Ekpedeme “Pamay” M. Bassey
Chief Learning Officer
The Kraft Heinz Company
Chicago, IL
Growing up, Pamay M. Bassey always knew she wanted to study artificial intelligence. After earning a bachelor’s degree in symbolic systems, with a concentration in AI from Stanford, she thought she would be a “hardcore techie.” But while pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at Northwestern University, she found that researchers were applying the knowledge she had acquired to the corporate learning space.
“I was introduced to innovative uses of technology in learning,” she recalls, “and my career in learning and development was born.” Today, as chief learning officer at The Kraft Heinz Company, Bassey says she’s responsible for creating a culture of continuous learning, bold creativity, and curiosity; and encouraging Kraft Heinz’s 40,000 employees to make learning their superpower.
“That’s my philosophical piece,” she notes. “I also have the tactical role of overseeing our corporate university, which we call ‘Ownerversity.’” In that capacity, Bassey, a self-described lifelong learner and learning evangelist, manages numerous academies, from marketing to sales to research and development. “I love engaging with people and helping them understand that a commitment to learning can make their lives and careers great,” she says. “I enjoy finding interesting ways to light that fire in people.” Her work doesn’t end there.
“As practitioners of this space, we’ve been talking a lot about the future of work, how much, and what effort will be necessary to bring people up to speed on the kinds of skills they will need to succeed in the future,” she adds. Bassey is a board chair for the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford, which is committed to molding students into service-minded individuals. The author of My 52 Weeks of Worship, a spiritual memoir, she also loves to write fiction and non-fiction. “I have more books to write, and share with the world!” she says.
