Madrid, February 24, 2020 - Extending creativity to the entire organization and promoting innovation and cultural transformation is one of the greatest challenges facing companies. "A challenge that conditions their success" said Irene Martín, director of the Cultural Transformation area of the global innovation firm Opinno during the Innovation and Digital Transformation Day organized by the Association for Progress in Management (APD) last week in Madrid, where the innovation cases of large companies such as Banco Santander, Endesa and Cepsa were cited.

Irene Martín highlighted the role of the leader within the organization "who is a key figure in promoting any transformation, and adaptability must be his best quality. Without leaders willing to change mindsets, there is no room for transformation". The Opinno board commented that over the years we have witnessed exponential developments in digital technologies, which are rapidly changing global landscapes and require immediate adaptation by organizations if they are to remain relevant.  "This requires the implementation of organizational structures that are agile, creative and customer-centric," she said. 

According to Irene Martin, "for change to occur, there must be someone to guide it. Leaders often get their message across because they are willing to do whatever it takes to move the masses. This is how a servant leader is born, focused on the growth and well-being of people and the communities they belong to instead of sitting at the top of the pyramid. A servant leader values opinion, putting the needs of others first and thinking long-term. 

For her, the journey of transformation needs to follow a certain structure to be fully effective. "There must be an analysis of the situation, identifying the challenges faced. It is necessary to design a working methodology, focusing on how to solve the challenges". It is complemented by a communication plan that helps to share it, the hand of an expert and, finally, "measure the impact and establish key performance indicators". 

Irene Martin

The director of the Cultural Transformation area of Opinno indicated that cultural transformations tend to have a basic structure that can be adapted to any organization and said that defining the strategy is key, "since it is crucial to understand the needs of an organization or area and design its transformation strategy accordingly. In addition, the team must be trained with innovative workshops and intra-enterprise programs and not forget that "transformation is a continuous process that requires training and guiding talent in transformation through agile frameworks. 

The round table also included the participation of Elisabetta Galli, Group Executive Vice President Global Head of Knowledge, Development and Talent Management at Banco Santander, Esther Clemente, Director of Development, Compensation and Change Management at Endesa, Miguel Ángel González, Head of Digital Strategy and Ventures at Cepsa and Blanca Gómez, Chief People Officer at Opinno, who analyzed several success stories within their companies, highlighting the keys to bringing innovation to all levels of the organization.

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