At Oakwood, we believe workplace wellbeing is a strategic driver of performance. In our recent popular webinar “Workplace Wellbeing: How Global Brands Lead the Way,” we brought together senior leaders from globally recognised organisations to explore how they are embedding wellbeing at scale.
The panel featured Amy Davies, People Director at AS Watson, who leads impactful wellbeing initiatives across 130,000 employees in 28 markets. Joining her was Marty Collins, Executive Vice President of Global Total Rewards and Human Resources Operations at Colgate-Palmolive. With a presence in over 100 countries, Marty drives a global rewards strategy designed to strengthen engagement and business growth. We also heard from Sophie Bond, Senior Director of Global Talent Development at LKQ Corporation, who is leading the development of a transformative wellbeing strategy reaching employees in more than 25 countries.
Key Takeaways: How Global Leaders Are Driving Wellbeing
Our panellists shared a rich set of insights drawn from their real-world experience leading wellbeing at scale. Despite operating in different contexts, a shared theme emerged: the most effective wellbeing strategies are those that combine clarity of purpose with local flexibility, strong leadership and a human-centred approach.
Here are five standout lessons from the conversation:
Framework with Flexibility
Global wellbeing strategies must offer a consistent framework (e.g., core pillars of mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing) while allowing regional teams the flexibility to adapt initiatives to local cultures and operational contexts. This ensures relevance and engagement across diverse markets.
Wellbeing as a Business Enabler
Wellbeing should be positioned not just as a cultural or social initiative but as a strategic business enabler. Organisations like Colgate-Palmolive have demonstrated that aligning employee purpose with company purpose boosts engagement, productivity and ultimately business performance.
Empowering Managers is Crucial
Managers are pivotal in embedding wellbeing into company culture. Initiatives such as mental health training for line managers (as done by AS Watson) significantly enhance both managerial and team wellbeing. Given that manager engagement strongly influences overall employee engagement, investing in their development is vital.
Data-Driven and Empathetic Approach
Using diverse data points, including survey insights and anonymised workplace behaviour data, helps identify wellbeing challenges and guide interventions. Coupling this with an empathetic, human-centred approach fosters trust and effective support systems.
Building Community and Belonging
Creating global networks of wellbeing champions, as LKQ Corporation has done, fosters a sense of community, shared purpose and peer support. Campaigns that promote inclusivity and cultural awareness further reinforce belonging and psychological safety.
Watch the Webinar On-Demand
Want to hear more from Amy, Marty and Sophie? Click here to get access to the full webinar and discover how leading organisations are shaping the future of workplace wellbeing.
