Insights From Trish Donoghue, Employee Experience and Engagement Manager at Bupa Global and Chris Parkinson, Head Organisational Development at Bupa Global
At the Employee Engagement Summit, the Organisational Culture stage was buzzing with energy as delegates gathered to hear how Bupa turned an imaginative idea into a powerful reality. Their session, titled “The Unstoppable Experience – The Experiment,” offered a compelling case study in transforming organisational culture from the inside out.
Trish Donoghue, Bupa’s Employee Experience and Engagement Manager, set the scene by describing the scale of the challenge: over 83,000 employees, 50 million customers, and one ambitious vision – to become the most customer‑centric healthcare company in the world. Bupa understood that customer experience doesn’t exist in isolation; it’s built directly on the strength of employee experience. With a bold target of achieving a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 100, the question was how to truly unite these two worlds.
To find the answer, the team partnered with behavioural change experts at Elevate and launched what they proudly called an “experiment.” Through a comprehensive diagnostic of their UK insurance business, they identified the mindsets, skills, and behaviours that would move the needle. The result? A development programme grounded in three areas of action: upskilling people, reinforcing the right culture, and removing everyday friction.
Chris Parkinson, Bupa’s Head of Organisational Development, explained how the programme brought these ideas to life. Managers embarked on eight days of immersive leadership coaching, followed by daily “buzz sessions” where teams gathered for ten minutes to share experiences, practise key customer interactions, and coach one another in real time. This rhythm created a ripple effect of learning, empowerment, and connection across the organisation.
Perhaps the most transformative piece was the introduction of “change maker” processes – new communication loops linking employees directly with decision‑makers. These structures allowed teams to raise challenges openly, suggest improvements, and see transparent feedback when ideas were (or weren’t) actioned. The effect was both cultural and personal: people felt heard, valued, and trusted.
When the results came in, they spoke volumes. Engagement scores in pilot teams soared to 95%, while quality assurance, customer satisfaction, and complaint rates all showed measurable improvement. Even traditional concerns – like taking people off frontline work for training – were addressed through hard data on reduced sickness absence and attrition. As Chris pointed out, proof of impact is the most powerful way to change minds.
By the end of the session, the message was unmistakable: cultural transformation is possible when purpose, operations, and people strategy work as one. Bupa’s “Unstoppable Experience” proved that investing in people isn’t a luxury – it’s a strategic necessity that can redefine what’s achievable for any organisation.
Want to hear how Trish and Chris navigated the highs, hurdles, and human stories behind this experiment? Tune in to the podcast episode “Creating an Unstoppable Experience” and get inspired to start your own unstoppable journey.
To register your interest for the 2026 Engage Employee Summit click here: