The InterCOOltural Summit brought India, Germany, and Portugal together to celebrate diversity and collaboration across borders.

Last month, we held our first Intercultural Exchange as Volkswagen Group Digital Solutions, an initiative designed to bring together colleagues from Portugal, Germany, and India. The idea behind the initiative was simple: to create a space where we could explore our cultural diversity, understand different ways of working, and strengthen our shared values as part of the Group’s integration journey. The event took place in Lisbon, at the Volkswagen Group DigitalSolutions [Portugal] headquarters, over two half-days filled with 30-minute sessions that mixed short talks, open discussions, and personal stories, offering a rich mix of perspectives. From inspiring messages about collaboration and belonging by our Group CEO, Sidhart Yadav, and local CEO, Felix Krueger, to a dynamic panel with the People Leaders from across the Group discussing how culture shapes our daily work and relationships, the sessions offered both reflection and connection.

Bridging cultures through shared values

At Volkswagen Group Digital Solutions, we believe our strength lies in our people and in the diversity of cultures, ideas, and experiences that shape who we are. Our evolution toward a common culture across countries and teams marks a new chapter in our growth as One Group. That’s also why we called this event “InterCOOLtural.” Beyond celebrating our cultural diversity, one of the goals was to deepen our understanding of what it means to live our COOL Culture every day, in every team, and across every location. The “COOL” in InterCOOLtural stands for our four core principles and these values guide how we connect, innovate, and lead together – turning cultural diversity into a real driver of innovation and belonging. As we move forward, the insights and stories shared during this event will help us continue to bring the COOL mindset to life through Zero Distance Leadership, Extreme Ownership, Curiosity, Customer Obsession, and Technology Leadership, shaping not only how we work, but who we are as one global team.

A space for understanding and collaboration

For me, the InterCOOltural Summit was more than just a cultural exchange, it was a reflection of who we are as a company and how our values come to life. As Amit Khatri, Head of Talent Management, Acquisition, HR COE & RMG in India shared, “The InterCOOltural Summit reaffirmed that our greatest strength lies in our shared purpose – when we unite diverse minds under one vision, collaboration turns into collective excellence.” Across all talks, one message stood out: while our cultures may shape us differently, our COOL values connect us deeply. “COOL Culture helps us build trust, connection, and a shared direction no matter where we sit!” as Joana Martins Interim for People Director in Portugal put it. As Laura-Ann Huebsch Team Leader ECM Documentum in Germany noted, from daily rituals to decision-making, colleagues shared how they live these values locally, proving that COOL Culture is not about geography, but about mindset, collaboration, and shared purpose. 

If there’s one thing I hope everyone takes away from this experience, it’s that these conversations will keep influencing how we work and grow together across time zones and teams.