Culture determines whether strategy actually happens: Carlsberg Group chief people & culture officer

You joined Carlsberg Group as chief people & culture officer in 2024. What motivated you to take on this role, and what stood out to you about Carlsberg from the beginning?

I was drawn to Carlsberg because it combines a strong heritage and clear purpose with real ambition for the future. What stood out to me early on was that Carlsberg’s growth journey is not only about business performance; it is also about building the leadership, culture, and capabilities that make success sustainable over time.

This role also came at the right moment for me personally. After many years working across global environments, I’ve seen that the people agenda is not a support topic – it is a strategic growth driver, especially in markets where the pace is high, and expectations continue to rise.

And importantly, there is a genuine pride across the organization, in our people, our brands, and the way we want to do things properly. That combination of ambition and humanity is powerful, and it is what makes Carlsberg distinctive.

DE&I is increasingly becoming a leadership priority globally. Why do you believe inclusion is now so central to long-term performance?

Because inclusion directly affects the quality of leadership and decision-making, and that determines whether organizations perform sustainably.

When people feel safe to contribute, challenge, and bring different perspectives, teams make sharper decisions, learn faster, and adapt more effectively. In a global organization like Carlsberg, inclusion is also how we build trust across different cultures and markets, and how we stay close to the consumers we serve.

So, DE&I is not only about representation. It is about unlocking the full capability of the organization and creating fair conditions where talent grows based on potential and performance, not on assumptions or access.

WOMEN LEADERSHIP - PIPELINE, PROGRESSION & REAL BARRIERS

Many professionals say leadership becomes “less clear” at senior levels, and for women, the expectations can feel even less visible. What does leadership really require at the next level?

At the next level, leadership becomes less about being the best individual performer, and more about creating clarity, alignment, and momentum for others. But it is also where expectations become less written down and understanding the context and reading the situation.

For women, that can come with additional complexity. Many describe the double expectation of needing to be confident but not “too confident”, decisive but not “too direct”, visible but not “too visible”. When expectations are unclear, bias can quietly enter decisions.

That is why senior leadership requires both strong individual leadership and strong organizational systems. Leaders need intentional priorities, trust-building, and self-awareness, because how you show up matters as much as what you do. And organizations must make expectations transparent, give direct feedback early, and assess potential consistently. Leadership should not depend on unspoken rules. It must be buildable and scalable.

For women stepping into senior roles, what are the most common barriers you see, and what does Carlsberg do differently to ensure progression is fair, measurable, and sustainable?

The barriers are rarely about capability. In my experience, they are more often about access, visibility, and confidence in the system.

One barrier is active advocacy. Many talented women receive mentorship and encouragement, but fewer have senior leaders who actively advocate for them when the next leadership opportunity is being discussed. Another barrier is the “unwritten playbook” at senior levels, where success criteria can become more subjective, and that can disadvantage people who are not part of informal networks.

At Carlsberg, we address this by strengthening the pipeline early, increasing consistency in how we assess potential and readiness, and ensuring leaders are equipped and expected to develop diverse talent. That is also why we have set a clear ambition of reaching 40% women in senior leadership by 2030, and why we treat it as a pipeline strategy, not just a headline. Our goal is to make progression fair, measurable, and sustainable, so women can lead with confidence and thrive over the long term.

You mentioned that Carlsberg Group has a clear ambition to reach 40% women in senior leadership by 2030. Why is women leadership such a strategic priority for the group?

Women leadership is a strategic priority because it strengthens the leadership pipeline and ultimately improves the quality of decision-making, which is critical for long-term performance.

Our ambition is clear: to reach 40% women in senior leadership by 2030, and we have already made steady progress globally with women representing more than 30% of senior leadership today. But importantly, this is not simply about meeting a target, it is about building leadership teams with diverse perspectives and ensuring opportunity is driven by capability and potential.

Progress also requires discipline. Representation at one moment in time is not enough – what matters is the pipeline, the rate of progression, and the fairness of opportunity over time. That is why we focus on strengthening succession planning, development pathways, and inclusive leadership expectations, so progress is sustainable and measurable.

VIETNAM - A CLEAR DE&I ROADMAP, NOT AD-HOC INITIATIVES

Carlsberg Vietnam has strong momentum in women leadership. What stands out to you about Vietnam’s approach to DE&I compared to other markets?

What stands out about Carlsberg Vietnam is the clarity and structure behind the progress. DE&I is not treated as a series of ad-hoc activities, it is approached as a roadmap, with clear priorities, measurable indicators, and leadership accountability.

Carlsberg Vietnam has built strong momentum in women leadership, with over 33% for senior leadership roles. Even more importantly, the market is strengthening the pipeline for the next generation: 50% of Ready now/Ready later successors are women, above the target of 45%. That is a strong signal that inclusion is being built sustainably, not only reflected in today’s leadership, but also in future readiness.

Carlsberg Vietnam has also taken steps to formalize its commitment, including officially signing the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in 2025, reinforcing that gender equality is not only encouraged culturally, but supported structurally. The combination of commitment, capability-building, and measurable pipeline work is what makes Vietnam a standout.

Many organizations struggle to turn DE&I from intention into daily practice. What are the key initiatives in Vietnam that make inclusion real across the organization?

Inclusion becomes real when it is embedded into everyday leadership behaviors and people practices, not when it sits as a separate program.

In Carlsberg Vietnam, DE&I works because it is driven through a clear roadmap with measurable outcomes and anchored in our Growth Culture: the shared way we expect leaders and teams to work, collaborate, and grow. When Growth Culture is truly lived, it naturally strengthens inclusion: people feel trusted to speak up, encouraged to learn, and supported to step forward.

To make that real at scale, Vietnam is driving DE&I through three disciplined priorities:

First, accelerating female leadership development, we kicked off a Women Leadership Community that focuses on career development, mentoring, and informal networking. This creates a safe and empowering space for future female leaders to learn from role models, build confidence, and expand their professional networks.

Second, building inclusive leadership competencies through continuous leadership development and targeted learning for senior levels, helping leaders role-model inclusive behaviors consistently.

Third, integrating DE&I into everyday business routines through communications, events, policies, and core training, so inclusion becomes part of “how we work”.

This combination is what makes DE&I sustainable: clear focus, real capability-building, and consistent reinforcement through daily leadership choices.

GROWTH CULTURE AND VIETNAM AS KEY GROWTH MARKET

Carlsberg also speaks about Growth Culture. How does Growth Culture connect with DE&I in shaping a workplace where people can perform, belong, and thrive?

Growth Culture is simple at its core: it is a mindset and a set of behaviors that help people and teams grow and deliver sustainable results.

In today’s environment, markets change quickly, consumer expectations evolve, and competition is intense. In that reality, strategy matters, but culture determines whether strategy actually happens. Growth Culture strengthens the “how” behind performance: how we make decisions, how we collaborate across teams, how we stay close to consumers, and how we keep learning and improving with ownership and confidence.

DE&I reinforces that foundation by ensuring opportunity is accessible, so people feel safe to contribute, develop, and step forward regardless of background. When Growth Culture and DE&I work together, they don’t just drive results; they build trust and belonging. And that is what enables people to perform at their best, grow sustainably, and stay engaged for the long term.

Vietnam is one of Carlsberg’s key markets. From a people perspective, what will be most important for Carlsberg to win sustainably in Vietnam, and to grow Vietnamese talent for the future?

Vietnam is a fast-moving and highly competitive market, and that creates both challenge and opportunity. Winning sustainably will require us to stay close to consumers, execute with discipline, and keep building capabilities that match the pace of change.

From a people perspective, the key is building future-ready leadership at scale – leaders who can create clarity when priorities shift, make strong decisions under pressure, and build teams that learn quickly and execute with pride. In markets like Vietnam, speed matters, but so does stability: teams perform best when they feel trusted, supported, and able to speak up.

That is why Growth Culture and inclusion are not “nice-to-have” – they are performance enablers. Vietnam already shows strong momentum in this space, reflected in indicators such as a DE&I score of 84/100, which is an encouraging signal that inclusion is being felt in everyday working life. With continued investment in leadership development and a strong focus on building a diverse pipeline, especially for women leaders, Vietnam can remain not only a key growth market, but also a strong talent engine for the long term.

Finally, what message would you like to share with Vietnamese talents, especially women who aspire to leadership as Carlsberg Vietnam moves into 2026 and beyond?

Vietnam is one of the most exciting environments in our business today: fast-moving, ambitious, and full of opportunity. My message to Vietnamese talent is: growth starts with mindset, but it is sustained through discipline. Keep learning, take ownership, and build the capability to lead through change.

For women with leadership ambition, I would add this: do not wait to be “perfect” before you step forward. Seek feedback early, build your network of support, and be intentional about experiences that stretch you. And choose organizations where opportunity is not based on assumptions, but on true potential and performance.

At Carlsberg Vietnam, we want to keep building an environment where people can perform, belong, and thrive. The progress we see today, including a strong women leadership pipeline, is a sign of what is possible when talent meets opportunity, and we are committed to continuing that journey.