The global advisory network invests in top-tier executive education and cross-border communities to build a consistent, human-centric culture across 156 countries.
Research from the 2026 Most Loved Workplaces® Top 100 shows that leading companies build trust through accessible leadership and systematic listening, while operationalizing their culture with co-created values and scaled manager-as-coach training. These practices create an environment where employees feel heard, valued, and connected to a shared purpose. One company embodying these principles on a global scale is the advisory and accounting network HLB International, which ranked in the top 10 for 2026.
With more than 40,000 professionals in over 156 countries, creating a consistent and beloved culture is a complex challenge. HLB tackles this by investing in concrete programs that foster leadership, build community, and embed its values into every corner of its global network. Under the leadership of CEO Marco Donzelli, the firm proves that even a decentralized, worldwide organization can create a cohesive experience rooted in respect and growth.
Investing in the Next Generation of Leaders
The Top 100 companies are distinguished by their systematic investment in training for people managers. HLB exemplifies this through a targeted, high-impact program designed to cultivate the network's future leaders.
How HLB does this: The company runs "Our Brighter Futures," an executive education program in partnership with the prestigious Cambridge Judge Business School. Each year, this initiative brings together approximately 20 top partners identified as future managing partners and network leaders. The program provides academic rigor while fostering a powerful peer-learning environment, connecting professionals from New York to South Africa and Singapore. After four years, HLB has built a critical mass of alumni, for whom it hosts events to ensure a commitment to lifelong learning and to strengthen the community of leaders who can support each other through shared challenges.
A Culture of Systematic Listening
Rather than relying on a single annual survey, top workplaces continuously gather employee feedback through a mix of channels. This "speak-up" culture ensures that employees feel heard and that their feedback leads to meaningful change. For a global network like HLB, listening is the foundation of its people strategy.
How HLB does this: Upon joining the company, Chief People Officer Stephanie Rix embarked on a two-year "listening and sentiment experience" that involved extensive travel to meet with and understand the unique challenges and successes of member firms across the globe. This hands-on approach to building relationships provides unfiltered insights that inform the network's strategy. To scale this sense of connection, HLB also launched a digital communities hub, a platform designed to help professionals share knowledge, connect with peers, and support each other across technical, professional, and social spheres.
Operationalizing Values Across Borders
For Most Loved Workplaces, values are not just posters on a wall—they are a living guide for behavior and decision-making. HLB demonstrates how to operationalize values, ensuring they are woven into the fabric of the business, from its growth strategy to its front-line interactions.
How HLB does this: The network holds its culture as a key strategic asset. Before a new firm can join, it undergoes a "massive cultural assessment" to ensure that its values and synergies align with the global network. This makes cultural fit a non-negotiable prerequisite for expansion. HLB also focuses on making its values tangible and locally relevant. In a workshop with member firms in Djibouti, for example, leadership framed the employee value proposition by asking them to consider why a star football player like Messi would choose to join their "club," instantly translating corporate concepts into a relatable, cultural context. This commitment to a human dimension is also reflected in its internal research, which includes reports on neurodiversity as a source of innovation and the role of cultural intelligence as a growth driver.
This deliberate, evidence-based approach to culture is what distinguishes HLB International. Its success as a top-ranked Most Loved Workplace signals a deep understanding that building a global community starts with investing in the people who lead it and listening to the people who build it.