‘People strategy has to evolve just as quickly as the business itself – sometimes even faster. Nowhere is that more evident than in learning and development’, said Julie Law, Chief People Officer, at Rocket Software.

In an exclusive interview, Julie shares insights into how the company combines new technologies with a human-focused strategy to offer flexible, personalized learning opportunities, empowering employees to succeed in an increasingly dynamic business world.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: What role does technology play in delivering global training programs, and how do you balance tech-based learning with traditional, in-person methods?

Julie: At Rocket Software, technology is at the core of how we empower our global team of over 3,200 employees to learn and advance at every stage of their careers. Our digital learning platforms ensure training is accessible, consistent, and impactful-whether someone is just starting out or preparing for a leadership position. 

We provide employees with a range of development programs, like Voyager, Bundle, and our NextGen Academy. With these programs, we help our employees build skills such as strategic influence, communication, and technical mentorship in technical roles. We also provide individualized soft skills coaching for people managers and influencers, tailored to each person’s development needs, thus preparing a future-ready workforce. 

We use AI-powered tools to create engaging, high-quality training videos in hours rather than weeks – dramatically improving speed and productivity when it comes to moving our training initiatives forward. In addition, every Rocketeer has access to Udemy for Business and Interskill, giving our teams the flexibility to pursue on-demand learning in technical and professional topics.

At the same time, we recognize that real growth happens through connection, not just content. That’s why we pair our tech-enabled programs with live interventions like facilitated learning cohorts, onboarding experiences, and in-person events like sales kickoffs, leadership meetings, and global hackathons, which now span both virtual and in-person participation. 
 

Q: How do you integrate cross-cultural competence and diversity training into your L&D initiatives, ensuring all employees are equipped to work effectively in a global environment?

Julie: Our core values – Empathy, Humanity, Trust, and Love – are the foundation for how we build learning experiences across our global teams. We understand that effective collaboration doesn’t happen by default; it requires intentional cross-cultural alignment.

From onboarding to leadership development, our programs are designed to help people connect across geographies, perspectives, and communication styles. One example is our “Free Ride” learning series, which invites Rocketeers into open conversations after watching short videos on universal workplace themes like respect and civility. These discussions allow teams to reflect, share, and grow together.

A pivotal moment in our approach came with the integration of the AMC business, which brought more than 750 new employees across 35 countries into the Rocket family. We treated this not just as an operational effort, but as a cultural one – focusing on shared values, mutual understanding, and local relevance. We listened, welcomed regional input, and designed experiences that honored both our common ground and our local differences.
 

Q: As business needs and the workforce continue to evolve, how do you keep your L&D programs flexible and adaptable to new trends and emerging skills?

Julie: If there’s one lesson I’ve learned in my career, it’s that a people strategy has to evolve just as quickly as the business itself – sometimes even faster. Nowhere is that more evident than in learning and development.

Adaptability is at the heart of how we design our learning programs. They are intentionally built to be flexible, self-paced, personalized, and modular enough to support everyone, from early-career employees to seasoned executives. We’re constantly listening and learning, gathering feedback through our annual engagement survey, program debriefs, and a steady flow of data. We’re always asking ourselves: What’s working? What needs to shift? What’s coming next?

One program I’m particularly proud of is our NextGen Academy. Built in partnership with local universities, the program is designed to develop the next generation of enterprise software engineers in Lithuania. We’re now expanding the program to the UK and plan to scale across more geographies. Beyond the training, this initiative provides mentoring opportunities for our current employees, strengthening our internal leadership bench and cross-generational learning.

We're also investing in AI training and governance, ensuring our teams are equipped to use these tools responsibly and effectively. Additionally, we have introduced a new AI-powered chatbot within Microsoft Teams, enabling employees to receive real-time support from our IT, people, and marketing teams. This not only enhances responsiveness and accessibility but also allows our experts to focus on more strategic initiatives by automating routine inquiries and support tasks. 

And when the AMC acquisition required integrating new team members from around the world, we didn’t just add names to the org. charts – we evolved our programs to fit their needs, cultures, and aspirations. 

One way to remain flexible and prepare our teams for the future is to focus on our strengths. We partner with Gallup for our employee engagement surveys, and we invested in CliftonStrengths programming for our senior leaders. It fosters new levels of understanding and collaboration. Knowing how our strengths complement each other and how to get the best out of each team member feeds our high-performance culture.
 

Q: How do you see the future of L&D in a global context, and what innovations do you believe will shape training and development strategies in the coming years?

Julie: The future of learning and development will be hyper-personalized, globally accessible, and deeply anchored in values. 

Technology alone can’t build character. The most important skills of the future – empathy, resilience, collaboration, and communication – are inherently human. That’s why future learning programs will be designed to foster connection, not just technical competence.

My vision is clear: every Rocketeer, regardless of geography or background, should have the opportunity to learn, grow, and lead with purpose.



 
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