L&D as a Change Catalyst: Cole Bastion on Leading L&D as a Strategic Engine

Catalysts: The Leaders Shaping the Future of Learning and Growth

In this episode of Catalysts, I’m joined by Cole Bastion, Senior Director of Learning and Culture at HOA Brands, where he's helped reduce management turnover by 10% and transformed L&D into a powerful driver of enterprise-wide change.

We dive deep into how Cole positions his team not as order-takers—but as change makers.

Key topics we cover:

• Why L&D must become the “epicenter of transformation” in the org
• The risks of staying in the traditional training lane
• How Cole earned the trust to facilitate annual strategy sessions with the executive team
• His process for evaluating new tech (and avoiding shiny object syndrome)
• Why visibility matters—and what it’s opened up for him as a leader

Cole’s story is packed with insight on what it really takes to lead learning with purpose, partnership, and influence.

🔗 Connect with Cole on LinkedIn: Cole Bastion, MSIOP

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