When Janine Teo arrived in Paris for her first job as a computer engineer, she didn’t speak a word of French — and had never even set foot in Europe.
Navigating a city where the metro still relied on 120-year-old paper tickets was just one of many surprises. For someone from Singapore, where tap-and-go cards had been the norm for years, the experience was a revelation.
“The more advanced you are, the harder it is to unlearn,” she later told the audience at the Digital Leadership Summit 2025. “The illiterate of the 21st century are not those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Janine Teo, CEO of Solve Education!, is no stranger to change. Recognized by Mensa International for her societal impact and serving as an advisor to the Asian Development Bank on digital technology, she has led initiatives that have reached over 1 million learners and delivered more than 25 million lessons worldwide. Her mission is simple yet urgent: make learning accessible, engaging, and future-proof.
Organized by NewInAsia, the Digital Leadership Summit 2025 brought together bold thinkers to help leaders navigate the complexities of digital transformation. Janine’s session, Learning and Development in the Age of Digital Transformation, wasn’t just a talk — it was a call to action.
Highlights
The Danger of Being Ahead of the Curve
Janine’s Paris story made a point that resonates far beyond public transport: success can make us slow to adapt. When systems work well, there’s less urgency to change them — until disruption forces our hand.
She gave the example of Singapore’s early mobile payment adoption, contrasted with slower uptake in other countries despite having the technology. “If we are ahead of the curve today, it doesn’t mean we will be ahead in five or ten years,” she warned. “In fact, we should be worried, because being ahead makes it harder to unlearn.”
Technology: The Challenge and the Solution
This is what Janine calls the “learning paradox.” Emerging technologies create an urgent need for new skills — yet they’re also the tools that can help us acquire those skills faster.
Corporate learning has evolved from low-retention, self-paced e-learning to blended models combining theory and collaboration, and now to AI-driven platforms offering real-time feedback and virtual mentorship.
At Solve Education!, this vision takes form in EdBot.ai, an AI-powered learning coach that assesses needs, personalizes learning paths, and provides feedback on the fly.
The Stakes — and the Market — Are Huge
Janine pointed to the $320 billion global corporate learning market as proof that companies understand the stakes. Nearly 20% of this spending goes toward leadership and managerial development — a signal that human capital is the ultimate hedge against disruption.
According to the World Economic Forum’s skills forecast for 2025, the most in-demand capabilities will include analytical thinking, resilience, agility, leadership, and social influence. By 2030, AI and big data proficiency will no longer be optional.
A Framework for the Learning Leader
Janine’s message can be distilled into a simple four-step leadership discipline:
- Learn — Stay curious and embrace new knowledge.
- Unlearn — Challenge outdated assumptions and habits.
- Relearn — Update skills in light of new realities.
- Lead — Empower others to do the same.
She stressed that leadership in the digital age means building a culture of continuous learning, leveraging scalable tech solutions, and giving employees ownership of their learning journeys. “When people choose what they learn, engagement skyrockets,” she said, contrasting this with old “click-next” compliance modules.
The Future Belongs to the Fast Unlearners
Janine closed with a challenge to every leader in the room:
“The leaders who will thrive in 2030 aren’t just the most tech-savvy — they’re the ones who make learning a daily habit and unlearning a practiced skill. In a world changing faster than ever, your ability to adapt is your true competitive edge.”
Her message was clear: the pace of change isn’t slowing down, and neither should we. Those who rise to the top will be the ones who treat learning not as a checkbox, but as a mindset — constantly evolving, questioning, and reshaping what they know.
📌 Editor’s note:
This feature highlights Janine Teo, CEO of Solve Education!, who delivered the keynote “Learning and Development in the Age of Digital Transformation” at the Digital Leadership Webinar Summit 2025.
Highlights
Read the Chinese article here.
