From mental health and inclusion to social responsibility: Greta Bodino tells GOAL about a Juventus side who are ambitious off the pitch too
Juventus’ Chief People, Culture & ESG Officer speaks to GOAL about projects that are less visible than those on the pitch, but just as ambitious.
Greta Bodino, Juventus' Chief People, Culture & ESG Officer, is a whirlwind of ideas.
Over the years, those ideas have turned into successful projects, helping Juventus lead the way on wellbeing, mental health, inclusion and social responsibility.
From the People First strategy to Stories of Strength, and the Positive Impact Hub, we spoke to her about a side of Juventus that's less visible than the one on the pitch but just as ambitious.
Let’s start with the concept of People First, two words that are very dear to the club.
"People First is a pillar of our ESG strategy: Environmental, Social and Governance. If we focus on the 'S', the social side, People First is the policy that governs everything we do, think, want and implement from a social point of view for our people. When, three seasons ago, I was also asked to take responsibility for the ESG side, I was pleased to accept the proposal," Greta Bodino explained.
"We managed to bring together the human resources side, caring for people, their wellbeing and their well-being, with a more ESG-focused side, dedicated both to our people and to the values and behaviours we promote externally. Bringing these two sides together was very rewarding and fundamental for us. I am passionate about this subject, also because People First means using the drive, the willingness and the energy of our employees for a narrative that is not only internal, but external as well. That makes everything a little more real."
I would dwell on Stories of Strength. Looking above all at Pietro’s story, I think it is impossible not to be moved. You can see how Juventus, for many people around the world, represent a point of reference in life. How did this idea come about?
"I still get goosebumps when I think about it. It was an event, perhaps one of the most beautiful things we have done since I've been here. I'm pleased that for you too it was something special. Stories of Strength was born in 2023. The concept at its core is to break down the stigma surrounding mental health, which in sport and football in particular unfortunately still exists. It is a journey that began in the first season with a podcast, produced with our male athletes, our female athletes and members of staff. It then developed over the years and this year culminated in the story of the three fans. In parallel, we also developed a programme linked to the mental wellbeing of our people, which we have also rolled out internally."
Tying in with the documentary, what does Team Strength mean?
"Team Strength evokes the concepts of empowerment and mental strength. The aim is to give people new tools to look after their mental health, themselves and their wellbeing."
How proud are you of the Sustainable Game Award received in London? What was the strategy?
"The award is in my office and there is a great deal of pride, not so much for the recognition itself, even if we were honoured at international level, but for what it represents," he said.
"We were chosen without having asked for it and we were honoured without making any particular applications. They chose us. Other major clubs and organisations were also in the running, such as Manchester City, Barcelona and other entities. The pride is immense because the award represents the path we have been following for many years: a path that brings together the internal soul, the very strong drive that comes from our people, with the external pathways we offer our fans and with everything we try to plan and deliver."
Let us move on to the Positive Impact Hub topic.
"Positive Impact Hub is a volunteer committee made up of employees who want to take part in the company's social responsibility initiatives. The important thing is that it isn't me, my team or the company guiding them. They're the ones who have come together in this committee and drive forward initiatives we might not have thought of. It's one of the many tools we have, but it doesn't come from direction imposed by the company: it comes from the people in the company, who have chosen to take part on a voluntary basis."
What are the company’s development paths in terms of engagement and wellbeing?
"There are many. For us, everything starts with the recruitment process, where we always try to be transparent and fair. Those who follow us will have seen that positions are increasingly being advertised externally, and that is something that makes us very proud" Greta Bodino explains.
"Once someone is selected, it all begins with our onboarding programme. It is a detailed programme that maps out the first few weeks for every person who joins Juventus: meetings, facilities to get to know, people they will interact with and everything needed to understand where they have arrived. Another area we are very proud of is the Talent Management Programme, dedicated to the talents we have within the company. They are selected roughly every two years and follow a specific programme, with assessments of their qualities and areas for improvement, coaching pathways and training pathways chosen by the individuals themselves. The company does not impose the pathway: each talent decides which area they want to train in. The programme then concludes with a mentoring pathway, and in this case too it is the talent who chooses with whom to do it," she adds.
"We have also introduced AI training pathways for everyone. The idea is that AI can contribute to wellbeing, where possible, by freeing up time and space from activities with which it can help us. We also run initiatives we call Health Talks, with the support of our medical department, dedicated for example to women's health, skin, nutrition and sleep. We spoke earlier about Team Strength. There is also language learning, available to everyone through an online platform: each person can choose which language to study, when to study it and how to follow the pathway. Finally, there is the lunchtime sports programme: yoga, Pilates, functional training, as well as the gym."
We all know how much the youth sector matters to you, not only on the pitch. What projects are linked to this area?
"It matters hugely to us. I would say it is our soul, both for the women's youth sector and the men's. This year we repeated some meetings within the J-Studium programme, a splendid initiative launched a few years ago by our predecessors and by those who previously ran the youth sector. Among others, we had Federica Brignone, who came to give a lecture, and even today I look back on that moment with great pleasure. A second path we are pursuing with the youth sector is linked to gender discrimination. Last May there was also Gino Cecchettin, from the Cecchettin Foundation, who held two meetings with the entire staff of our youth sectors. It was truly touching".
What about the Kyan app you launched?
"The Kyan app fits seamlessly into our Team Strength journey and therefore into the path linked to the mental health of our employees. We launched it at the event for the documentary on the three fans. I discovered the app just over a year ago at a corporate wellbeing event in Zurich. First and foremost, it allows people to carry out an assessment so they can understand how they are doing in relation to some key areas: work, stress, sleep and other aspects of wellbeing. Based on this assessment, the app offers suggestions, training bites and new daily tests. One thing we really like is the chance to book one-to-one sessions with psychologists or coaches. Everyone who works at Juventus therefore has the opportunity to undertake an individual psychological pathway. It was something already offered to our male and female athletes, but until today it had not yet been offered to our employees. Now it has".
Spoiler moment: is there anything that can give us a preview of future plans?
"Not in detail, no. But I can say that it is very nice to have someone like you and your team (a reference to BN and GOAL, ed.) taking an interest in what we do for our people as well. I always say I have the best job in the world and I want to keep carrying forward everything people ask of us. I believe that, to do this job well, you first and foremost have to listen. That is what we have tried to do in recent years. In this conversation we have talked about many things, but they are nothing other than the result of listening, of the strength and the desire to carry forward these initiatives. We believe in them very strongly and we will continue," Greta Bodino said.
