Last week, KennedyFitch partners and consultants came together in Milan for several days of in-person exchange and reflection. Colleagues travelled from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Germany and Singapore, making it a truly international gathering.
While not everyone could attend, those who did shared a meaningful break from the rhythm of daily client work, Teams calls and emails. It was also a special moment for the team to be welcomed in Milan by partner Dalila Dabbicco, in her home city.
These offsite meetings are rare by design. They create space not only for discussion, but for reconnection.
The questions shaping organisations today
Much of our time in Milan was spent exploring the themes that are currently shaping our clients’ agendas:
- Leadership capacity in increasingly complex organisations
- The impact and integration of AI in the workplace
- Talent attraction, development and retention
- Large-scale organisational transformation
- Trust as a foundation for performance
- The ongoing tension between business value and human sustainability
Many of us at KennedyFitch have worked inside organisations as HR leaders, transformation leads, and business practitioners before becoming advisors. That experience continues to shape how we approach these topics.
Real organisational change is rarely linear. It emerges through conversations, tension, decisions, and the often invisible dynamics that sit beneath formal structures.
“The Last Supper” and the human side of transformation
A visit to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper added an unexpected layer of meaning to our discussions.
Standing in front of the painting, you are reminded how much can exist within a single moment: emotion, silence, uncertainty, reaction, and relationship. It is not just a historical artwork, but a study of human dynamics in a moment of tension and change.
In many ways, this mirrors the work we do with organisations: helping leaders see what is really happening in the room – beyond the visible processes, roles and structures.
Leadership lessons from Leonardo da Vinci’s “resume”
During the visit, Frank van den Brink, Managing Partner at KennedyFitch, shared a powerful reflection that connected Milan’s history with today’s world of work.
In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci wrote what is often considered one of the earliest known “resumes” when applying to Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan. But instead of presenting himself purely as an artist, he framed his value around what his future patron needed most.
He highlighted his ability to:
- Design bridges and fortifications
- Develop military engineering solutions
- Work across hydraulics, architecture and systems design
Only later did he mention his artistic work. It was not a list of achievements. It was a statement of relevance. More than 500 years later, this principle still holds true. A meaningful career narrative is not defined by job titles or chronology alone. It is defined by the problems someone can solve, the judgement they bring, and the value they are capable of creating.
This perspective also reflects how we approach leadership development and organisational transformation today. We do not see leadership as a sequence of roles or promotions. We see it as a combination of experience, perspective, judgement and impact. And most importantly, the ability to help organisations move forward in moments of uncertainty.
This idea is not new – but it is increasingly essential in a world shaped by complexity, AI, and constant transformation.
Returning with renewed energy
Beyond the formal discussions and reflections, the Milan meeting was also simply about being together. For an international team working across geographies, these moments matter. They strengthen trust, deepen relationships, and turn individual experience into shared perspective.
We left Milan with renewed energy, stronger connections, and a clear sense of momentum across KennedyFitch.
Continue the conversation
If your organisation is navigating questions around leadership, talent, HR transformation, or organisational change, we would be happy to continue the conversation.
Connect with KennedyFitch or reach out to one of our partners.
