Our Story
From Curiosity to Calling
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Culture Dividend was founded on a simple belief: culture is the strongest lever of performance. ​​
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This belief wasn’t formed in theory, it was lived.​​
From an early age, Birthe Mester’s life was shaped by contrasts. Growing up between Texas and Northern Germany, she saw first-hand how ethnicity, heritage, and tradition influence perspectives and behaviours. These early experiences sparked a lifelong fascination with how culture shapes outcomes.
A Global Perspective
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Birthe’s curiosity deepened during her tenure as a diplomat in the German Foreign Service. Serving across Europe, Central Asia, and the United States during pivotal global moments - including the Yugoslav civil war, the devolution of the USSR, and Germany’s reunification - she witnessed firsthand how culture shapes resilience in the face of adversity.
Building Culture in Business​
These formative experiences shaped Birthe’s approach to working with global organisations.
She saw how personal backgrounds and lived experiences manifest in the workplace; informing communication styles, decision-making, relationship-building, and responses to market demands, regulatory pressures, and client expectations.​
The Emergence of Culture Dividend
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This lifelong exploration of cultural dynamics led to the founding of Culture Dividend; a consultancy dedicated to helping organisations harness culture as a strategic advantage.
Think of culture as a living organism, like a tree. Its roots, trunk, growth rings, branches, and leaves reveal how an organisation is shaped, its state of health, and its potential to flourish and grow.​
The will to succeed, to seek solutions, to uncover new opportunities; and above all, the enduring truth that we are always stronger together.
They revealed the foundational principle that guides Culture Dividend today: the existential culture levers of trust, accountability, and collaboration are the roots from which your business will grow.
At Culture Dividend, we help you cultivate an ecosystem that nurtures your organisational vitality. We transform abstract concepts - trust, accountability, collaboration and inspiration - into everyday behaviours that sustain performance and growth.
