Novo Nordisk: Creating a Global R&D Summit That Connected Science, People and Purpose

The Challenge

Novo Nordisk's Research & Early Development organisation (R&ED) spans thousands of employees across multiple disciplines, functions and locations around the world.

As the organisation continued to grow, there was a need to strengthen connection, engagement and alignment across a highly specialised and globally distributed workforce.

The ambition was to create a global summit that could do more than share information. It needed to inspire, connect and motivate employees while celebrating scientific achievements, showcasing innovation and reinforcing a shared sense of purpose across the organisation. At the same time, the experience had to feel relevant and engaging regardless of role, geography or area of expertise.

Our Approach

CPH Strategy partnered with Novo Nordisk and Event Republic to develop the strategic foundation, communication framework and participant experience for the R&ED Summit.

While Event Republic led event production, logistics and platform development, CPH Strategy was responsible for shaping the strategic narrative and content that connected the experience.

Working closely with Novo Nordisk stakeholders, we helped define the overall purpose of the summit, identify key themes and establish the principles that would guide both content and engagement.

As part of the process, we also supported selected speakers and presenters with feedback on their communication, helping them sharpen their messages, improve clarity and ensure that each presentation contributed to the overall summit narrative.

The Outcome

The result was a strategic event platform designed to bring together a global organisation around a shared purpose.

Rather than creating a traditional corporate conference, the summit was designed as an immersive and engaging experience that combined inspiration, learning and celebration.

The concept connected employees across sites, functions and disciplines while highlighting scientific achievements, innovation and the role every employee plays in advancing Novo Nordisk's ambitions for the future.

Most importantly, the summit created a stronger sense of connection across the organisation by transforming strategic priorities into a shared experience that employees could actively engage with before, during and after the event.