A Global Brand President’s View of the Future of Work

MIT Sloan Management Review’s Work/22 virtual symposium convened a roster of great thinkers to share their insights into the challenges leaders will face in the year ahead. Among them was Doug Palladini, global brand president at Vans, who discussed how the future of work is playing out at the global sports lifestyle brand and how the company adapted to better support employees throughout the pandemic. Like a lot of companies, Vans has had to be flexible with its workforce during the pandemic. “These changes are permanent,” said Palladini. “We’re not going back.” Listening to the employee base, “what we’re hearing very loud and clear is they need more flexibility in their lives. People are really enjoying taking their kids to school, being home at lunch, being able to exercise when they feel like it, and still doing a great job at work.”