Mental Fitness Champions Community
#breakthebias
#inclusion
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After a merger and significant organizational changes, the initiatives that are fostering belonging and maintaining employee well-being become even more critical. Our organization is dedicated to fostering a work environment where mental fitness is a priority. We strive to ensure that every employee has access to the support they need while encouraging proactive self-care, resilience, and healthy work habits that contribute to overall well-being and team performance.
Our Global Vitality Office introduced the Mental Fitness Champions initiative. Those are colleagues who, in addition to their regular work responsibilities, are dedicated to listening to and supporting their peers. These individuals are trained to detect signs of mental ill health issues and provide initial support. They are trusted go-to persons on-site, offering a listening ear and referring employees to professional help if needed.
Launched in April 2024, the initiative has expanded to 36 countries, engaging 500+ colleagues in 50+ courses across six languages. In Switzerland, 95 employees are certified to support their peers. The goal is to have MFC available at every location. The certified colleagues’ list is accessible to all employees. Feedback analysis over 12 months identified passionate ambassadors and led to a 12-month learning pathway roll-out on resilience, diversity, stress management, and leadership alignment.
This Best Practice was first published in the Gender Intelligence Report 2025.
Two years after the merger announcement, dsm-firmenich remains on the journey of transformation, continuing to adapt, integrate, and build a stronger, more unified organization. As with all significant organizational changes, employees may experience increased mental load and emotional fatigue as they navigate new setups and expectations. That’s why the initiatives that are fostering belonging and maintaining employee well-being become even more critical. Our organization is dedicated to fostering a work environment where mental fitness is a priority. We strive to ensure that every employee has access to the support they need while encouraging proactive self-care, resilience, and healthy work habits that contribute to overall well-being and team performance. The initiative of Mental Fitness Champions emerged as a proactive step toward creating a more supportive and inclusive work environment.
The Mental Fitness Champion initiative aims to foster a psychologically safe and inclusive workplace by empowering employees to support one another through change and everyday challenges. Its goals include promoting awareness around mental health, reducing stigma, and encouraging open conversations about well-being. By training champions across regions and functions, the initiative builds a peer-support network that offers listening, guidance and connection. It also encourages proactive self-care, resilience, and healthy work habits, helping individuals and teams navigate organizational transformation with greater confidence and compassion. Ultimately, it contributes to a culture where everyone feels seen, supported and able to thrive.
Our approach to the MFC initiative is built on accessibility, visibility, and continuous support. Based on a proactive framework from the Canadian Armed Forces, MFC aims to normalize mental health conversations across cultures and reduce stigma in the workplace. We partnered with HSE Global to deliver a customized 7-hour peer support program tailored to dsm-firmenich’s diverse workforce. After a pilot, feedback from focus groups shaped improvements. Phase 1 included English delivery, translation into six languages, and training eight internal instructors selected by location, language, and experience. Co-facilitation and coaching supported their development. We encourage employees to become certified Champions, who are listed centrally for easy peer access. Phase 3 ensures ongoing engagement with newsletters, webinars, and forums. To promote inclusivity, a language field was added to the Champion list, helping employees connect in their preferred language.
“We encourage all employees to take advantage of this valuable resource. Prioritizing mental fitness is not just about managing challenges – it’s about thriving in every aspect of the life”.
Launched in April 2024, the initiative has expanded to 36 countries, engaging 500+ colleagues in 60+ courses across six languages. In Switzerland alone, 95 employees are certified to support their peers, with the aim of making MFC available at every location. The certified colleagues’ list is accessible to all employees. Based on the feedback collected over 12 months, we identified passionate ambassadors and launched a 12-month learning pathway focused on resilience, diversity, stress management, and leadership alignment. We believe that by prioritizing mental well-being organizations can build trust, strengthen relationships, and create a resilient workforce that thrives in the face of change. Regional Mental Fitness Champions have voluntarily taken on the role of ambassador to promote mental health, reduce stigma and encourage inclusion. These local initiatives allow for further cultural sensitivity, contextual relevance and employee engagement.
Our Global Vitality Office using the profound dsm-firmenich’s expertise in nutrition, health, and beauty designs campaigns, frameworks, and standards that support wellbeing. Next to Mental Fitness Champion, our second flagship initiative for employees is Boostyourvitality: a program that supports long-term health through targeted and easily accessible expert advice and resources. We provide the information and education to make healthy choices, offer the purchase of dietary supplements and other food products that contain our top-quality ingredients, and encourage all to take part in step-challenges- simple yet powerful preventive behavior of sitting less and moving more.
For more information about this Best Practice, reach out to the author:
Joanna Duda
Manager HR HNC Switzerland
joanna.duda@dsm-firmenich.com
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