Celebrating the Voices of Black L&D Executives: An Interview with London Murray, Vice President of UX Learning and Development

CLN’s interview series is celebrating the voices of Black L&D Executives for Black History Month. In this Q&A, London Murray, Vice President, UX Learning and Development at JPMorgan, shares her L&D story, her thoughts on being a Black executive, and more!

How did you get into L&D?

While working at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Philadelphia, the role of a learning & development specialist came my way. As a subject matter expert in Operations, I wanted an opportunity to educate others in a more official capacity. When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it. I was in my twenties then, and the L&D manager saw my talent and potential to facilitate in classrooms alongside my interest in adult learning theories. Being so young in that role, I took advantage of the insights from senior learning managers and knew I wanted to continue my career in the field.

Eventually, I was promoted into more senior roles including an enterprise learning manager where I developed content and facilitated courses from new hires to leadership.

Can you talk about the degree you’re currently working on?

I’m completing my Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, Learning, and Innovation. For my dissertation, I’m examining the effectiveness of like-identity mentorship on the experiences of Black female STEM students in predominantly white institutions. Additionally, I am exploring how organizational partnerships can support these initiatives. My research is poised to provide a playbook for universities and large corporations that will outline frameworks, resources, and structures for developing pipeline programs for minority STEM students, optimizing their undergraduate success through post-graduate careers.  

Is this an area you’re also working on at JPMorgan?

We already have initiatives in place with similar values so I may not be able to fully implement the program I described, however, there are some aspects of my dissertation that I believe could be useful as we continue strengthening our university partnerships. I do look forward to sharing my research further and leading program initiatives in this space.

Is there anything you want to share about your own experience as a Black executive?

I will say, being a Black woman in corporate America is not easy. There are almost daily microaggressions at the intersectionality of being both a woman and Black, leading one to often experience a feeling of otherness among their counterparts. It’s incredibly important, now more than ever, to practice inclusion in all spaces, why the pipeline opportunities are so important, and why I constantly advocate for them. Since George Floyd, I believe many companies have charged ahead in their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. However, we must continue to share the stories of the Black and Brown workforce to bring awareness and mindfulness of their lived experiences. When leaders of color speak up and out about their journeys to executive roles, there is an empowering force that comes across that room. When we speak of pipeline opportunities for younger Black generations, it is on the executive leaders to promote and deliver on those programs. I get excited when I see new flourishing Black talent coming in. It’s an opportunity for me to reach out and mentor as a Black female leader, sharing my stories and experiences. For them, it also means finding and building community at work, making the workplace feel like a safe space to ask questions about their careers and navigate challenges.

Because representation is critical to realizing dreams, I try to be as visible as possible and take speaking opportunities when I can. My upcoming events include chats on owning your career and inclusive hiring practices for organizations, while I’m also currently developing an inclusive design learning series for our internal user experience teams where we will speak on designing for all communities.

Where do you see L&D going, and where do you want to go next in your career?

As both an L&D professional and change management practitioner I look forward to seeing where these will converge in practice over time. My change management background has served me well in understanding how learners best receive and adopt new ways of thinking and doing. I believe there are parallels in the practices that could engage learners on all levels as well as an opportunity for leaders to encourage stronger cultures of learning in their organizations.

What’s next for me? I’m embarking on a new role next month, leading change management in our corporate responsibility space where I look forward to amplifying the voices of our leaders in the adoption process and executive coaching to success, a practice I have honed in from my experiences in learning and development.