Impact Leaders Programme — Cohort Guide
Cohort Programme Guide · 2026

Impact
Leaders
Programme

The first mini-MBA for Marketing & Sustainability together — because leading with purpose and winning with impact shouldn't be a solo sport.

Duration
April — July 2026
Sessions
10 Live Sessions
Time
4:00–5:00 PM CET
Platform
Zoom
01 Welcome to a Journey Among Peers

This is a peer-to-peer learning experience. We are here to learn together and grow together as individuals and professionals. Every session will be guided by a mentor — another peer — who is there to provoke and create new thinking. No bullshit. Real insights. Practical knowledge.

It's the first-ever mini-MBA for Marketing and Sustainability together — because leading with purpose and winning with impact shouldn't be a solo sport.

02 Your Team

We are here to support you throughout the programme. Reach out any time.

Thomas
Programme Lead
Kasia
Programme Support
Anya
Programme Coordinator
+27 72 512 4530 · WhatsApp if you can't join a session
03 Practical Set-Up

Technology

We use Zoom for all sessions. Please have your camera on and be ready to participate actively. Test your link in advance — join from desktop or via the app.

Recording policy

Sessions are recorded. The first 30 minutes (mentor talk) will be uploaded to Google Drive after each session so you can rewatch or catch up if you miss it.

Before your first session

04 Participation & Peer Agreement

"This is not a classroom. It is a trusted peer space."

The strength of this programme depends on openness, candour, and the willingness to share real challenges — not just polished answers.

01
Confidentiality
What is shared within the cohort stays within the cohort, unless explicitly agreed otherwise. Participants may discuss challenges, ideas, unfinished thinking, and sensitive business questions with the understanding that this is a confidential space.
02
Respect for Ideas & Ownership
Ideas shared remain the property of those who create them. Sharing an idea in the programme does not transfer ownership, permission, or rights to use it.
03
Explicit Consent
Nothing discussed, developed, or surfaced through the programme will be used, developed, implemented, or shared externally without the explicit consent of those involved.
04
Partner Engagement
In some sessions, selected ideas or group outputs may be shared with partners (e.g. Carlsberg) for inspiration. If this arises, participants will always be informed, nothing moves forward without consent, and no individual contribution will be attributed or used without permission.
05
Respectful Participation
We ask participants to contribute in the spirit of generosity in sharing, respect in listening, courage in thinking, constructive challenge, and professional discretion.
06
A Space for Real Life
This programme runs alongside demanding roles. We ask for a genuine effort to attend and participate, openness in contributing, and communication if you cannot make a session. No friction. No judgement.
07
Benchmarking & Survey Data
Benchmark participation is optional. Responses may be submitted anonymously. Individual results are visible only to the participant and Kantar. Programme-level discussions use aggregated, anonymised insights only.
08
The Spirit of the Programme
This is a space to test ideas, challenge assumptions, and think more boldly together. The best ideas rarely come from playing safe. By joining, we agree to contribute to a trusted, open, and constructive environment.
05 Session Format

Every session follows a peer-to-peer structured approach maximising time for conversation and exchange.

30 minThe Mentor — sharing insights and practical knowledge, followed by Q&A
10 minCohort Reflections — discussing the session and practical takeaways
10 minThe Work — reflecting on and evaluating creative examples together
5 minChallenges & Opportunities — personal reflection on what's holding you back or pushing you forward
5 minWrap-Up — preview of next session

Note: Some sessions are structured differently to allow time for group work presentations.

06 The Group Brief

Across these 10 sessions, you'll work on an open brief from Carlsberg. No further guidelines — solve it however you want. Present it however you want. But you only have 1 minute.

"How do you make regenerative agriculture matter to Carlsberg's consumers — and credible to its stakeholders?"
How it works
You'll work in pre-assigned groups. Your group is self-coordinating — when you meet, where, and how often is entirely up to you. Please be respectful of each other's time and professional commitments.
Submissions
Groups deliver a 1-minute pitch video. Send it to Anya who will add it to the shared Google Drive. A group work section will be created for all submissions.

Key Milestones

By 28 May
Submit a 1-minute pre-recorded presentation — email to Anya
02 June
Midway Presentation — groups share progress during Session 6. Peer voting follows (you may not vote for your own group).
07 July
Final Presentation — 1 minute live during the final mentor session. Use it however you want.
07 Programme at a Glance

All sessions run 4:00–5:00 PM CET, followed by one hour of peer social time.

Date#SessionMentor
28 Apr01
Leading Between Worlds
Leadership, Empathy & Shared Value
Thomas Kolster
05 May02
Beyond Purpose Theatre
Purpose, Credibility & Measurement
Alessandro Manfredi (Dove)
12 May03
If People Don't Get It, Nothing Changes
Creative Excellence & Storytelling
John Schoolcraft (Oatly)
19 May04
Trust Is Earned, Not Claimed
Partnerships, Proof & Reputation
TBC
26 May05
Stop Acting as the Hero
Customer Empowerment & Behaviour Change
Sadira Furlow (Tony's Chocolonely)
02 Jun06
What Really Matters: Killing the Noise
Materiality, Focus & Strategic Choice
Simon Boas, Carlsberg Group
09 Jun07
Changing Behaviour Is the Job
Nudging, Movements & Lifestyle Shifts
TBC
16 Jun08
Build It or It Doesn't Count
Innovation, Product & Service Design
TBC
30 Jun09
Making Change Stick
Organisational Change & Implementation
Dirk Voeste, Volkswagen Group
07 Jul10
Choose Your Legacy
Integrated Leadership & Long-Term Impact
Virginie Helias, P&G
08 Session Details
01
28 April 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET + 1hr peer social
Leading Between Worlds: The Messy Middle Where Change Actually Happens
Leadership, Empathy & Shared Value
↓
Mentor
Thomas Kolster — Programme Lead
Note
First session includes 60 min peer social — nothing to prepare

Thomas frames the shift from CMO vs CSO to CMO + CSO, positioning impact leadership as a commercial, cultural, and strategic necessity — not a nice-to-have add-on.

What the Session Covers
Why functional silos no longer work
What "impact leadership" looks like in real organisational contexts
Introduction to the UN Global Compact Framework
How the programme is structured and what you will gain
Introduction to the Carlsberg brief
Outcome for Participants
A clear mental model for impact leadership and a shared understanding of the programme journey.
Feed Your Brain — Extra Learning
Personal reflection: Where do silos still exist in my organisation?
UN Global Compact Framework + Kantar video (Google Drive)
Article: Marketing is from Mars, Sustainability is from Venus
The CMO and CSO Playbook (see Google Drive folder)
Video: The Death of the CSO
The Work — Examples to Watch
Canada Post Office (see Google Drive folder)
Mentos
Ålandsbanken
02
05 May 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
Beyond Purpose Theatre: What Actually Holds Up Over Time
Purpose, Credibility & Measurement
↓
Mentor
Alessandro Manfredi — Former CMO, Dove
Case Study
Dove — Real Beauty & Self-Esteem Project

Dove's Real Beauty is a rare example of purpose-led brand building done at global scale and sustained for over two decades — embedded into strategy, not campaigns.

What the Session Covers
Defining purpose that is strategic, ownable, and culturally relevant
Purpose as an operating system, not a positioning line
Measuring impact across brand, social, and business metrics
Outcome for Participants
A practical framework to define, pressure-test, and measure brand purpose.
Feed Your Brain — Extra Learning
WARC report: Sustainability vs Effectiveness 100 (see folder)
The Hero Trap — Introduction chapter (see folder)
Have purpose brands actually grown? (Marketing Week)
Study: Purpose-driven ads fall short (Sustainable Brands)
ROI of Sustainability — Project ROI report (see folder)
Measuring Impact — two models (see folder)
The Work — Examples to Watch
Vinted
Chipotle: Can a Burrito Change the World?
03
12 May 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
If People Don't Get It, Nothing Changes
Creative Excellence & Storytelling
↓
Mentor
John Schoolcraft — Former CCO, Oatly
Case Study
Oatly — "It's Like Milk But Made for Humans"

Oatly turned complex system issues — food, climate, animals — into cultural conversations rather than lectures.

What the Session Covers
Why facts don't change behaviour — stories do
Turning complex systems into simple, human narratives
Using humour, provocation, and tone responsibly
When storytelling becomes activism — and when it backfires
Outcome for Participants
The ability to translate impact complexity into engaging brand language.
Feed Your Brain — Extra Learning
Oatly: It's Like Milk But Made for Humans (video)
Oatly Impact Report — skim for tone, not just data
The Hero Trap — Oatly chapter (see folder)
The Work — Examples to Watch
Oatly — Wow No Cow
Burger King
04
19 May 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
Trust Is Earned, Not Claimed
Partnerships, Proof & Reputation
↓
Mentor
TBC
Case Studies
Parley for the Oceans · IKEA

Trust today is earned through visible action and credible partnerships — not claims. Both Parley and IKEA show how collaboration turns ambition into measurable progress.

What the Session Covers
Why trust has shifted from messaging to proof
Partnerships for reputation vs partnerships for impact
Partners as trust multipliers, not PR shields
Navigating tensions: scale vs purity, speed vs rigour
Learning from partnership failures
Outcome for Participants
How to build trust through doing, choose credible partners, and communicate collaboration without purpose theatre.
Feed Your Brain — Extra Learning
The Hero Trap — Partnerships chapter (see folder)
Reflection: Where do we need partners — and where are we trying to go it alone?
The Work — Examples to Watch
Small Business Saturday
Phonebloks
Before Session 5: Groups submit a 1-minute recording responding to the Carlsberg brief. Thomas and Sadira will prepare feedback for discussion.
05
26 May 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
Stop Acting as the Hero: Design for Participation, Not Applause
Customer Empowerment & Behaviour Change
↓
Mentor
Sadira Furlow — Tony's Chocolonely
Case Study
Tony's Chocolonely — Uneven Bar & Open Chain

Tony's avoids brand heroism by designing participation — from uneven chocolate bars to radical transparency.

What the Session Covers
Group presentations + feedback from Thomas and Sadira
Why "brand-as-hero" limits impact
Designing customer participation into product and communication
Transparency and clarity as trust and behaviour drivers
Outcome for Participants
A mindset shift from brand-led impact to customer-enabled change.
The Work — Examples to Watch
Follow the Frog
06
02 June 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
What Really Matters: Killing the Noise in Materiality
Materiality, Focus & Strategic Choice
↓
Mentor
Simon Boas — CSO, Carlsberg Group
Case Study
Patagonia — Mission, Materiality & Radical Transparency
What the Session Covers
What double materiality means in practice (beyond ESG reports)
Understanding footprint vs brainprint
How to prioritise climate, nature, labour, and consumption
Why transparency — including admitting gaps — builds long-term trust
Outcome for Participants
Distinguish what is important vs material. Identify where your organisation has the greatest impact, and decide where to act operationally vs culturally.
Feed Your Brain — Extra Learning
Patagonia Impact Report (latest edition)
Thomas Kolster — Reversed Materiality Model
Ad Net Zero Framework
Carlsberg Group — ESG Programme "Brewing Tomorrow" (read before session)
Reflection: Which impacts are truly material — and where can marketing reduce harm or shift behaviour?
Midway point: Review the other groups' work and choose your top 3. You may not vote for your own group.
07
09 June 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
Changing Behaviour Is the Job
Nudging, Movements & Lifestyle Shifts
↓
Mentor
TBC
Case Studies
Hellmann's · Too Good To Go

Brands influence millions of daily decisions. The most powerful impact comes not from messaging alone, but from designing systems, incentives, and cultural cues that make better behaviour easier and more desirable.

What the Session Covers
Why behaviour change is the real leverage point for sustainable impact
Understanding behavioural barriers: convenience, cost, identity, and social norms
The difference between awareness campaigns and behaviour design
How brands can move from campaigns to movements and cultural shifts
The role of incentives, default options, and partnerships in nudging behaviour
Outcome for Participants
Identify behaviour change opportunities in your category, move from awareness messaging to behaviour design, and use marketing influence responsibly to reshape norms and habits.
The Work — Examples to Watch
Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables campaign
08
16 June 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
Build It or It Doesn't Count
Innovation, Product & Service Design
↓
Mentor
TBC — Kantar or Angela Pinhati (Natura)
Case Studies
Natura · Mastercard Poland

Purpose cannot live only in storytelling — it must be designed into products, services, and business models. When impact becomes part of what a company sells, it moves from communication to competitive advantage.

What the Session Covers
Moving purpose from communication into product design
How sustainability constraints unlock innovation opportunities
Designing products and services that make better choices easier
The role of circularity, regenerative thinking, and lifecycle impact
How consumer insight and cultural context shape successful impact innovation
Outcome for Participants
Identify where impact can unlock innovation, translate sustainability challenges into product opportunities, and build offerings where impact is part of the value proposition.
The Work — Examples to Watch
Piñatex
Wild — wearewild.com
09
30 June 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
Making Change Stick: Power, Politics, and the Reality of Organisations
Organisational Change & Implementation
↓
Mentor
Dirk Voeste — Volkswagen Group
Case Study
VW Group — Electrification Strategy

Few contexts are tougher than industrial transformation under global scrutiny.

What the Session Covers
Speaking the language of the board: risk, growth, resilience
Turning purpose into strategic leverage
Navigating politics and resistance
What actually gets approved — and why
Outcome for Participants
Confidence to sell impact at the highest level — in the language boards actually respond to.
Feed Your Brain — Extra Learning
Prep exercise: Reframe your purpose case in board language
HBR: How to Talk to Your CEO About Sustainability
McKinsey: The Business Case for Sustainable Transformation
John Izzo on Leadership — Chapter 4 (see folder)
Has Purpose Become a CEO Death Trap?
10
07 July 2026 · 4:00–5:00 PM CET
Choose Your Legacy: The Kind of Leader You Decide to Be
Integrated Leadership & Long-Term Impact
↓
Mentor
Virginie Helias — CSO, P&G · + Video: Marc Pritchard
Case Study
P&G — Ariel Cold Wash

Virginie embodies the bridge between marketing and sustainability, having moved from brand leadership into sustainability at scale.

What the Session Covers
What sustainability learns from marketing — and vice versa
Leading with credibility across functions
Trust as an outcome of integrated leadership
What the next generation of leaders must own
Final group presentations
Outcome for Participants
A rounded perspective on impact leadership — strategic, human, and actionable. And a clear sense of the leader you choose to be.
Feed Your Brain — Extra Learning
John Izzo's book — Chapter 6 (see folder)
Final reflection: What kind of leader do I choose to be after this programme?
09 Key Resources

All materials are in the shared Google Drive. Below is a consolidated reference for everything used across the programme.

Google Drive Folder
Open Programme Drive →
All session materials, pre-reads & recordings
Group work submissions go here via Anya
Free Audiobook
The Hero Trap — Thomas Kolster →
60-minute listen, free with code: IMPACT
Books in the Folder
The Hero Trap — Kolster (Intro, Oatly, Partnerships chapters)
John Izzo on Leadership (Chapters 4 & 6)
The CMO and CSO Playbook
Reports in the Folder
WARC: Sustainability vs Effectiveness 100
Project ROI: Financial Advantages of CR & Sustainability
Measuring Impact — Two Models
Patagonia Impact Report (latest)
Ad Net Zero Framework
Benchmarking Survey
CMO–CSO Collaboration Survey (Kantar) →
Optional · can be submitted anonymously
Results benchmarked against UN Global Compact findings
Contact
Thomas — hello@thomaskolster.com
Kasia — kasia@thomaskolster.com
Anya — anya@thomaskolster.com
WhatsApp Anya if you can't make a session