Becoming An Employer of Choice: How Wellbeing Creates Business Value
September 9, 2026, 10AM-11AM ET | Hosted by GWI Workplace Wellbeing Initiative
Description:
As organizations face mounting pressure to cut costs, workplace wellbeing efforts are often the first to go. Yet the most forward-thinking companies are taking the opposite approach: recognizing that supporting their people isn’t just good for employees;it’s good for business. In this candid fireside chat, senior leaders share why they continue to invest in their people, what’s working, and how they’re making the case for wellbeing as a business imperative — not a nice-to-have. We’ll also explore the metrics our panelists are using to ensure initiatives are delivering measurable results and how organizations are evolving beyond traditional wellness offerings.
This session is for:
Anyone responsible for improving workforce health, organizational performance, and employee experience – health and wellbeing professionals, HR and people leaders, business executives and operational leaders, healthcare and benefits leaders.
Attendees will:
- Discover how senior leaders are strategically positioning wellbeing to align with business priorities.
- Identify the data and value demonstration needed to secure C-suite buy-in.
- Explore the metrics and business outcomes organizations use to evaluate success.
Speaker Information:
- Jessica Grossmeier, PhD, MPH: Author, Researcher, People Strategist, GWI Workplace Wellbeing Initiative Chair
Jessica Grossmeier, PhD, MPH is an organizational strategist, researcher, and author of two books on workplace well-being and human thriving. For more than 30 years she has studied what drives sustainable human performance — and helped organizations demonstrate the value of investing in the conditions that make it possible. She helps leaders identify those conditions and design them into new ways of working, for the benefit of people and the organization. She is a Senior Fellow at the Health Enhancement Research Organization, chairs the Workplace Wellbeing Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute, and has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed articles. - Dr. Matthias Helmbold, Aktuar DAV: DHL Group – VP Global Risk Benefits, Health and Wellbeing
Matthias Helmbold joined DHL’s Insurance and Risk Management function in 2021. In his current role as VP Global Risk Benefits, Health & Wellbeing, Matthias oversees all employee benefit insurances across DHL’s 220 territories, as well as the Health & Wellbeing activities within the function’s Health Risk Engineering framework. He serves as Director on the boards of the Group’s captives, underwriting annual EB premiums of nearly €200m. Under Matthias’ lead DHL’s captive program won the 2025 AXCO Insurance Award as “Best Captive or ART Solution” and was recognized in 2023 with the “Captive Innovation Award” by Captive Review. Matthias was repeatedly voted into the list of Top20 Captive Owners. - Nicholas Layne: Propel – Vice President of Strategic Growth and Client Program Strategy
Nicholas Layne is the Vice President of Strategic Growth and Client Program Strategy at Propel. He specializes in applying behavioral science to create engaging, culturally aligned health initiatives that drive meaningful behavior change. He is a recognized educator and facilitator who regularly presents to corporate leaders, well-being professionals, and national audiences on motivation, behavior change, holistic well-being, and organizational culture.
