How We Built Bancolombia's Purpose

Welcome to another episode of The Chief Strategy Officer Podcast! Today, we’re tackling a topic that sits at the heart of every successful organization: purpose. 

For years, the question of what purpose an organization should hold has typically sat outside the auspices of the strategy office. It was the remit of the CEO or board, maybe corporate communications or the HR. But it is increasingly becoming a central strategic lever, especially as the success of strategy depends on activating ecosystem partners, employees, communities … and it is one we need to better understand.  

How can companies define a purpose that isn’t just a slogan but a real driver of strategic decisions? How does purpose impact employee motivation, customer engagement, and long-term competitive advantage? And most importantly, how can CSOs play a role in shaping and embedding purpose in a way that creates measurable business impact? 

To explore these questions, we’re joined by David Zapata, Corporate Head of Strategy at Grupo Bancolombia, and Claudia Ludovisi, former head of strategy at Disney ABC, assistant Dean of Marketing and Strategy at Pepperdine Business School, who has done interest research into the role of purpose in strategy. Together, they share firsthand experiences and research-driven insights on how organizations can make purpose actionable, sustainable, and truly transformative. 

In this episode, we explore: 

• Why purpose isn’t just about branding—it should drive real business decisions. 
• The biggest mistake companies make when defining their purpose. 
• How to measure whether purpose is actually working inside your organization. 
• The evolving role of AI in shaping personalized and scalable purpose-driven strategies. 
• Insights and a step-by-step approach for crafting a purpose that aligns with strategy and capabilities for your organization. 

Whether you’re refining your company’s purpose or just starting to explore its role in strategy, this episode is packed with insights to help you take a more structured and impactful approach.

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• Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/
• Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks