Igniting Innovation, Equipping Tecan Leaders for a DE&I-Driven Future
Client Need:
In 2024 the client sought a transformative learning experience to foster an innovation-driven culture. The focus was to apply leadership principles (courage, curiosity, respect, brutal honesty) in senior and middle management to support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) while driving business outcomes.
Solution:
We designed and delivered a two-part learning path, starting with the Global Leadership Conference in 2024 for N-1 and N-2, circa 150 leaders, followed by virtual live sessions for middle management and then made available on-demand for 800 middle managers.
Snapshot from the Tecan Leaders Conference
Four keynotes delivered actionable insights:
Leading DE&I in the Data Economy: Dr. Elska Zekeng shared data-driven approaches to equitable outcomes.
Innovation in VUCA Environments: Dr. Heike Virmond highlighted Netflix’s and Kutopi’s methods for thriving in volatility.
Human-AI Collaboration: Dr. Chantelle Brandt Larsen facilitated immersive learning on DE&I in hybrid teams.
Internal Leadership principles: Leaders modelled “Respect and Brutal Honesty” in decision-making.
Courageous Reflection: A constellation exercise helped leaders assess personal and organizational progress on DE&I.
Breakout Sessions: Leaders explored “Start, Stop, Change” actions to embed deep diversity in team dynamics.
The CEO led a reflective journal exercise, urging leaders to commit to actionable change starting the next day.
Honest dialogue about innovation and DE&I maturity.
Tangible action plans linked to market growth and team empowerment.
Feedback from senior leaders informed the virtual sessions, emphasizing real-world examples and actionable insights on addressing bias in product design.
Five keynotes built on senior leadership themes, introducing behavioural changes such as “Speaking Up” for DE&I.
Teams assessed their maturity on leadership principles and created actionable “Start, Stop, Change, Continue” plans.
Raised awareness of blockers and enablers for innovation, fostering cross-cultural speaking up and engagement.
Introspective journaling ensured individual accountability for immediate behavioural shifts.
Empowered middle managers to lead with confidence and clarity.
Strengthened the connection between leadership behaviours and business outcomes.
Delivered a scalable framework for embedding DE&I in innovation culture.
Feedback:
Leaders praised the honesty and depth of the sessions, valuing the balance of inspiration and actionable strategies. Middle managers requested more internal case studies, which were incorporated seamlessly into the virtual format.
Conclusion:
This initiative equipped leaders and middle managers to embrace innovation and DE&I as catalysts for growth. The client now has a unified leadership vision and actionable tools to drive cultural transformation and business success.