The Carlsberg Group is one of the leading brewery groups in the world, with an attractive portfolio of beer and other beverage brands. With over 37,000 employees and a presence in more than 150 markets, the Group has a purpose of brewing for a better today and tomorrow. Doing business responsibly and sustainably supports that purpose – and drives the efforts to deliver value for employees, consumers, customers and society.

Their CEO is Jacob Aarup-Andersen, and he has been in the role for 2 years. Prior to joining Carlsberg, Jacob served as CEO of ISS, a global leader in facility management with 360,000 employees operating in 60 countries globally. Prior to ISS, Jacob had executive leadership roles at Danske Bank and Danica Pension. Before that, Jacob worked as an investment professional and banker in firms such as TPG-Axon Capital and Goldman Sachs. Jacob is a member of the Board of Directors of SEB Group.

We were delighted that Jacob took time out to talk with John Ryan about Health, Culture and Performance, about his own health and recovery routines, the importance of psychological safety in building culture and replacing short-term thinking with long-term strategies.

Founded in 1965, Gensler is the world’s largest architecture and design firm, employing over 6,000 professionals across 56 offices in 16 countries, with clients in over 100 countries.

Valeria brings over 20 years of experience leading project teams to deliver design excellence through a forward-thinking, holistic approach with a strong commitment to reducing environmental impact and enhancing community well-being. Her diverse background spans mixed-use, commercial, hospitality, residential, and cultural projects. She’s particularly passionate about reinventing and repositioning existing structures with a focus on sustainability and circularity, making them relevant again.

In this insightful and wide-ranging conversation, we discuss why bland should be banned, and why flexible spaces are the future. We talk about toilets and windows, fresh air and light and why the gain of the office must beat the pain of the commute.

Valeria also shares her perspective on what different generations want from their workplace, how workspace design affects mood and performance, and how to make environments more inclusive for people with disabilities.

Finally, she offers practical tips for those on a budget, showing how you can create a space where you perform at your best, and it doesn’t even feel like work.

Our next podcast in the ‘Work Healthy’ series is a real treat as we head to the beautiful island of Singapore. Our guide on our journey is the wonderful Peck Kem Low who is the Chief HR Officer and Advisor (Workforce Development) for Singapore's Public Service Division. Her prior role was Senior Director for Human Resource & Organisation Development at GAIN, managing HR and corporate administration globally. Her career spans quality engineering, manufacturing management, and VP of HR in the private sector with Tandon, Western Digital, Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies, and Avago Technologies. In the public sector, she was a Divisional Director at the Ministry of Manpower. Her diverse background offers a unique leadership perspective across Asian, European, and American cultures.

Peck Kem is the first Asian CIPD Chartered Companion and was listed as one of the 100 Most HR influencers from Southeast Asia. She was also named as one of Asia's Top 50 HR Leaders in 2024 by SpeakIn Asia. In addition, she currently serves as President of Singapore Human Resources Institute and President of the World Federation of People Management Associations.

In a fascinating interview we discuss how Singapore has increased life expectancy from 65 to 84, Peck Kem talks among other things about an app that if you do 10,000 steps each day for 3 weeks you get paid, how they have over 480 coaches in the public sector, an initiative where you get 1500 Singapore Dollars to invest in your education and development, we talk 4 day weeks, sin tax, mini retirements, working from home, productive longevity, and why they’ve outlawed vaping.

A fascinating insight with some innovative policies focused on helping the population live long healthy lives.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.