TL;DR: In a world where skills—not roles—define success, Mariia Lavrentieva of GlobalLogic is building an AI-powered ecosystem that keeps 25,000+ engineers ahead of the curve. This post dives into how Mariia leverages data, learning tech, and behavior change to transform skills into business outcomes.
Why Skills Are the Core Currency of Modern Organizations
“In our world, skills are the currency.” Mariia Lavrentieva, Head of Learning and Development for the Americas at GlobalLogic, doesn’t just believe this—she’s operationalized it.
With over 30,000 employees across 32 countries, 80–90% of whom are engineers, GlobalLogic’s business model depends on one thing: having the right skills at the right time. And for Mariia, that means building a learning culture that’s agile, predictive, and deeply integrated with the business.
From Recruitment to Reskilling: A Journey Fueled by Curiosity
Mariia began her career in recruitment, driven by a fascination with technology and people. “I wanted to understand how applications were built, and what skills were behind them,” she shares. This curiosity led her to technical recruiting, then to mentorship, and ultimately to a leadership role in L&D.
Today, she oversees learning for 5,000 employees across North and South America. Her team’s mission? Enable talent mobility through continuous learning—and do it at scale.
Predicting Skill Demand with AI: The Learning Engine at Work
To stay competitive, GlobalLogic built an AI-driven demand sensing engine. It analyzes job postings, internal hiring trends, and market data to predict which skills will be in demand next. With 85% accuracy, the tool helps Mariia’s team tailor their academies and reskilling programs in real time.
“This engine tells us what we’ll need before we need it—so we’re always a step ahead,” Mariia explains. This capability turns L&D from a support function into a strategic driver.
GLX: A Learning Experience Platform Designed In-House
GlobalLogic didn’t settle for off-the-shelf LMS tools. Instead, they built GLX, an AI-enabled learning experience platform that centralizes learning programs across regions.
GLX offers:
- Curated learning paths aligned to roles and skill gaps
- Peer-led knowledge sharing
- Live sessions, self-paced modules, and integrated nudges
- Data dashboards that track engagement and performance
It’s no surprise that GLX just won an Association for Talent Development award. “We’re not just building skills,” says Mariia, “we’re building culture.”
Making the Most of Bench Time: Turning Downtime into Upskilling
In a project-based org like GlobalLogic, engineers may cycle between billable client work and bench time. Mariia saw this as an opportunity.
She created structured learning programs for those between assignments, driven by skill graphs and performance data. Whether it’s learning full-stack development or mastering a domain-specific AI tool, employees know exactly what to learn next—and why.
Learning in the Flow: Short, Interactive, Purpose-Driven
“E-learning doesn’t cut it anymore,” Mariia states plainly. Her team focuses on short-form, real-world learning that ties directly to job tasks. Whether it’s a 15-minute simulator on giving feedback or an AI agent that recommends a skill video based on a paused clip, the goal is simple: just-in-time, just-right learning.
Looking Ahead: AI Agents and the Future of Work
The next frontier? AI agents that act as on-demand skill coaches. “You won’t Google how to do something—you’ll ask your internal AI agent,” Mariia predicts. These agents will surface learning at the moment of need and personalize it to the task at hand.
As roles evolve and junior developer positions shrink due to AI automation, Mariia sees L&D as essential: “L&D won’t be a nice-to-have—it’ll be how people stay employable.”
Final Thought: Learning Is the Strategy
Mariia’s advice to her younger self—and to all of us: “Be curious. Never stop learning. The moment you do, your career stops.”
At GlobalLogic, learning isn’t an HR initiative. It’s a business imperative, powered by AI, data, and a belief in human potential. Skills aren’t just assets—they’re the product.
