What does it actually look like to build an intentional culture inside a high-stakes organization—especially one navigating constant change?
In this episode of Collaborative Culture, Kristine Gentry and Monica Smith sit down with Ron Thalheimer, a longtime financial services leader whose career spans banking in Chicago, transformation work in London, and more than two decades at Fidelity. Ron breaks down his practical, leadership-driven approach to culture: setting clear expectations, reinforcing them through consistent behaviors, and addressing misalignment quickly before it spreads.
Ron also shares a vivid case study from his time leading service operations at National Financial (Fidelity): how a shift from reactive to proactive service—and the rollout of a structured client-service technology—sparked resistance internally, improved outcomes externally, and ultimately changed the organization’s reputation from “vendor” to “partner.”
Along the way, the conversation explores why culture must start at the top, how leaders learn culture by getting out of their offices, and what gets lost when organizations try to build culture entirely remotely.
Ron Thalheimer — Financial services executive and transformation leader with 40+ years of experience across banking, insurance, and investment services.
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