Three decades of learning design, rebuilt with data science.

Pilsdonpen pairs a learning specialist who has built competency frameworks for Saudi Aramco, AstraZeneca and the UK Government with a data scientist who builds the adaptive models that measure them. Together, we make learning personal and competence provable.

Djamel Mahdjoub

Co-founder & Director

I've spent 30+ years designing and delivering learning that changes what people can actually do at work.

I began as a mechanical engineer before turning to how people acquire knowledge and competence. Over three decades I built and led my own learning consultancy: shaping digital learning strategy for Bayer and AstraZeneca, directing national-scale competency assessments for the UK Government's DWP, and serving as Senior Analyst and Consultant at Saudi Aramco.

My research in learning psychology and instructional design underpins the competency frameworks and learning architecture that turn diagnostic findings into proven capability.

Zakki Mahdjoub

Co-founder & Technical Director

I'm a data scientist and machine learning engineer working on adaptive systems, analytics and web applications.

I started as a financial analyst at Johnson & Johnson, then completed a Master's in Data Science at Durham University. I bring that analytical rigour to one question: where exactly is the capability gap, and how do we prove it's closed?

I build the adaptive models and gap-analysis algorithms behind the Pilsdonpen ecosystem, so every diagnostic and every learning step produces evidence of capability, not a record of attendance.

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