Christian Bugl
Head of EHS, Sustainability, Ethics & Compliance Takeda
Christian Bugl is Head of EHS, Ethics & Compliance, Sustainability at Takeda Vienna, Austria and has over 30 years of experience in quality, compliance, engineering, and EHS within the pharmaceutical and automotive industries. Driven by his passion for people, Christian leads, in addition to his core EHS responsibilities, various initiatives in the areas of safety, sustainability, ethics & compliance, diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I). At Takeda, he is committed to the company’s generational management and strives to align business excellence with a values-based, inclusive, and human-centred strategy.
Seminars
In many companies, EHS professionals rise through the ranks based on technical expertise without developing the technical skills for leadership. This session explores how we develop the non-technical skills that truly define leadership: influence, communication, empathy, strategic thinking, and the ability to connect EHS goals with business outcomes. We’ll also tackle a hard truth, not every great EHS expert wants or is ready for leadership. So how do we identify, support, and shape those who are?
- Why do we keep promoting technical experts into leadership without leadership development?
- How do we differentiate between technical specialists who want to go deep vs. those who want to lead?
- What kind of development programs, coaching, or mentorship actually help build leadership capacity?
- Are we helping the people closest to the work do their jobs better?
In the modern workplace, retaining qualified EHS professionals is no longer just about offering competitive salaries; it’s about creating an environment that addresses the diverse psychological, social, and generational needs of employees. With recruitment pipelines narrowing and attention spans shortening, organisations must adapt both their communication styles and benefits offerings.
- Developing retention strategies that consider the different values and expectations of multi-generational teams: flexible working arrangements and mental health support for younger employees, as well as diversity, values, stability, recognition, and long-term incentives for experienced staff
- By actively addressing psychosocial risks, leadership engagement, and communication quality, organisations can foster psychological safety and connection. These are critical for performance, innovation, and sustainability—engaged employees become the most valuable asset in achieving EHS excellence. Beyond a healthy error culture, a lived speak-up culture must also be defined as a core value
Building internal capabilities and securing the team’s future: instead of relying solely on a shrinking talent pool, companies should invest in structured development pathways for current employees. Upskilling and cross-functional training enhance employee retention, strengthen loyalty, and reduce turnover while preparing the team for future challenges. Effective generational management is essential to combine existing knowledge and new, creative approaches into added value.
