Building a Global Learning Culture with Fabio Sacoman, VP of L&D at Expedia Group
Andy Storch recently welcomed Fabio Sacoman, Vice President and Head of Learning and Development at Expedia Group, to the Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast. With over 20 years of L&D experience across continents, Sacoman shared a wealth of actionable insights on fostering a robust learning culture, driving effective leadership development, and enabling career growth in an international organization. Here are practical steps you can apply to create a thriving learning culture in your company.
Start with Passion and Purpose
Fabio attributes his career in L&D to a deep-rooted passion for helping people grow and businesses succeed. When designing your own programs or team culture, root your efforts in passion and a clear sense of purpose. Employees respond to authenticity—make it clear that learning is a path to both individual fulfillment and organizational success.
Ensure Alignment with Business Strategy
A key to Expedia’s L&D influence is tight integration with business strategy. Partner closely with HR Business Partners (HRBPs) to identify necessary skills for today and the future. Align your learning initiatives to business needs—and regularly update them in response to changing goals. This guarantees that L&D isn’t operating in a silo, but actively advancing company objectives.
Establish a 'Pull and Push' Approach to Learning
Fabio advocates for a balanced learning ecosystem. Use a 'push' strategy to deliver critical, business-driven learning and a 'pull' strategy to empower individual growth and career aspirations. Offer both organizationally required development (such as compliance or leadership essentials) and self-directed resources employees can access as their needs and interests evolve.
Involve Senior Leaders in Cultivating Culture
Creating a learning culture requires leadership at every level. Expedia involves their CEO and senior leaders in learning conversations, modeling the behaviors they want to see throughout the organization. Encourage executive participation in learning initiatives, and ensure that leaders are visibly committed to personal and team development.
Empower Managers to Lead Learning
Fabio stresses that leaders—not just HR—are responsible for learning culture. Equip managers with the right tools and hold them accountable for providing clarity, support, and accountability to their teams. When managers see people development as a core responsibility, learning becomes ingrained in everyday routines.
Design for Both Consistency and Localization
Expedia’s global reach demands sensitivity to cultural differences. Strive for 80% standardized core content—frameworks, foundational skills—and 20% localization to address unique regional needs or norms. Adapt facilitation styles, case studies, and examples to resonate with diverse audiences.
Make Learning Conversational, Not Transactional
Fabio's facilitation philosophy centers on impact, not information delivery. Move away from slide-heavy workshops and focus on catalyzing conversation, curiosity, and real-world application. Ask questions, listen, and adapt each session to the immediate needs of your people. The goal is behavior change—not just knowledge transfer.
Support Career Development and Talent Mobility
Enable employees to own their careers by offering experiences beyond just promotions or titles. Invest in opportunities such as project-based learning, cross-functional assignments, and internal mobility pathways. Communicate the difference between readiness, performance, and business needs—so employees understand what drives progression.
Leverage Technology—in a Human Way
Fabio is enthusiastic about AI’s potential to increase L&D productivity and personalize learning experiences. Experiment with AI tools as personal assistants to streamline program design, curate content, and create tailored onboarding. But always keep the human element central—use technology to enhance, not replace, meaningful learning experiences.
Foster Authenticity and Psychological Safety
Authenticity is the bedrock of effective leadership. Leaders should be encouraged to show up as themselves, provide candid feedback, and foster environments of psychological safety. This builds trust, fuels engagement, and strengthens your learning culture from the inside out.
Measure Success by Impact, Not Volume
Finally, shift your success metrics from the number of workshops delivered to demonstrable business outcomes and behavioral change. Questions to continuously ask: Are our people growing? Is the business advancing? Are leaders modeling and multiplying our culture?
Building a global learning culture is an ongoing journey that requires integration, intention, and flexibility. By following Fabio Sacoman’s example and these strategies from Expedia Group, you can create an environment where learning is everyone’s job—and where talent and business alike are set up to flourish.
Be sure to listen to the full episode on the Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast!
Fabio Sacoman is a visionary leader in learning and development, most recently making his mark at Expedia. Driven by a passion for creating thriving learning cultures, Fabio and his team have been at the forefront of designing engaging programs that not only develop leaders, but also build a cohesive organizational culture across continents.
Understanding the complex dynamics of scaling learning in a globally diverse company, Fabio has thoughtfully developed strategies that honor local cultures while fostering a shared sense of purpose. His approach emphasizes leadership development as a cornerstone for cultural transformation, empowering individuals to learn, grow, and inspire others.
Listen to the podcast episode here:
