Research Brief
A recording for this session isn't published. Below is the BPI editorial brief — key takeaways, an in-depth summary, and FAQs drawn from the original session materials and the presenter's body of work.
Presenter
Dottie Brienza
**Senior Executive Board: Benchmarking Session We will stay on for an additional 15-30 minutes after the call for those of you who want to continue the dialogue.**
Description
From a business perspective, it is imperative to ensure that organizational boards, leadership teams and employees are reflective of their markets. As shareholders continue to expect faster growth, higher return, and sustainability, companies need to have people leading and working in them that reflect their customers and the marketplace in order to understand and deliver solutions that meet their needs. Managing a global, multi-cultural workforce is a key capability to ensuring success. (Management includes both global and local people and processes.) CONTEXT The world’s human population is growing at a rate of 8,333 per hour or 200,000 per day, which means we are doubling approximately every 54 years. Our migratory patterns are also changing and growing, with more people moving within and to different countries and continents every year, which is causing significant demographic shifts. Simultaneously, some specific demographic populations are not growing or are shrinking, while others are booming. Within the U.S. for example, the Hispanic/ Latino population is now considered the 14th largest economy globally and growing tremendously year over year, while the US African American population is continuing to maintain its percentage of the total population and is not growing. In just a few decades, the current U.S. Caucasian majority will become the minority.
Learning Points
Merck will present slides for 15 minutes that describe their current issues, journey, and desired destination (i.e., roadmap). We will spend the remaining 45 minutes learning from the experiences and models from board member organizations. Learning Points We will discuss, benchmark and give advice on:
- Your successful cases and work
- Preparing managers (Entry to C-Suite) for internal and external multi-cultural understanding and awareness.
- Equipping your managers with a holistic TM capability to discuss difficult topics, influence and provide feedback
- Change management levers (e.g. accountability featuring rewards and consequences, training, etc.)
Who Will Participate
Senior Executive Board members and internally invited guests
Key Takeaways
- 1.Organizations must reflect their markets to meet customer needs and shareholder expectations for growth.
- 2.Managing a global, multi-cultural workforce is a critical capability for business success.
- 3.Significant and shifting global demographic patterns necessitate new leadership approaches.
- 4.Managers at all levels, from entry to C-suite, require training in multi-cultural awareness.
- 5.Holistic talent management equips managers to handle difficult topics, influence, and provide feedback.
- 6.Effective change management relies on levers such as accountability, rewards, and consequences.
The Business Imperative for Culturally Adept Leadership
From a business perspective, it is imperative that organizational boards, leadership teams, and employees reflect the markets they serve. As shareholder expectations for faster growth, higher returns, and sustainability increase, companies must be staffed by people who mirror their customer base. This alignment is crucial for understanding the marketplace and delivering solutions that meet customer needs. A key capability in achieving this is the effective management of a global, multi-cultural workforce, encompassing both global and local personnel and processes.
Global Demographic and Migratory Shifts
The world is undergoing significant demographic changes. The human population is growing by over 8,000 people per hour, and migratory patterns are shifting, with more people moving between countries and continents annually. These trends are causing major demographic realignments. For example, within the U.S., the Hispanic/Latino population is now equivalent to the 14th largest global economy, while in a few decades, the current Caucasian majority is projected to become a minority.
Benchmarking with Merck: A Roadmap for Development
In this session, Merck will present a 15-minute overview of its current challenges, journey, and strategic roadmap. The following 45 minutes will be dedicated to a collaborative discussion where Senior Executive Board members can learn from an exchange of experiences and models.
Key Discussion & Benchmarking Points
The session will focus on giving advice and benchmarking member experiences related to:
- Multi-Cultural Competence: Preparing managers, from entry-level to the C-suite, for both internal and external multi-cultural understanding and awareness.
- Holistic Talent Management: Equipping managers with a comprehensive talent management capability to navigate difficult topics, influence effectively, and provide necessary feedback.
- Change Management Levers: Implementing strategies such as accountability measures (featuring rewards and consequences), targeted training, and other mechanisms to drive change.
This session delves into Merck's approach to cultivating global managers, emphasizing the critical role of multicultural understanding and comprehensive talent management. Despite being recorded in 2014, the core principles of developing leaders capable of navigating diverse global landscapes remain foundational for any organization with an international presence.
What you'll learn
- Strategies for building a robust pipeline of global managers.
- Methods for fostering multicultural understanding within leadership teams.
- Approaches to integrating holistic talent management into global development programs.
- Insights into how a large organization like Merck tackles complex international leadership challenges.
Who this webinar is for
This webinar is ideal for:
- HR executives and professionals involved in talent management and organizational development.
- Leaders responsible for global teams and international business operations.
- Learning and development specialists focused on leadership training.
- Anyone interested in best practices for developing a globally competent workforce.
Why it matters now
In an increasingly interconnected world, the need for leaders with strong multicultural understanding and adaptable talent management skills is more pressing than ever. Geopolitical shifts, remote work trends, and diverse market dynamics mean that effective global leadership is not just an advantage but a necessity for business continuity and growth. Organizations must invest in developing leaders who can navigate cultural nuances, manage distributed teams, and foster inclusive environments to succeed on the global stage.
How leaders can apply this
Leaders can apply the insights from this session by:
- Auditing current leadership development programs for global relevance and cultural competency components.
- Implementing targeted training initiatives to enhance multicultural understanding among managers.
- Developing mentorship or sponsorship programs that connect emerging leaders with experienced global executives.
- Creating cross-cultural project teams to provide practical experience in diverse work environments.
- Regularly assessing and adapting talent management strategies to meet the evolving demands of a global workforce, drawing inspiration from the successful approaches discussed by Dottie Brienza.
About this session
Key takeaways
Watching this webinar gives you grounded, practical perspective on workplace culture. Expect ideas you can use in leadership conversations, not abstract theory, drawn from Dottie Brienza's direct experience.
Who this is for
CHROs, HR business partners, talent leaders, executive coaches, organizational development practitioners, and senior leaders who are responsible for workplace culture inside their organization.
Why it matters now
Workforce expectations, hybrid work patterns, and AI-driven change keep raising the bar on culture and leadership. Sessions like this help leaders make smarter, more evidence-informed decisions about workplace culture.
How to apply it
Use the ideas here to challenge a current assumption on your team, design a single concrete experiment in the next 30 days, and bring one finding back to your leadership group for discussion.