In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Kent Frederiksen, Vice President and Head of Rewards at the LEGO Group, to unpack how one of the world’s most beloved brands is preparing for the EU’s 2026 pay transparency rules. Kent breaks down why this shift is far bigger than compliance and why it will fundamentally reshape how companies handle data, structure roles, build trust and communicate with employees.

He shares LEGO’s six-year journey with global equal pay analyses and explains why the hardest part isn’t legislation but the organisational mindset shift. Kent reveals the hidden challenges most companies underestimate, including the operational burden, the cultural implications and what it really means to “prove” pay equity in a legally defensible way.

Finally, he explores how pay transparency is forcing companies to move from secrecy to partnership, why trust is the real currency in this transition and what HR leaders should be doing right now to get ahead before regulations hit.

🎓 In this episode, Kent discusses:

1. How LEGO built six years of global equal pay scans
2. Why structure and job architecture suddenly matter again
3. The shift from company-owned pay data to employee-owned rights
4. Why EU pay transparency will transform HR far beyond compliance
5. Why trust and communication determine whether transparency works

🙏‍ Thanks you to our series partner - Workhuman

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