Zoltan Denes - Turning challenges into opportunities for growth

Outside work (or perhaps sometimes even inside), I like to test my boundaries, visit new places, travel and try putting myself in situations that I haven’t faced before. In 2024, I ran a marathon and climbed to the highest peak in Austria, conquering Grossglockner at 3,798m. Did I enjoy every moment of it? Certainly not. But I survived. It made me feel I achieved something and now it is off my bucket list. Not to mention, I can share these stories to inspire and motivate my very colleagues who happen to read this article.

My career journey

I originally studied economics with a master's in marketing to become an award-winning, creative advertising copywriter. Fast-forward 20ish  years and I am wondering how it connects with Organizational Change Management (OCM). Well, the key is the focus on people, the above-average empathy, and the desire to create those a-ha moments for the key stakeholders and end users.

I have spent most of my career within shared service centres and climbed the ladder from customer service front office agent to global change manager advisor at a multinational oil and gas company.

Before joining Roche Services & Solutions in 2020, I tried to be an entrepreneur by establishing a boutique consultancy. Right after my new business cards arrived from the print shop, COVID came and basically ruined my well-prepared business plan. Let me offer a piece of hard-earned advice: never launch your own business three months before a global crisis like the past global pandemic - that completely reshaped the world for years!

In my current role, I serve as an internal consultant, supporting Roche-wide initiatives. What I love most about this job is the global scope of our teams and the diversity within our chapters. Every project offers a fresh learning opportunity—whether gaining insight into a partner’s unique work environment or mastering new methodologies to help drive change.

As a Senior Organizational Change Manager, my mission is to ensure that transformation happens seamlessly—not just on paper, but in practice. I guide mid-to-large-scale projects through the "people side of change," crafting strategies that foster organizational readiness, drive behaviour adoption, and create meaningful, lasting impact. Whether it is designing a structured change experience or implementing methodologies to support teams in navigating new landscapes, I am passionate about turning challenges into opportunities for growth.

What truly drives me is the knowledge that successful change isn’t just about processes or systems—it is about people. Watching teams evolve, adapt, and embrace transformation is incredibly rewarding. It reminds me daily why I do what I do.

• Spend some time to figure out what you really enjoy doing and what you are good at. Hopefully, there is an overlap. ;-) 

• Get information, learn about positions, the process, build your network, study the organization charts and construct a realistic plan.

• Once you know which direction you would like to drive your career towards, don’t be shy.  Communicate your aspirations openly, and use the official checkpoints and opportunities (e.g.: workday objective setting).

• Be patient and apply the growth mindset combined with a positive, can-do attitude. Always ask yourself before you decide whether it will help you progress on your planned career path.

• Don’t forget that there is a world outside of the office too. Ensure you spend enough time to ease the stress and pay attention to keeping your work-life balance.

My RSS high-5s!

I would like to send my high-5 to Abby Hempel, Chapter Lead of EC’s OCM team. She hired me as the first change manager in the Budapest office and we had many exciting adventures together as we built and developed this competency in the past three years. Just to name a few: managing the Roche-wide OCM Community of Practice, getting involved to shape an engaged team spirit within Enterprise Capabilities and let’s not forget to mention our very own podcast series on RSS Radio, called ‘Keep the Change’!