The Healthcare Switch That Almost Backfired: What BVI Medical's CPO Learned About Chasing Cost Savings at the Expense of Employees - Beyond the Paycheck

Topics in this episode

Pay equity Total Rewards Compensation strategy CPO global benefits

Episode notes

Summary Designing fair, effective compensation and benefits across countries isn’t about finding a unicorn vendor - it’s about listening locally and leading with care. Andy Dawson, Chief People Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs at BVI Medical, brings two decades of global HR experience (UK, Switzerland, US; Novartis alum) to unpack how he builds programs that work for diverse markets, life stages, and frontline populations. He shares why BVI rejected a “perfect on paper” U.S. healthcare renewal after a disruption analysis, how pulse and onboarding data guide local benefit design, and why money alone delivers only short-term engagement. Andy dives into pay equity, transparent ranges, and hiring for potential (not years of experience), plus simple-but-powerful communication tactics - like a quarterly “B Well” newsletter - that help employees actually use their benefits. Expect a pragmatic blueprint for localizing global benefits, balancing costs with continuity of care, and empowering managers to make fair, human decisions. Timestamps [00:45] - Guest intro: global HR journey from UK/Switzerland to the U.S.