As we celebrate our 35th anniversary — and ahead of our Global Health Challenge starting in two weeks - Patricia Fors, VP HR Europe & Latam and Global HR Operations, reflects on how workplace well-being has evolved, why sustainable performance starts with people, and how Diaverum supports a culture of True care.
As Diaverum celebrates 35 years of caring for patients around the world, it is a good moment to reflect on how our understanding of well-being has evolved. One of the most significant shifts I have seen throughout my career is the recognition that well-being is not a workplace benefit or a nice-to-have. It is a fundamental driver of sustainable performance.
For many years, organisations approached well-being through isolated initiatives: a fruit basket in the office, a gym subsidy, or the occasional wellness activity. While these efforts were well-intentioned, they often treated well-being as something separate from the organisation's day-to-day operations. Today, we understand that the conversation is much broader. Well-being is no longer about occasional incentives. It is about creating an environment where people can thrive, perform consistently and build sustainable careers.
To me, sustainable performance is exactly that: the ability to perform over time. It is not about pushing people to continually sprint from one challenge to the next. Organisations that expect constant acceleration often risk burning people out. Sustainable performance requires a different mindset. It is about creating the conditions for individuals and teams to achieve excellent results while maintaining the energy, engagement and well-being needed to succeed in the long term.
This is not only the right thing to do. It also makes good business sense.
When organisations invest in their people, they build capability, retain valuable knowledge and create stronger teams. Employees who stay and grow within an organisation develop a deep understanding of its culture, values and ways of working. Over time, this contributes to stronger performance than constantly replacing talent and starting over. Sustainable performance is built through commitment, engagement and a genuine sense of purpose.
As we celebrate Diaverum's 35th anniversary, I believe one of the most important lessons organisations have learned is that people and performance are not opposing priorities. In fact, they are deeply connected. The strongest organisations recognise that long-term success depends on supporting the people who make that success possible.
This shift has also changed our understanding of leadership.
In the past, employee well-being was often viewed as an HR responsibility. Leaders might support certain initiatives, but well-being was rarely considered a core leadership responsibility. Today, that expectation has changed. Leadership plays a critical role in creating healthy workplace cultures and enabling sustainable performance.
Modern leaders are expected not only to deliver business results but also to create environments where people can do their best work. This means being present, listening, supporting development and role-modelling healthy behaviours. Employees are far more likely to embrace a culture of well-being when they see their leaders actively participating and demonstrating its importance. As the saying goes, people are more likely to follow what leaders do than what they say.
The changing nature of work has made this even more important. Hybrid working, digital connectivity and evolving expectations have blurred the boundaries between work and personal life. We no longer talk about work-life balance in the traditional sense. Increasingly, we talk about integration. Work is no longer confined to a specific place or a specific set of hours. As organisations, we must create an environment of mutual respect, recognising that people contribute in different ways and at different times while still supporting their ability to disconnect, recharge and maintain healthy lives outside of work.
What has impressed me most since joining Diaverum is the extent to which these principles are embedded in our culture. When I joined last year, one of my first experiences was the Diaverum For Health Challenge. During more than two decades working across different organisations, I had never seen anything quite like it. Seeing colleagues come together, putting on their Health Challenge T-shirts and taking part in activities that supported their well-being was a powerful demonstration of our culture in action. And now, the Health Challenge has become a group-wide initiative, strengthening our shared culture and bringing colleagues across M42 together around well-being.
At first glance, initiatives like the Global Health Challenge may seem like small actions. In reality, they represent something much bigger. They reinforce the values we want to see in our organisation. They encourage leaders to be role models. They promote healthy habits, create opportunities for people to connect and remind us of the importance of taking care of ourselves and each other. Most importantly, they put people at the centre.
This focus on people is particularly important in healthcare.
At Diaverum, our employees are the people who care for our patients every day. Our nurses, doctors and support teams play a vital role in shaping patients' experiences. If employees feel engaged, supported and valued, they are better able to provide the compassionate, high-quality care our patients deserve. A positive culture does not stop with our employees; it extends to the people we serve. In that sense, caring for employees and caring for patients are inseparable.
Throughout Diaverum's 35-year journey, our commitment to care has remained constant. What has evolved is our understanding of how to create environments where people can thrive. Today, we know that sustainable performance is not achieved through KPIs alone. It is built through trust, empowerment, leadership and a genuine investment in people's well-being.
The organisations that succeed in the future will be those that recognise a simple truth: sustainable performance starts with people.
That is why I invite all colleagues to take part in this year's Global Health Challenge, running from 5 to 18 October. Whether through physical activity, learning, creativity, connection or other well-being activities, every small action matters. Together, we can continue building a culture that supports healthier lifestyles, stronger teams and sustainable performance.
Patricia Fors,
VP HR Europe & Latam and Global HR Operations
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