: Sept. 9, 2026 | Office Hours: Sept. 15, 2026
In a learning-agile culture every challenge is viewed as an opportunity to innovate and learn, and teams use processes and practices that ensure the learning is applied towards solving organizational and business challenges. This module will provide the means to assess your organization's learning agility capabilities and design a practical, sponsor-supported roadmap to implement and sustain a learning-agile culture aligned to your business and learning strategies.
Launch Date: Sept. 16, 2026 | Office Hours: Sept. 22, 2026
Put your learning to use for your organization and for yourself! This module is all about action.
Platform Open Until: Oct. 7, 2026
I often think of myself as the plumber who isn’t fixing one’s own plumbing, and the Accelerator was a perfect way to make time for my development and increase my knowledge, influence and strategy from an executive viewpoint. My learning partners are senior- to executive-level, and this was deeply valuable to better understand how my partners think and how to be an influencer at a broader, higher level. In fact, I’ve already passed on strategy learned in this program to one partner to help her to have more of a voice with her C-suite leaders and speak their language. It has also led to increased consulting opportunities for me, just within a few months of this program. Thank you for the well-thought-out topics and numerous resources to equip all of us to be better business leaders while still being focused on the people.” — Tonya Tiggett
Course Brochure
Approval Letter
Course Differences
Top Reasons to Attend
The Chief Learning Officer Accelerator program was introduced in 2015 as an in-person event preceding the Fall 2015 Chief Learning Officer Symposium. Originally designed as a two-day workshop, it aimed to support individuals who were new to, expected to step into, or aspired to become learning executives. In response to changing circumstances, the program transitioned to a virtual format in 2020. Its overwhelming success led to its continuation as an online offering, which persists to this day.
Yes, all participants will be invited to connect with each other via LinkedIn following the completion of this year’s program.
Yes, the Chief Learning Officer Accelerator is approved for 12 professional development credits with ATD, HRCI and SHRM.
Contact Kevin Fields, Co-Chief Executive Officer at [email protected] to learn more about the scholarship program.
Contact [email protected] for any questions.
BetterWork Media Group has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer programs that can be used toward initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. This program has been approved for a maximum of 12 points.
Earn up to 12 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute.
BetterWork Media Group is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM. This program is valid for 12 PDCs for the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.
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