Odeon Cinemas

When the Odeon Cinemas Group emerged from the Covid pandemic, the entertainment landscape looked very different. Audiences increasingly expected experiences that felt personal, meaningful and connected to their communities, and potential employees wanted growth, belonging and purpose. Returning to pre-pandemic models was not an option. 

Workforce data and staff insight revealed several structural barriers: women remained underrepresented at senior levels despite the talent being there, leadership capability varied and recruitment methods were failing to reach underrepresented communities. In surveys, employees, particularly those in cinemas, said they struggled to see development pathways, especially in the UK where senior roles were often held by long-tenured colleagues. Talent was clear to see, but opportunity was not. 

In response, the people team set out to transform the company’s talent management from opaque, manager-dependent progression towards a fair, visible and future-ready talent infrastructure supporting individual advancement and long-term business growth.

The talent lifecycle was completely redesigned, with cross-market projects and growth placements enabling staff to “stretch and develop” before vacancies arose. The establishment of the Incredible Leadership Framework led to the development of a shared standard for inclusive, commercially focused leadership, and mentoring networks expanded visibility and sponsorship for underrepresented talent.

Furthermore, group-wide talent reviews created consistent succession planning, performance and development reviews aligned progression with values and leadership expectations, and inclusive attraction practices broadened access to opportunity, supported by quarterly workforce insights tracking representation, progression and retention.

To date, more than 500 managers have completed the Incredible Leadership Programme, developing self awareness, coaching capability and inclusive leadership behaviours. Women now hold 11 per cent more of the company’s top 60 roles, and UK turnover reduced from 51 per cent in 2023 to 41 per cent in 2025. Internal promotions and cross-market mobility have increased, and engagement survey results have improved, with growth, career path, learning and mentoring scores all rising. 

The judges were impressed by Odeon’s “strong people-centred transformation initiative responding well to post-pandemic workforce and leadership challenges” and the company’s “genuine commitment to inclusive progression, leadership capability and employee experience”.