When people talk about “transformation,” it often sounds like a slogan — a shiny new strategy that changes little in reality. This conversation is different. In this episode of The Regeneration Collective Podcast, host Silke von Brockhausen speaks with Luise Raaschou and Felix Braun from Mercedes-Benz Vans Europe, who have quietly led a culture shift inside one of the world’s most traditional, high-pressure industries.

Together, they share how regeneration — the practice of leaving systems, people, and processes better than we found them — can turn even the most hierarchical organization into a living, learning, and energizing system.

Their story offers a roadmap not just for businesses, but for institutions like the United Nations, where mission-driven people are often exhausted by structures that no longer serve life.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Regenerative Leadership

05:41 The Journey of Transformation at Mercedes-Benz

11:48 Challenges and Resistance in Transformation

17:53 Staying Grounded in Times of Crisis

24:03 The Role of Leadership in Regeneration

29:53 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

Key Takeaways for UN Staff and Leaders:

• You don’t need permission to start. Begin in your own team.
• Make space for honesty and recovery.
• Protect people experimenting with new ways of working.
• Watch the energy in the system — it tells the truth.
• See regeneration as prevention, not decoration.
  

Listen if you’re curious about:

• How large organizations can become more human and effective
• Regenerative leadership in practice
• Lessons for the UN and international institutions
• Culture change that doesn’t depend on top-down reform
  

Follow the Guests: Find Luise Raaschou on LinkedIn to learn more about her ongoing journey of regenerative leadership inside Mercedes-Benz Vans.

Connect with The Regeneration Collective:  🌐 regeneration-collective.org