From reshaping the playful culture of the LEGO Group to cracking the customer-centricity code in the financial services behemoth Zurich Insurance, how did Conny Kalcher manage the leap? Conny Kalcher, the group chief customer officer at Zurich Insurance, is no stranger to pioneering customer-centric transformations. After retiring from a highly successful career at the LEGO Group, where she spearheaded a customer-centric transformation, Conny brought a wave of fresh perspectives and techniques to the traditionally conservative landscape of Zurich Insurance. Her global influence extends beyond corporate corridors, marked by her active membership in Bain's NPS Loyalty Forum where she contributes to the ongoing Net Promoter System revolution. As context to today’s discussion, you may want to revisit the LEGO story she shared with host Rob Markey several years ago in podcast episode 55, Brick by Brick: Rebuilding the LEGO Group by Rediscovering Customer Centricity. In this episode, Rob sits down with Conny Kalcher—a trailblazer in customer-centric transformations—to explore her extraordinary transition from the whimsical world of LEGO to the structured realm of Zurich Insurance. Conny's approach to customer engagement transcends industry boundaries. She brings lessons developed in the playful, informal culture of the LEGO Group into a global insurance behemoth, drawing parallels and contrasts between her experiences. Conny’s anecdotes reveal that the principles of understanding and catering to customer needs are universal, whether you’re dealing with brick toys or insurance policies written in complex legalese. As Conny reminisces about her time in the toy industry, she sheds light on how the lessons learned during her tenure at the LEGO Group acted as a catalyst for nurturing a customer-first culture at Zurich Insurance. It illustrates how a keen understanding of customer sentiments can be a game-changer in any industry. Topics covered: Transition from the LEGO Group to Zurich Insurance [02:20] Customer-centric transformation [04:00] Corporate strategy and vision [06:50] Metric implementation (NPS) [07:07] Decentralized vs. centralized organizational structures [11:00] Earning customer loyalty [24:30] Quotable quotes: "Anybody who needs to change something I would definitely advise to also think about, 'How can we do processes, structures, ways of working to make people naturally change,' because people want to do the right thing, basically." [01:45] "We've defined our strategy for this strategic cycle to become the preferred insurer of our customers. So, it's all about earning the loyalty of those customers." [27:15] "My proudest moment in the Zurich [Insurance] journey is when I go to the local offices and I talk to the people there and I see the fire in their eyes, and I see the new brand on the walls, and they talk in a new kind of language that they didn’t use to talk in." [32:37] Additional resources: Zurich Insurance’s long-term strategy and near-term targets Episode 55 of Customer Confidential Podcast: Brick by Brick: Rebuilding the LEGO Group by Rediscovering Customer Centricity Net Promoter System overview Insurance industry reports by Bain & Company Bios: Conny Kalcher, group chief customer officer at Zurich Insurance Rob Markey