GLS Bank

For decades, GLS Bank has been committed to social-ecological transformation and an economy oriented toward peacebuilding. In 2022, our consultants Tanja Misiak and Julian Wildgruber were commissioned to support a significant transformation process.

In 2022, Thomas Jorberg, long-serving spokesperson of the Executive Board, stepped down after having played a defining role in shaping the strategic development of GLS Bank. Over the years, he received numerous awards, most recently being named “European Banker of the Year” in November 2022.

However, in 2022 even the sustainable sectors were heavily affected by the ongoing crises in the financial and energy markets and the resulting disruptions. At the same time, the bank faced cultural challenges in translating its strong growth into coherent forms of collaboration and organizational culture. Leadership transitions, new approaches to strategy development, and evolving modes of collaboration placed considerable demands on people across the organization throughout the year.

Teams for strategy and organizational development had already been established. Yet alongside the structural and organizational dimensions, there was a clear need to strengthen the cultural foundation to successfully navigate the upcoming transitions.

In our work together, the following guiding questions emerged:

With deep respect and gratitude for the trust placed in us, we were given the space and time to build meaningful relationships across board and organisation — and to design from within that shared understanding.

This was about genuine appreciation for decades of work.
About truly letting go. And about stepping into a new chapter — strategically considered, grounded in conviction and carried by the courage to move forward.

Between April and November 2022, we accompanied the transition process within the bank.

Our work consisted of four interconnected interventions, carefully sequenced and strategically aligned.

The objective was to enable a respectful and dignified transition between Thomas Jorberg and the bank, while creating clear orientation for what would follow.

Through reflective conversations with the Executive Board, colleagues and members of the GLS community, we immersed ourselves in the cultural fabric of the organisation. In doing so, we identified authentic sources of strength — both organisational and individual — that proved essential in navigating the transition.

Methods:
Mindfulness-based dialogue and coaching, generative facilitation.

The aim was to prepare both the upcoming film production and the organisation’s strategic and cultural transformation with clarity and depth.

We crafted and visualised an artistically grounded cultural narrative, rooted in the organisation’s sources of strength and the influence of formative personalities.

Continuous coordination with strategy and organisational development ensured that the narrative work remained fully aligned with existing change processes.

Methods:
Mindfulness-informed facilitation, generative writing, visual exploration and synthesis.

The aim was to develop a film rooted in the GLS community, serving as a cultural contribution to the internal farewell event honouring Thomas Jorberg.

The earlier dialogue processes and the development of the cultural narrative provided the creative groundwork.
Through sustained engagement, we built trust with the protagonists — a prerequisite for meaningful interviews and authentic presence on camera.

Filming unfolded organically from these relationships and avoided staged representation.

The 35-minute film, “Protect the Flame – Future Visions from the GLS Community”, pays tribute to the past while offering inspiring images of renewal, strengthening the organisation for its next chapter — internally and beyond.

Method:
Docummercial — a creative synthesis of documentary storytelling and strategic visual design.

The objective was to shape a meaningful handover ritual between Thomas Jorberg and the incoming Executive Board at the heart of the community during the internal farewell event at the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum.

In close collaboration with the lead internal communications and event team, we developed a transformative event design through a series of co-creative workshops centred around the film premiere.

Of approximately 900 employees, 650 attended in person.

Method:
Co-creative dramaturgical guidance in the design of the event.

The film was shot in the summer of 2022 at locations across the GLS community.

In collaboration with the GLS Bank event team, we co-created the dramaturgy for the Autumn Reception at the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum.

At the centre of the evening was the premiere of our documentary film “Protect the Flame – Visions of the Future from the GLS Community.”

The defining moment of the event was the subsequent handover ritual within the Executive Board, held in the presence of the entire organisation.

A shared space that honoured the life’s work of CEO Thomas Jorberg and, after 45 years, allowed a genuine transition to take place.