Maik Brunkow

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT MAIK BRUNKOW

In a world of constant noise and change, organisations need more than slogans. They need clear operating rhythms, evidence‑based decisions and cultures that sustain high performance over time.I work at the intersection of people strategy, culture and analytics. As Culture & Inclusion Manager for Continental Europe at Freshfields, I design and run a multi‑year high‑performing culture roadmap for around 2,500 colleagues across 13 offices in 8 countries. I partner with our Regional Leadership Team, HR and local leaders to set priorities, translate strategy into concrete initiatives, and build the rituals that keep us on track, from KPI reviews and dashboards to structured update and decision meetings.My role includes shaping the organisational design and governance of our wellbeing agenda (including clear RACI structures), acting as a sparring partner on complex people topics, and managing a significant regional budget for culture, wellbeing and sustainable performance. I operate in a Workday‑based HR environment and enjoy turning system data, surveys and qualitative insights into narratives that help senior stakeholders decide where to invest, simplify, pause or scale people programmes.Previously, I worked in employer branding and people‑related strategy projects at KPMG and in the Diversity & Inclusion team of Deutsche Bank, giving me a solid grounding in financial‑services and professional‑services environments. Alongside my role, I am completing an M.A. in Work and Organisational Studies, where I focus on organisational resilience, evidence‑based HR and the impact of misinformation on change.When I\'m not designing strategies or decoding narratives, you might find me exploring new books (currently reading When We Go High In The Dark - DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!), experimenting with gymnastics training, or analyzing films, because every story teaches us something about how systems thrive or collapse.