Reimagining Director Education - A More Personalized Approach to Learning

We are pleased to share that the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD)’s personalized adaptive learning model, APEX, has been shortlisted for the Learning Technologies Award for Best Digital Learning Transformation, alongside organizations such as HSBC, IKEA, Lloyds Banking Group, Unilever, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and Getz. Healthcare. 

 

The recognition is an important milestone for the ICD not simply because it acknowledges a new learning technology, but because it reflects a broader evolution in how we think about director education. Directors do not enter the classroom with the same level of experience, knowledge, or expertise. Yet traditional approaches to education can often ask participants to move through the same material at the same pace, regardless of what they already know. APEX was designed to change that.

 

By beginning with an understanding of each participant’s existing knowledge and experience, APEX enables directors to demonstrate what they already know and follow a learning path tailored to their individual needs. The result is a more focused learning experience one that allows directors to spend less time on familiar material and more time engaging with the complex issues, perspectives and practical challenges that matter most in the boardroom. The strategic objective is straightforward: make director education more relevant, efficient, and impactful.

In its first year, APEX supported more than 140 participants across four ICD programs. Ninety-one per cent of participants completed their pre-work, with many receiving credits for knowledge they had already demonstrated. This enabled participants to dedicate more of their time to preparation, discussion, and application in the live classroom.

 

The response from participants has reinforced the value of this approach. As one participant noted: “The customization available based on existing knowledge and experience suggest this for all courses going forward.”  For the ICD, however, the significance of APEX extends well beyond a technology platform or an awards shortlist. It represents an important step in the continued evolution of how directors learn and how ICD can use technology, data, and instructional design to create education that better reflects the realities of experienced board leaders.

 

APEX is now an integral part of the ICD’s evolving approach to director education. Four ICD Short Courses - Boardroom Financial Essentials, Audit Committee Effectiveness, Enterprise Risk Oversight for Directors, and Board Oversight of Strategy are already being delivered through the platform, with three additional courses launching this year.

 

The achievement is the result of a highly collaborative effort.  Our sincere thanks go to the ICD Education team, led by Shannon Hunt, Vice President, Education, and Dennis York PHD , Director, Learning and Technology, whose leadership and commitment have been central to bringing this vision to life. We are equally grateful to the ICD’s faculty, Rob Brouwer, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D; Annalisa King; Robert McFarlane; and Steve Spooner for helping shape the learning experience and bring it into the classroom.  We also recognize Skillwell for its expertise and partnership in developing the technology and learning infrastructure behind APEX, as well as the many ICD members who participated in the early programs, provided feedback and helped shape the model through their experience. Their collective contribution is what makes this recognition meaningful.

 

The 2026 Learning Technologies Awards attracted more than 300 entries from more than 20 countries, with finalists selected by an independent judging panel organized by The Learning Network. The winners will be announced at the Learning Technologies Awards gala on November 11, 2026, in London, UK.  For the ICD, the award recognition is gratifying. But the more important achievement is what APEX represents: a continued commitment to rethinking director education around the learner. The full shortlist can be found at https://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/learning-tech-awards/learning-technologies-awards-2026-shortlist

 

As the expectations placed on boards continue to evolve, so too must the way directors prepare to meet them. Personalized, adaptive learning is one part of that evolution, and APEX provides the ICD with a foundation to continue exploring what a more individualized, efficient and impactful approach to director education can look like. Congratulations and thank you to everyone across the ICD community who contributed to APEX.