O&L Group celebrates inaugural O&L Persona Champion of 2029 awards
The O&L Group marked a significant milestone on 8 August 2025 at Midgard Otjihavera Windhoek with the inaugural O&L Persona Champion of 2029 awards ceremony, celebrating employees who exemplify the company's core Persona characteristics of being Authentic, Caring and Passionate while driving meaningful impact across the organisation.
The ceremony represented the evolution of O&L's employee recognition initiatives, transitioning from the Value Star programme and awards to this transformative recognition system launched earlier this year by O&L Executive Chairman Sven Thieme.
"This marks a significant milestone for us as a Group. It is the first awards ceremony of our new recognition programme – The O&L Persona Champion of 2029. What makes this programme so special is the fact that we get to recognise and celebrate our employees for bringing our O&L Persona to life through their Authentic, Caring and Passionate contributions. Our Persona is who we are. It is how we show up, how we lead and how we bounce back from challenging situations," said Franziska Rüeck, chief experience officer of the O&L Group.
Executive Chairman Sven Thieme elaborated: “The O&L Persona Champion of 2029 programme represents O&L's unwavering commitment to recognising employees who consistently exceed expectations, drive meaningful success and sustainability and create positive, lasting impact as the Group works toward its ambitious Vision for 2029.” He expressed his gratitude to the winners.
"To you as Persona Champions, thank you for how you bring the O&L Persona to life through your uniqueness. The fact that you are here tonight means that you have made a significant impact. I am grateful and honoured to celebrate you."
The awards ceremony reinforces the longstanding importance of employee recognition for organisational success. According to a leading global and local accounting firm, lack of recognition is the number one reason employees leave their jobs, while companies with employee recognition programmes demonstrate 31% lower turnover rates and are 12 times more likely to achieve better business outcomes. Leading global companies including Disney, Apple, Zappos, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Southwest Airlines have established comprehensive recognition programmes that balance intrinsic and extrinsic motivation through authentic, personalised approaches.
The ceremony represented the evolution of O&L's employee recognition initiatives, transitioning from the Value Star programme and awards to this transformative recognition system launched earlier this year by O&L Executive Chairman Sven Thieme.
"This marks a significant milestone for us as a Group. It is the first awards ceremony of our new recognition programme – The O&L Persona Champion of 2029. What makes this programme so special is the fact that we get to recognise and celebrate our employees for bringing our O&L Persona to life through their Authentic, Caring and Passionate contributions. Our Persona is who we are. It is how we show up, how we lead and how we bounce back from challenging situations," said Franziska Rüeck, chief experience officer of the O&L Group.
Executive Chairman Sven Thieme elaborated: “The O&L Persona Champion of 2029 programme represents O&L's unwavering commitment to recognising employees who consistently exceed expectations, drive meaningful success and sustainability and create positive, lasting impact as the Group works toward its ambitious Vision for 2029.” He expressed his gratitude to the winners.
"To you as Persona Champions, thank you for how you bring the O&L Persona to life through your uniqueness. The fact that you are here tonight means that you have made a significant impact. I am grateful and honoured to celebrate you."
The awards ceremony reinforces the longstanding importance of employee recognition for organisational success. According to a leading global and local accounting firm, lack of recognition is the number one reason employees leave their jobs, while companies with employee recognition programmes demonstrate 31% lower turnover rates and are 12 times more likely to achieve better business outcomes. Leading global companies including Disney, Apple, Zappos, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Southwest Airlines have established comprehensive recognition programmes that balance intrinsic and extrinsic motivation through authentic, personalised approaches.
