How Sandra van den Bos has been at the forefront of change at one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands

“The real impact goes beyond physical spaces. It’s about embedding a mindset shift at every level of the organization”

For the past years, Sandra van den Bos has been at the forefront of change at one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands. Through SPRING TODAY, she has led major transformation initiatives across EMEA, bringing over 20 years of experience to the table. From implementing Activity-Based Working (ABW) to steering change during the pandemic, Sandra has driven complex workplace transformations. Now, she shares her key moments, challenges, and insights.

Starting the project

When the project kicked off, the client had a clear vision for its workplaces across EMEA: to use location and space as a strategic lever. This meant transforming offices into newly branded environments with an emphasis on health and wellbeing, increasing flexibility and choice, and positioning workplaces closer to the customer. It was all part of a bold strategy to shape the future of work. Exciting? Absolutely. But also a big change for leaders and their employee base.

That’s where Sandra came in. She worked on 14 projects across 12 countries, including at the European headquarters in the Netherlands, where 3,500 to 4,000 employees work across eight buildings. Not just implementing new furniture, space types and processes, but embedding new ways of thinking.

“So, what’s the change all about? It’s transforming to Activity-Based Working (ABW), a big shift from the old school way of working.”

Of course, we faced resistance along the way. Change is never easy, and at the start, there are plenty of skeptics. We had to ‘prove’ this way of working. I often try to encourage leaders and middle management to visit other offices that have gone through similar transformations, let them submerge in these spaces, and engage with the employees involved. These visits — combined with engagement surveys and user groups — became a key turning point in the transformation journey. In a world where attracting & retaining talent is difficult, the workplace, and all its services and experiences, becomes an important part of the overall culture and what the company has to offer.”

Sandra’s Approach to Change

“Leadership buy-in is a crucial factor for adoption. From the very beginning, we worked with the (local) team to secure the commitment of senior leaders, making sure they don’t just support the change but actively champion it. If leaders don’t lead by example, employees won’t feel compelled to follow. 

Throughout the project, we maintained close alignment with both leadership and employees. Stakeholder management might sound like a buzzword, but in my line of work, it’s absolutely critical. Change agent communities play a pivotal role across all phases of the transformation. To ensure engagement, we organized kick-off sessions, delivered training on ‘how we want to work in the future’, offered immersive building tours to explain what was coming, and created toolkits for managers to guide their teams through the transition.

And when the moment came to go live, that wasn’t the finish line. A well-designed aftercare process was already in place — ensuring a smooth handover and ongoing support before I formally wrapped up the project and transitioned it back to the business. 

My approach to driving change is simple: be consistent, be persistent, and stick to the plan — I am a bit of a pit-bull. Over time, I’ve developed a 4-phased change approach that helps me through all projects. While the framework stays the same, no two companies are alike. Each company has its own culture, core values, and therefore a unique set of requirements. That’s why I always tailor the plan to fit the context — creating a custom strategy within the framework, every single time.

Of course, it wasn’t just me. We had a strong team, a well-thought-out plan, and worked closely with communications experts to ensure the message was clear and impactful. Communication is everything in change management. You need to strike the right balance: enough information to engage people, but not so much that they feel overfed.”

The Pandemic’s Impact – A new challenge

In Sandra’s view, the pandemic was a turning point for ABW. “Before COVID, we ran workshops to introduce people to new ways of working, but suddenly, that was no longer an option. We had to pivot fast, developing e-learning tools to keep the transformation going. It became an opportunity to digitalize change management, making it scalable and accessible to even more employees.

As we gradually returned to the office, it became clear that we weren’t going back to the old ways—but moving forward into something new. Rethinking what the workplace meant was essential. We had to ensure that employees felt supported in a more hybrid work environment, balancing remote work with office collaboration.

Many felt that returning to the office wasn’t always the best option. This shift created—and still creates—friction within teams, as managers struggled to navigate, lead, and set an example. Collaboration, inspiration, engagement, and innovation became more challenging in dispersed teams, especially with the rise of hybrid meetings.

My view? Every company needs to take a deep dive into its own identity and define a way of working that truly aligns with its desired culture and business goals, and then commit to it. It’s essential to define what the company stands for, what it wants to project, and how collaboration should function both online and offline. Core values and drivers must be identified before redesigning a work environment that supports them. This is new for many companies and leaders, and the right support makes all the difference.”

Embedding a Mindset Shift

“I truly believe every company would benefit from an Activity-Based Working concept. It’s not about changing some office layouts and ‘having’ to share everything, it’s about giving employees ownership of how they work best. This client, like many others I’ve worked with, had a clear vision of how they wanted to work. They aimed to create a workplace that actively supports and reflects their core values, increased the energy, collaboration, innovation, efficiency, pride, and much more.

But the impact of these changes wasn’t just practical. The way the workplace looks and feels plays a huge role in how employees experience their workday. The refreshed office spaces, designed with a dynamic brand identity in mind, make people feel proud. Walking into the office every day feels inspiring, reinforcing the company’s innovative spirit and energizing employees in a way that sterile, traditional offices never could. 

As such, the real impact goes beyond physical spaces. It’s about embedding a mindset shift at every level of the organization. Change takes time, persistence, and a strong vision, but when it lands, it transforms the way a company operates.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished for this client!”

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