Barry Kruse

I lead global teams that design and deliver extraordinary learning experiences for professionals around the world.

Lincoln, California, United States

About

• A highly successful, globally experienced executive in scalable training, learning, and development • A leader who creates a vision, builds groundswell, organizes, and executes • A transformational change manager and genuinely innovative builder who drives greater engagement in the learning experience while simultaneously reducing costs and improving efficiency • Award-winning, deeply creative learning design leader; expert in virtual learning, video, web conferencing, eLearning • Sales, service, technology, leadership, internal staff and external customer learning expert • Highly competitive training strategist, focused on the business impact of learning • Superlative communicator, writer and influential speaker • Emotionally intelligent, highly engaging leader and mentor • Host of The Leading Steep Podcast: Adventure Stories, Leadership Allegories, and Wisdom from the World's Great Adventure Guides + Successful projects executed with well-known firms including Credit Suisse First Boston, NASA, U.S. Postal Service, Unilever, BP, Wachovia, Ford, The Los Angeles Times, Shell, Northrop Grumman, and many others. + Major contributor in the design/development of unique training-focused, patent-pending technology and multiple, major learning platforms and initiatives.

Experience

  • Executive Director at Junior Guides
    Jan 2016 - Present · 10 yrs 6 mos

    I lead a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Junior Guides Raft Camp, as volunteer executive director. We teach 400 kids a year ages 6-18 about rivers, leadership, environmental stewardship, adventure, and teamwork in a multi-day summer camp environment. The camp first launched in 2010 and serves kids from all backgrounds. Junior Guides is based on the South Fork, American River (class III) in Coloma, California - 40 minutes from Sacramento in the Sierra foothills. See: www.juniorguides.org

  • Franklin Templeton Investments (Rancho Cordova, CA)
    • VP, Global Head, Franklin Templeton Academy
      Apr 2014 - Feb 2025 · 10 yrs 11 mos

      Drove vision, strategy, execution for the delivery of all client education, internal sales and marketing learning, and partner training as a value-added service to financial advisors, investors, media, etc. around the world. Grew learning community from 6,000 learners per year to 60,000 across 38 countries and 16 languages. Led global team of learning professionals; designers, developers, trainers, administrators. Set technology strategy and acquired best-in-class, SaaS/cloud-based digital tools for global deployments. Established partnerships with outside organizations for customer education (CFA Institute, universities, etc.) Hosted, managed annual executive training events (Institutional Client Program, Academic Partnership, etc.) A frequently-requested main stage speaker for audiences of hundreds.

    • Director, Franklin Templeton Academy
      Apr 2014 - Apr 2017 · 3 yrs 1 mo

  • AVP, Learning Design at The Hartford
    Jan 2011 - Jan 2014 · 3 yrs 1 mo

    Drove the transformation of employee and customer-facing learning from largely classroom-based to virtual and asynchronous delivery. Leveraged technology and methodology to create far more effective programs, reducing cost of delivery by over $1 million a year. Drove the adoption of novel, blended learning approaches leveraging video, eLearning, web conferencing, learning portals, and reporting systems . Led deployment of performance support solutions and service experience-oriented programs for claims, underwriting, sales, customer care, talent management, and leadership development, including programs in emotional intelligence, ADKAR, accountability, decision effectiveness, coaching, etc. Garnered multiple honors and acknowledgements for creation of award-winning, corporate-wide programs and platforms for learning, knowledge management and career development.

  • Thomson Reuters (Boston, MA and New York, NY)
    • Americas Head, Knowledge Network (Client Training)
      Sep 2010 - Feb 2011 · 6 mos

      Managed more than 95 training and relationship management staff in highly successful, multi-million dollar programs for key financial services institutions. Led broad-scoped change management & staff development. - Attained consistent career progression, regularly earning the firm’s highest review rank and standout recognition. - Drove a mass-scale change program for learning leveraging new delivery technology, LMS, vendor and consulting relationships, involving the redeployment of hundreds of worldwide staff.

    • Global Program Director, Client Training
      2008 - Sep 2010 · 2 yrs 9 mos

      Created, designed, developed and managed a revolutionary client training delivery program that greatly improved service levels serving more than 500,000 financial markets professionals worldwide, yet reduced expense by more than $10 million. - Managed highly-lauded on-boarding, new associate training, staff development and sales accreditation programs.

  • National Director, Client Relationship Management at Thomson Financial
    May 2004 - May 2008 · 4 yrs 1 mo

    Directed 48 Relationship Managers with responsibilities for defending software subscription revenue and identifying sales opportunities. Managed large-scale, on-site software training initiatives for as many as 21,000 users with as many as 65 staff for firms like Wachovia Securities, TD (Canada), and Morgan Stanley. Directing internal Sales Training for 400+ field staff.