Transforming Play: How the LEGO Group Builds the Future with Purpose in the AI and Digital Age

In May 2023, the product leadership team of the LEGO Group convenes at its headquarters in Billund, Denmark, for the annual portfolio meeting. Led by Julia Goldin, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, who aims to outline the strategic agenda for the next four years. Under her leadership, LEGO has undergone significant transformation, driving growth through innovations in product strategy and development. Key initiatives include introducing new portfolio and development frameworks, reshaping organizational culture, refining the LEGO Product Development process, and leveraging the Creative Play Lab for research and discovery. The team has also ventured into service-oriented and circular business models, gaming, and the metaverse. Meanwhile it must contend with the financial challenge of moving from plastic bricks to renewable and recycled materials.
The team is confronted with pressing questions: How to prioritize among ambitious sustainability and inclusion goals? Which emerging technologies—such as AI, VR, and the metaverse—should guide their investments? Is the organization equipped to scale these innovations and achieve profitable growth? Balancing demands for reinvention with LEGO’s legacy as a global force for ‘learning through play’, Julia and her team embark on a journey to reshape the future of the iconic brand.

- To explore the drivers and processes behind successful organizational transformation, including the reshaping of culture, redesign of processes, and strategic alignment in product development, as exemplified by the LEGO Group.
- To examine how to balance reinvention with legacy, y fostering organizational alignment and creating a compelling vision to guide decision-making in a complex, fast-changing environment.
- To analyze how companies integrate sustainability into their core business models while maintaining profitability, particularly in industries with high material costs and environmental pressures.
- To evaluate strategic decision-making in adopting and investing in emerging technologies such as AI, VR, and the metaverse—to ensure scalable and profitable growth.
- To gain insight into the interplay between innovation, sustainability and visionary leadership as foundations for competitive advantage and long-term success.