On this week’s episode of What the FTE?, Certn’s Maya Bellay sat down with Stacy Parkinson, EVP of People & Culture at Equativ (formerly Sharethrough), for a behind-the-scenes look at what really happens to company culture during change, and how to lead through it without losing your people.
Having navigated over a dozen mergers, Stacy knows what most leaders get wrong about culture under pressure and how to make the hard stuff count.
Here’s what stuck with me from the conversation, and what HR leaders can put into action today.
1. Culture Debt Is Real — And Expensive
Stacy puts it plainly: dodging tough cultural decisions doesn’t save you time – it costs you trust.
“When you avoid the hard decisions – that’s cultural debt. Your team sees what you tolerate. And you can’t always buy back that trust.”
The data backs her up.
Companies that prioritize culture and organizational health during major transitions outperform those that don’t. According to McKinsey’s Organizational Health Index, healthy companies are 3x more likely to retain top performers post-restructure.
2. Mergers Aren’t Just About Synergies — They’re About Identity
Post-merger culture isn’t about declaring winners and losers. It’s about building new connective tissue.
“You can’t just pick one culture and force it on the other. You have to create intentional cultural bridging.”
That means redefining how teams communicate, make decisions, and handle tension. Stacy recommends cross-team collaboration rituals, reverse mentorship, and new shared values.
💡 McKinsey’s research shows companies that actively integrate culture post-M&A are nearly 50% more likely to meet performance targets.
3. Crisis Can Build Culture — If You Don’t Fake It
“Don’t let a good crisis go to waste.”
When Sharethrough faced a reduction in force, Stacy leaned into honesty. Managers were coached to deliver hard news with empathy. Teams were given space to grieve. Leaders stood up and named the emotional reality.
The result? A 22% increase in trust on their next engagement survey.
This isn’t spin — it’s culture work.
4. Scale Culture Through Leadership, Not Heroics
“I can’t meet with 700 people, but I can coach execs to meet with their teams meaningfully.”
Your culture isn’t protected by one function. It’s multiplied through leaders who’ve been trained, trusted, and held accountable.
Want a quick pulse check? Ask your exec team:
- What behaviour are we rewarding that we shouldn’t be?
- What behaviour are we ignoring that we should be amplifying?
5. Your Calm Is Their Calm
“Your people aren’t just looking for answers. They’re watching how you show up.”
In uncertain moments, Stacy reminds leaders to breathe, ground themselves, and name the unknown — without collapsing under it.
She references Brené Brown’s concept of FFTs (“f***ing first times”) as a leadership tool: name it, normalise it, and lead forward with transparency.
🎧 Listen Now:
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