Change that works

Motherhood is personal — but the way organizations respond to it is cultural.

In this episode of Change That Works, Alexandra Popescu-Zorica speaks with Jannina Hämäläinen from ICG Innotiimi Finland about visible parenthood, organizational culture, and what truly supports working parents beyond policies and good intentions.

Together, they explore:

• Why motherhood still impacts women’s careers more than men’s • What visible parenthood reveals about workplace culture • Why flexibility and psychological safety matter more than ever • How organizations can retain talent by supporting different life stages • Why success after children may need redefining

Drawing from both lived experience and research, Janni shares what it has been like to combine part-time consulting work with life as a mother of three small children — including bringing her baby to international trainings and work events.

This episode is for leaders, parents, HR professionals, and anyone interested in building organizations where people can thrive in different stages of life.

If you have questions or want to continue the discussion, reach out via [email protected].

In this episode, Stefan Posch & Alexandra explore why growth has become one of the most important leadership challenges in today's rapidly changing business environment. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in innovation consulting, Stefan explains why organizations that focus solely on optimization risk becoming trapped in their existing business models, and how leaders can identify and pursue new avenues for sustainable growth.

Using the Ansoff Matrix as a practical framework, Stefan breaks down four distinct growth paths, from maximizing existing markets to creating entirely new businesses. Along the way, he shares lessons from technology, innovation, and organizational transformation, emphasizing the importance of experimentation, business development capabilities, and leadership attention when venturing beyond familiar territory.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why growth matters more than cost optimization in uncertain markets
• The hidden dangers of organizational complacency and "freezing"
• The four growth strategies of the Ansoff Matrix
• Product development vs. market development
• Why diversification is often called the "Death Valley" of growth
• The role of experimentation in reducing business risk
• How leadership attention shapes innovation outcomes
• Why great ideas fail without organizational adoption and change support
• The connection between innovation, business development, and growth

If you have questions or want to continue the discussion, reach out via [email protected].

We talk about ESG as if it were mainly about emissions, reports, and ticking the right boxes. But in practice, the biggest sustainability risk is often much closer to home.

In this episode of Change That Works, we explore the uncomfortable truth most ESG discussions avoid: culture and leadership practices can make or break sustainability long before carbon targets do. Today's host, György Péczely with sustainability leader and consultant Kristiina Kiviharju, together challenge the idea that hiring one ESG manager can “handle” sustainability for the organization. We discuss why sustainability is fundamentally about future business viability, why aiming for the “legal minimum” is a dangerous strategy, and how toxic work cultures quietly undermine even the best ESG ambitions.

Drawing parallels between ESG and lean thinking, the conversation reframes poor leadership and emotional overload as real waste — the kind that drains performance, drives burnout, and destroys trust. This is a candid discussion for leaders who suspect that the real ESG work doesn’t start in dashboards, but in how people are led every day.

If you have questions or want to continue the discussion, reach out via [email protected].

In this episode of Change That Works, host Alexandra Popescu sits down with strategy and market-centricity expert Carina Christian-Kradischnig to unpack what it really takes to turn customer insights into strategic decisions. They explore why many companies are “data rich but decision poor,” how smart segmentation creates a shared language across teams, and why integrating segmentation into your CRM is the key to making it actionable. If your CRM feels like a database instead of a decision system, this conversation will help you move from dashboards and reports to focus, priorities, and measurable business impact.

If you have questions or want to continue the discussion, reach out via [email protected].

Middle managers sit right at the core of organizational life, they are the beating heart of change — but their reality is often far more complex than it appears. In this episode of the podcast, we dive into the unique pressures and enormous potential of this role: from balancing strategic expectations with day‑to‑day realities, to navigating identity shifts, stress, and the lonely middle. How can middle managers make the most of their sandwich position?

Together with our guests Hannah Flachberger and Kinga Illyés, you’ll learn what truly helps middle managers stay effective, empowered, and energized — and how leaders can support them in doing so. Packed with practical tools, personal insights, and fresh perspectives, this conversation sheds new light on a role that keeps organizations running.

If you have questions or want to continue the discussion, reach out via [email protected].

Culture isn’t a soft topic; it’s the operating system of your strategy.

In this episode of Change That Works, host György Péczely talks with Manfred Höfler about how leaders can transform their organisational culture from a barrier into a competitive advantage. Forget surveys and slogans — this is about real behaviour, real decisions and real business impact. We delve into the patterns that silently shape performance, going behind the scenes of cultural change — beyond talk and campaigns. If you want to understand why your organisation behaves the way it does, start here. Essential listening for executives navigating transformation.

If you have any questions for György or Manfred or are interested in collaborating, reach out via [email protected]

In this special Christmas edition, all the Change That Works hosts – Carola, Alexandra, and Gyuri – sit down together to bust some of the biggest myths they hear in their work as change consultants. From the seductive illusion of big transformation plans to the false comfort of “just doing a training,” they challenge the assumptions that block real change from happening.

Expect personal stories, sharp insights, a few laughs, and a look behind the curtain of what actually works when it comes to leading transformation.

For this episode we will be welcoming all of our hosts – Alexandra, Carola and György – who will be busting the change myths and sharing their personal experiences with you.

If you have any questions for our hosts or are interested in collaborating reach out via [email protected]

Every CEO wants results: improved efficiency, shorter lead times, and streamlined processes.

However, few dare to admit that the real bottleneck is leadership behaviour, rather than a lack of tools or the knowledge how to use them.

In this episode of Change That Works, host György Péczely talks with Josef Procházka, revealing the uncomfortable truths about leadership that companies often fail to recognise to be essential for any transformation.

If you have any questions for György or Josef or are interested in collaborating, reach out via [email protected]

In this episode of Change That Works, Alexandra Popescu-Zorica talks with Michael Sarnitz, Managing Partner at ICG, about how organizations can turn strategy from a PowerPoint promise into daily reality. They explore why even the best strategies fail in execution, what “second operating systems” can do to bridge that gap, and how OKRs can shift teams from activity-based to results-based work. This conversation is a deep dive into the real work of strategy — ownership, mindset, and rhythm — and how to make strategic plans survive first contact with the calendar.

Main insights and topics covered:

• The Strategy–Execution Gap
• What Strategy Really Means
• Ownership in Strategy Development
• The “Second Operating System”
• Time as a Critical Resource
• From Activities to Results
• OKRs vs KPIs Explained

If you have any questions for Alexandraor Michael or are interested in collaborating, reach out via [email protected]

Change is always challenging, and sometimes frightening. In this episode of Change That Works, host György Péczely talks with István Kosztolányi about the experiences of successful, and less successful change processes. We discuss what makes change work, and how leaders step up to the task. István shares some of the most memorable cases he has witnessed during his 30+ years of consultant career. We discuss the underlying principles and draw pragmatic conclusions, showing how the courage and openness of leaders can help organisations through the most difficult periods of change.

If you have any questions for György or István or are interested in collaborating reach out via [email protected]