Danske Bank: The connection between new strategy, culture, and leadership
The Context
Wealth Management was a new business unit established to consolidate the Danske Bank Group’s expertise in retirement savings, wealth management, and asset management. A merger of departments, a new CEO, and several changes in senior management created a need to strengthen the unit’s internal identity.
The goal was both to establish a shared direction regarding new strategic priorities and to build a strong culture characterized by change and collaboration across the entire business unit.
The Process
Working closely with the executive management team, the HR department, and the internal communications team, we facilitated the development and implementation of an ambitious initiative to strengthen the company culture and internal identity—with managers at the center of the effort.
Over a two-year period, our work included the following:
develop dialogue and workshop tools for implementing strategy and cultural change
train all of the unit’s approximately 250 managers to facilitate strategic and cultural dialogues within their teams and departments
strengthen internal communication regarding leadership and culture in close collaboration with the communications department
help develop supporting materials such as videos, surveys, and newsletters
support a cross-functional employee forum of change ambassadors in developing and implementing initiatives that strengthen culture and collaboration
support the executive team through coaching and training in cultural leadership and development
facilitate a collaborative co-creation process that consolidated the unit’s culture into a shared culture playbook, used for onboarding both new and existing employees
The results
The program helped leaders and teams translate the new strategy into concrete actions in their day-to-day work, while also deepening their understanding of the culture needed to implement the strategy.
These tools and approaches continue to be used—both in Wealth Management and in other units within the Danske Bank Group—and are now an integral part of the unit’s annual work on culture and leadership.
Laila Gyldenhøj Jakobsen
"The process that Thomas Reibke initiated in our organization has been crucial in creating alignment between strategy and culture across the organization. It helped both teams and leaders translate new strategic priorities into everyday actions—and achieve the business results we need to remain competitive in a demanding and fast-paced market."