73% of employees say they would choose a positive workplace culture over higher pay.
Source: HR Dive: Positive culture drives well-being while Gen Z values flexibility, workers say.
For better or worse, culture and leadership are inextricably linked. Though culture can be hard to define, organizations thrive when leaders view culture as a strategic asset, integral to how decisions are made, how people treat one another at every level of the organization, and ultimately, how the organization performs. This is because a strong culture boosts productivity, reduces turnover, and increases the likelihood of exceeding business goals. In fact, companies with extremely healthy cultures are 1.5x more likely to report average revenue growth of at least 15% over the past three years.
Yet while most leaders acknowledge its importance, many struggle to clearly understand their organization’s culture or drive meaningful change. As the new year brings both opportunity and uncertainty, investing in a strong, resilient workplace culture will be essential to navigating change and turning challenges into a competitive advantage.
A Culture Interview with CPO, Dena House
In discussions about successful organizations, culture is often referenced but rarely examined in practice. Lori and James had the pleasure of interviewing Chief People Officer (CPO), Dena House about intentionally building a culture at Adverum Biotechnologies that was tested multiple times during the six years she and the President and CEO, Laurent Fischer, M.D., worked together.
Their partnership has ultimately yielded positive results in business value, scientific progress, and employee engagement and loyalty. These outcomes have helped this small firm remain viable in order to “do what’s never been done before... to develop and deliver functional cures for debilitating ocular diseases,” while creating meaningful value for patients, employees, and investors.
Culture is Built with a Strong Intentional Focus from the Top
Leaders have the power to turn company culture around. A successful culture is built when a CEO and CPO are completely aligned and passionate about creating a culture that serves both the business and its employees. This synergy is the ultimate difference-maker for both, and the reason it is so important is that this is RARE. It’s so rare, in fact, that most CEOs and many heads of HR don't believe it's possible without sacrificing the business, when studies and real-world examples show that culture is actually what fuels business success by creating engaged employees.
What we learned from Dena’s experience is that culture can be managed. Adverum’s leadership team was not assembled quickly or through standard recruiting pipelines. It was built over the years by leaders who understood the organization’s mission and the importance of trust and who embraced the vision Laurent and Dena presented to them.
“The leadership team had been curated,” Dena explained. “These were all people that we knew and trusted, and we convinced them to come because they wanted to be part of this program and this team.” These new leaders then curated their own teams that fit with the values of: “Lead with Integrity, Pioneer with Patients, Strive Together,” and “We take pride in the work we do, and we take heart in the way we do it. Many traditional executive hires had phased out over time. The leaders who remained were individuals who were drawn to their roles and to the collective responsibility of the work. That alignment showed up in how decisions were made and how challenges were addressed. As she noted, “Every department depended on the others. We knew how to work together, and we knew how to get things done.”
Culture Under Pressure
Our culture helped us in preparing for a potential acquisition because of our ongoing communication and transparency in the company. Our ability to collaborate, communicate, and keep each other informed helped us prepare for and retain our teams during the upcoming transition.
Additionally, during COVID, when many organizations lost senior leaders, employees, and their culture, Adverum stayed unified. The leadership team bonded and employees supported each other even in the midst of much change and ambiguity. In many organizations, the level of ambiguity brought on by COVID restrictions led to disengagement and attrition, but, in this case, it did not.
“What really helped people stay was the tightness of the culture, especially during the ambiguity when everything felt disjointed,” Dena said. “They didn’t understand how much the culture was holding people together through this period.”
Rather than disengaging, employees stayed focused on the work and on one another. Even without full visibility into the future, people remained committed.
Leading With Humanity
The strength of the culture was perhaps most visible within the leadership team itself. In one meeting, instead of focusing on performance metrics or deliverables, Dena asked a simple question:
‘How are you doing?’ Not how your teams are doing, how YOU are doing?,” she recalled.
What followed was an unplanned but meaningful moment of vulnerability. “Once one person opened up, everyone did,” she said. “It was emotional, but it mattered. We were all there to support each other and make it work.”
That moment reinforced a level of psychological safety that extended beyond the leadership team and into the broader organization. “None of us hated coming to work,” she said. “We actually enjoyed it, and that’s rare.”
A View from the Outside
When external stakeholders met with leadership, the cultural contrast between Adverum’s leaders and other organizations became clear. “We were very respectful, we listened, and we asked thoughtful questions,” Dena shared.
This behavior consistently surprised outsiders. “They would ask us, ‘Why are you guys so nice? What are we missing?’” House said. The answer was straightforward. “We want our external relationships to work as well as our internal relationships. In the end, by treating everyone with respect we all win; we ensure our programs keep going, future patients are served, and the investments made by external partners remain sound.”
Performance Enabled by Culture
The leadership alignment exhibited by Dena’s executive team was not abstract; it produced measurable results. “We enrolled Phase 3 (Clinical Trials) in record time, and we feel it’s because of how the team fully supported each other.”
The Illusion of Stability Created by Capital
At one point in the conversation, Dena reflected on how financial resources can obscure cultural dysfunction. “Money hides a lot of problems,” she said. In well-funded organizations, employees may stay despite misalignment simply because the incentives are strong. “People stay because they’re paid well, not because they’re engaged.”
Ironically, the organization’s funding constraints forced difficult but necessary decisions. “If we’d had more money earlier,” she acknowledged, “some of the alignment work might never have happened.”
This experience echoes a broader trend identified by leadership expert James Jackman, who notes that “Companies are so focused on finances, efficiency, and AI that they let go of the real secret sauce: company and culture.” The interview illustrates how culture, when prioritized, becomes a strategic asset as a driver of both resilience and performance.
Supporting Organizations Through Cultural Transformation
Building this kind of aligned and collaborative culture requires intention and commitment from leadership. At Heffelfinger Co., we work with organizations to align leadership teams and embed culture into how work actually gets done. Our tailored process helps leaders clarify expectations and connect with employees in ways that drive sustainable performance, which is especially critical during periods of growth or transition.
If you’re ready to unlock organizational potential, we invite you to schedule a complimentary 20-minute Team Alignment Work Audit and explore how a focused alignment workshop can unlock stronger collaboration and measurable impact across your leadership team.
Warmly,
Lori & James
Lori Heffelfinger & James Jackman
References:
Adverum Biotechnologies - https://adverum.com/about-us/. At the time of this writing, Adverum was a “start-up company” at Phase III of Clinical Trials, confirming the efficacy of the product for long-term side effects. This is the phase right before Commercialization.
The Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture. January-February issue, 2018. Groysberg, Lee, Price, Cheng. https://hbr.org/2018/01/the-leaders-guide-to-corporate-culture. Accessed 2/11/2026.
Return on Culture. Proving the Connection Between Culture and Profit. Grant Thornton, Oxford Economics. https://oeservices.oxfordeconomics.com/publication/download/312104. Accessed 2/11/2026.
What Makes a Great Work Culture? Chris Williams. 6/18/2025. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2025/06/18/what-makes-a-great-work-culture/. Accessed 2/11/2026.
Company Culture Matters More Than Ever in 2025. Tracy Lawrence. 1/26/2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracylawrence/2025/01/26/company-culture-why-it-matters-more-than-ever-in-2025/. Accessed 2/11/2026.
