Regina Dunning, CPTD, ACC
Regina Dunning is an accomplished Learning and Development executive, founder of Pathory Partners, and a recognized expert in leadership development and organizational transformation. With 18 years of experience in the staffing industry a field she discovered “accidentally” after graduating from the University of Illinois in 2008 Regina has dedicated her career to helping individuals and organizations reach their full potential. She began by building learning and development functions from the ground up, creating programs that not only develop talent but also drive measurable business results, succession planning, and leadership pipelines. Her deep understanding of adult learning principles and organizational strategy allows her to craft programs that foster growth, engagement, and high performance.
Currently serving as US VP and Global Head of Learning Delivery at SThree, a leading global STEM staffing organization, Regina oversees the design and delivery of learning initiatives across multiple regions. She partners with senior executives to identify strategic talent needs, translate global learning strategies into scalable programs, and ensure consistent, high-quality experiences for employees at all levels. Her work includes shaping leadership development programs, enhancing workforce capabilities, and aligning learning initiatives with broader organizational transformation goals. At the same time, Regina remains deeply committed to one-on-one coaching, mentoring, and personal development, striking a balance between organizational impact and individual growth.
In addition to her corporate work, Regina is a CPTD-certified learning professional and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation. Through Pathory Partners, she provides personalized coaching, workshops, and leadership development experiences designed to unlock potential and accelerate professional growth. Passionate about empowering others, fostering inclusive learning cultures, and shaping the future of work, Regina continues to inspire leaders and teams worldwide to achieve their highest levels of performance and impact.
• Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
• 2024 LearningElite Judge
• Leadership Development Facilitator
• Insights Discovery Client Practitioner
• 2022 CLO LearningElite Judge
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - B.S. IRCE
• Association for Talent Development- National
• Association for Talent Development- Chicago Chapter
• Chicago Tech Academy
• Little Black Dress Night
• Employee Resource Groups for Women in Business and Women in Leadership
• In Her Shoes Foundation
• Medix Women with Purpose
• Make-A-Wish America
• Meals on Wheels America
• Glenkirk
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having a lot of determination and grit within the work, and then feeling comfortable to remain curious in what I'm doing and what's happening around me. I think being able to take on the trailblazing opportunities has helped me quite a bit - knowing in those types of moments where I was the first female sales leader that also became a mom within the workforce, trailblazing that, and building a couple of new functions. Having that mindset and feeling comfortable to be in those trailblazing roles really helped me. This was probably instilled in me by my mother, who did a couple of career pivots and ultimately became her own business owner and CEO and president of a corporate organization during my early years growing up. Being able to witness her go through that and her success really helped. I also had my tribe as part of that mentorship, including some of my former leaders, and as I entered into learning and development, I found a huge community of mentors within the Association of Talent Development.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is 'look where the puck is going, not where it is today.' That advice always, from very early on, helped me to be very future-focused and goal-oriented.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say leverage the community around you. Be willing to take risks and jump into the unknown. And trust yourself. If I look back on my career, there were probably a lot of moments of imposter syndrome, or I can't do that, or I'm comfortable where I'm at - why fix something that's not broken? Being able to have my community help say, you know, how many people are you going to give this promotion that is truly yours up to, really helped me. So trusting in yourself is definitely advice I'd go back and give my younger self.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
This industry in particular requires really good interpersonal skills, building rapport, skills that I feel women can be really, really good at. Strong communication skills, building the rapport, strong people leadership skills - I think that there's a very prime opportunity to be able to continue to advance through the layers within the industry and the organization to help us in a moment right now, which is probably very primed for disruption.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would absolutely say trust is a large value of mine. Curiosity is important to me. And being a servant leader - those are probably the three that are coming to top of mind for me.
Locations
Pathory Partners
Deer Park, IL 60010