‘Our retail net promoter scores doubled year over year, they’re really in the exceptional range,’ says CHRO Jess Johannson
When Canada Goose expanded rapidly over the past decade, the company faced a challenge familiar to many global brands: how to sustain a cohesive culture across continents, time zones, and job functions.
For Jess Johannson, CHRO, the solution was not to dictate culture from the top, but to co-create it with employees at every level.
“We don’t build culture for our people… we build it with them,” she says. “It takes all of us. We can’t hand [culture] down. It has to be co-created, and that means creating various spaces for open dialogue and encouraging really honest feedback.”
Johannson acknowledges that perfection was not the goal. “We aren’t perfect in this area. I would hazard a guess that most companies aren’t,” she says. “We continue to try different things to help us be more cohesive.”
Shared ownership and flexibility
At Canada Goose, culture was anchored in a set of core values, but Johannson stresses that these values were not imposed uniformly.
“It’s not a one size fits all,” she says. “Teams are encouraged to adapt the culture authentically to their local markets, ensuring relevance and resonance.”
Johannson is clear that culture should not be seen as the exclusive domain of HR.
“I always cringe a little bit having the word culture attached to the HR function because… it’s really about a shared responsibility,” she says. “That ownership drives performance. It’s a flywheel. Knowing that they belong—it’s what people feel.”
Intentional connection in hybrid world
With employees spread across retail stores, manufacturing facilities, and remote offices, intentionality was critical. “In that type of environment, connection really has to be intentional. It can’t just happen haphazardly,” Johannson says.
Canada Goose implemented quarterly pulse surveys and employee net promoter score tracking to gather real-time feedback and act quickly. “When people see their feedback driving change, they know their voice matters,” Johannson says.
The company also introduced fully paid personal wellness days and are rolling out a flexible lifestyle spending account, allowing employees to tailor benefits to their needs—whether that means a vacation, wellness activity, or personal development.
“It really puts it into action. They see it,” Johannson says. “That is something that’s come through loud and clear on our Pulse survey—this intentionality.”
Purpose-driven programs at Canada Goose
Canada Goose invested in programs that connected employees to the brand’s purpose. One initiative gave retail ambassadors the chance to observe polar bears in their natural habitat. “It’s life-changing,” Johannson says. “That just fosters tremendous engagement.”
Another program offered retail employees the opportunity to intern at corporate offices, matched with teams aligned to their interests.
“It’s this ability to learn from each other, remove the hierarchy, remove the stigma,” Johannson says. “Everyone has a voice and input that is welcomed and encouraged.”
The results were tangible: “Our retail net promoter scores doubled year over year. They’re really in the exceptional range. And we’re very, very proud of that,” Johannson said.
Leadership communication and trust
Sustaining culture across a global network has required transparent, adaptive leadership communication: “It’s about being connected. Real life across every region. And it’s how you ensure that teams understand not just what we do, but why it matters,” Johannson says.
Canada Goose has also introduced “no meeting Fridays” and encouraged open sharing of both successes and challenges, fostering mutual trust and psychological safety.
“In our markets, it’s really about knowing your audience. You can’t have a one-size-fits-all. When trust is strong, then the culture sticks,” she says.
