With Helen Camilleri, Head of People & Brand at Gallagher
At our recent session, we had the pleasure of hearing from Helen Camilleri, who shared an inspiring look into the power of culture in shaping a brand. Helen began by reflecting on her time at LEGO®, where she and every new employee were taken through a symbolic “birth” into an oversized world called The Land of Childhood. The idea was simple but brilliant—immerse adults in a child’s perspective so they could truly understand the essence of the brand. It was fun, memorable, and deeply intentional.
Helen reminded us that while LEGO® is undoubtedly playful, the real magic behind its success was the culture it built from the inside out. As she put it, “Your culture is your brand.”
Today, Helen leads People and Brand at Gallagher, a company known for innovation across very different product areas—from fuel pumps to security systems to animal management. With such variety, aligning everyone under one cohesive brand might seem impossible. Helen showed us it isn’t. The answer, again, is culture—shared values and behaviours that bring diverse teams together.
She left us with six practical tips for designing culture with purpose:
Clearly define expectations and purpose.
Connect to something bigger than your company.
Identify culture champions within your team.
Build understanding across teams and functions.
Don’t hesitate to bring in external expertise to shift culture.
Involve people outside your organisation to strengthen what you stand for.
Helen encouraged us to take stock of our own culture, whether intentionally crafted or accidentally formed. Marketing may attract attention, but real experiences shape loyalty. If customers encounter poor service, that becomes the story they remember.
Her message was simple and powerful: Invest in your people and build your culture by design, not by default.
A huge thank you to Helen for sharing her insights and energy with us.