New Bersin & Associates Report, Learning Leaders 2008: Lessons from the Best, Profiles...

New Bersin & Associates Report, Learning Leaders 2008: Lessons from the Best,
Profiles the Business Impact of Learning

Complimentary research report provides in-depth look at best practices for
employee learning and development in 26 organizations including Luxottica
Retail, Vestas Wind Systems, United States Air Force, Cisco and Boeing

OAKLAND, Calif., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Bersin & Associates, the only
research and advisory firm focused on enterprise learning and talent
management, today announced the availability of the report, Learning
Leaders(TM) 2008: Lessons from the Best. The complimentary, 135-page report
is a detailed look at the winners of the 2008 Bersin & Associates Learning
Leaders Program, which recognizes organizations with effective and efficient
approaches to employee learning and development resulting in significant
business improvement.

Click here to download a complimentary copy of the report.

Learning Leaders 2008: Lessons from the Best profiles each of the 26 winning
organizations. For example, the report details how Vestas Wind Systems, a
24,000-employee global company that is the world's leading supplier of modern
energy solutions, uses e-learning for global onboarding; how Booz Allen
Hamilton, named one of Fortune's "100 best companies to work for" for the
fifth year, combines all talent related functions into a single portal; and
how Sun Microsystems, a global technology leader with more than 30,000
employees worldwide, fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among sales
people through a YouTube-like portal.

Other companies profiled include: Beers + Cutler, Boeing, CA, Textron,
Freeman, Telstra, The United States Air Force, KPMG LLP, Luxottica Retail,
Cisco and learning solution providers Allen Communication Learning Services,
Brainshark, InnerWorkings, Kognito Interactive, Mzinga, NIIT, PDI Ninth House,
Richardson, Saba and Suddenly Smart.

In addition, the report includes an introduction by Josh Bersin about the
common elements among the winners for driving success in these difficult
economic times and observations from Bersin & Associates' judges gathered
during the review process.

Bersin & Associates is planning a series of activities highlighting the best
practices of the 2008 winners. At the company's annual research conference,
IMPACT 2009: The Business of Talent(R), Josh Bersin will moderate the session,
The Best of the Best in Enterprise Learning, with participating executives
from these 2008 Learning Leaders: Boeing, Vestas Wind Systems, Freeman, Beers
+ Cutler and Sun Microsystems. The speakers will share their insights and
best practices for creating learning organizations that are innovative,
embrace web 2.0 and collaborative learning, and support strategic business and
talent goals.

Also at IMPACT 2009, Helle Bay, senior vice president of business performance,
people, and culture for Vestas Wind Systems, and Lee Ann Timreck, principal
with Booz Allen Hamilton and a key contributor to the organization's talent
management strategy, will appear in the keynote panel, Talent Management as a
Business Strategy: Perspectives from the Top. IMPACT 2009 is scheduled for
April 14-16 in St. Petersburg, FL.

In addition, Leighanne Levensaler, director of talent management research, and
Dr. Karie Willyerd, CLO of Sun Microsystems, will present the April 30th
webinar, Managing Learning as a Profit Center. They will discuss Sun's
learning services organization and how it serves employees, customers,
partners and the community using technology, centralizing services and
off-shoring. Click here to register.

To receive news and updates about the Learning Leaders program, including the
2009 call for applications, please contact diane.siroky@bersin.com.

About Bersin & Associates
Bersin & Associates is the only research and advisory firm focused solely on
research in enterprise learning and talent management. The company's
WhatWorks(R) research and research-based services are designed to deliver
actionable and practical guidance and to improve operational effectiveness and
business impact.

Bersin & Associates research members gain access to a comprehensive library of
best practices, case studies, benchmarks, and in-depth market analyses
designed to assist professionals in making fast and confident decisions.
Research areas include planning and strategy, learning programs and delivery,
talent management, talent acquisition, leadership development, technology and
infrastructure, and measurement and analytics. Member benefits include
strategic advisory services, briefings, forums, analyst interaction, and
workshops.

Bersin & Associates is the host of the industry's only annual research
conference on enterprise learning and talent management. IMPACT 2009: The
Business of Talent(R) will be held April 14-16, 2009, in St Petersburg,
Florida.

For more information, go to www.bersin.com or call 561 455 0622, extension
223.

SOURCE Bersin & Associates

Linda Galloway of Bersin & Associates, +1-203-790-1591,
linda.galloway@bersin.com