The culture of organisational buy-in

Culture runs through every part of your business – it shapes how people work, communicate, and make decisions. Your culture is the thread that links your entire business – from leadership to frontline – shaping every team, every process, and every outcome. When you understand your culture, you can navigate tough times more effectively and grow stronger when opportunities arise.

During our four-webinar series this Autumn, we examine some of the essential elements that make up an organisation’s culture, helping you to foster a more robust operation to drive success and growth. Please find below a snippet from one of our speakers, Wolfgang Digital on the culture of organisational buy in.

Here at Wolfgang Digital, we have become the first Irish-owned company to transition to employee ownership through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), inspired by the renowned "John Lewis model." On May 3rd, 2024, we established the "Wolfgang Talent Trust." From that moment, every employee who has been with us for more than 12 months became a partner in the Trust. This change empowers our people, giving them a stronger voice in decision-making and a genuine sense of ownership.

This shift represents something bigger than just a business move. Many of the young people who work here fear they’ll never own where they live. But now, they own where they work. Because our team now has skin in the game, their relationship with the company has changed from renter to owner.

Through this initiative, our employees will now receive regular profit shares every three months. We’ll also reinvest a portion of our profits each year so that, over the next decade, the Trust can gradually acquire majority ownership of Wolfgang Digital.

Another exciting part of this model is the democratic framework it introduces. Each team has elected a representative who can bring their insights directly to decision-makers. Employee representatives will also help elect the trust board members, ensuring that our people’s interests remain at the heart of our strategy.

We’ve also embedded employee ownership into our culture through initiatives like the "Wolves Den," where employees pitch ideas for how to allocate our innovation budget. And importantly, our company constitution now requires that operations prioritize long-term employee benefits—rather than just maximizing shareholder wealth.

Over the years, we’ve had many opportunities to sell to international acquirers. But I realized that those deals were designed to extract value from the company. Selling out never felt like success to me—it felt like the death of the dream. On the other hand, selling in to our employees creates value for everyone: our people, our customers, and society.

This transition to employee ownership is a milestone, not just for Wolfgang Digital, but for Ireland’s business community. By placing ownership in the hands of our employees and ensuring long-term sustainability, we are building a blueprint for others to follow. I believe this is the future of work: empowering, inclusive, and designed to last.

To learn about the culture of organisational buy-in, register here for our session with Matheson and Wolfgang Digital on 15 October.

To view Alan’s interview with David McWilliams on the Economics of Employee Ownership, please click here.

Alan Coleman
Founder & CEO
Wolfgang Digital