This presentation will discuss the history of how knowledge management has evolved from groupware information applications into an important contributor for talent management in the process industries. Evolutionary examples will be given of collaboration, best practice transfer, idea management, and replication of lessons learned through communities and networks. It will then be shown how KM has accelerated the use of informal learning reduce cost and provide greater effectiveness of learning across global enterprises. Finally we will discuss how further developments will occur as knowledge management integrates with talent management to deploy more effective global workforce networks.