In the heart of the financial world, where the pace is relentless and the stakes are high, I carved out a successful career that spanned continents and cultures. From the bustling streets of London to the mangrove of Abu Dhabi, my life in finance was a whirlwind of high-profile deals and the constant chase for the next big success. Amid the glamour and the adrenaline, however, lay a quest for deeper fulfillment—a yearning for purpose that transcended the allure of financial rewards and professional accolades.

This quest led me down an unexpected path, from the comfortable world of finance to the innovative realm of corporate wellness. The transition was not just a career change but a step in a journey of self-discovery and transformation I have been on since adolescence. It was driven by an innate desire to make a meaningful impact, by a need to create, to build something that aligned with my core values and my vision for a better world.

My personal journey mirrors the empirical findings of Wrzesniewski and colleagues (2003), who elucidate the significance of viewing work as a calling rather than merely a job or career. Their research highlights how perceiving one's work as a calling, characterized by a profound alignment with one's personal values and a sense of contribution to the greater good, is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and well-being (Wrzesniewski et al., 2003). This empirical evidence validates the deeper quest for meaning and purpose in our professional lives, underscoring the pivotal role of work that resonates with our core values and aspirations.

The Spark of Transformation

My journey into finance was not accidental. It was a choice driven by ambition, curiosity, and a desire to excel in a field that promised challenge and opportunity. For over a decade, I thrived in this environment, learning the intricacies of the financial world and navigating its complexities with curiosity and enthusiasm. Yet, as I reached the “pinnacle” of my career, I found myself grappling with questions that went beyond the balance sheets and deal negotiations. What was the purpose of all this success? How could I leverage my skills and experience for a cause that resonated with my inner values?

The answer came in the form of a deep-seated passion for well-being—a concept that my visionary parents had instilled in me from a young age. They taught me that true success was not just about professional achievements but also about living a balanced and fulfilling life. This philosophy, coupled with my personal experiences in the high-pressure world of finance, ignited a desire to explore the field of corporate wellness.

The MAPP Influence: A Foundation for Change

The University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program was the crucible in which my passion for well-being was melded with scientific rigor, shaping my future endeavors. Immersed in a community of scholars and practitioners, I was introduced to the foundational works of positive psychology giants like Martin Seligman, whose research on human flourishing provided a new lens through which to view organizational health.

The MAPP experience underscored the importance of evidence-based, adaptable interventions that resonate on a human level. The resilience training work conducted by Karen Reivich, Director of Training Programs at the University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center, particularly resonated with me, offering insights into deploying well-being interventions at scale in high-pressure environments.

Guided by Director of Performance Psychology at The Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Gloria Park, my MAPP capstone project was not just an academic exercise; it was a deep dive into my newly-found passion: exploring how evidence-based well-being interventions could be effectively scaled within corporate environments.

This is where the principles of implementation science become invaluable. This interdisciplinary field focuses on the assimilation of research findings and evidence-based practices into routine operations, ultimately aiming to enhance the quality and effectiveness of services (Eccles & Mittman, 2006). It's a crucial bridge between academic knowledge and real-world practice, offering strategies to overcome barriers and promote the sustainable implementation of evidence-based interventions (Nilsen, 2015). An intervention might yield positive results in a research setting, but how can you spread it in a cost-effective manner in the real world? Which credentials and competencies will you require from your trainers if it must be deployed to the 200 subsidiaries of a large corporation? How will you collect feedback from the participants, the decision-makers, and the trainers to inform continuous improvements?

As I endeavored to answer these questions in my MAPP capstone project, I set a new roadmap for my company, Goalmap, envisaging a platform where the science of well-being could be seamlessly integrated into the fabric of organizational life.

The Need For Systematic and Science-Based Approaches to Employee Well-Being

Workplace well-being strategies have traditionally been narrow, focusing mainly on stress reduction and burnout prevention. This approach, while offering temporary relief, falls short of fostering enduring employee well-being and productivity. The research underscores that programs centered solely on physical health and stress management deliver fleeting benefits with minimal impact on overall job satisfaction and engagement (Bakker & Schaufeli, 2008; Goetzel et al., 2014). They also overlook the nuanced interplay between personal, social, and organizational factors that influence well-being, resulting in a one-size-fits-all strategy insufficient for diverse employee needs (Nielsen et al., 2017).

The pivotal role of employee well-being in organizational success cannot be overstated; it directly influences productivity, engagement, and retention. Disengaged workers present a significant economic burden, costing the global economy approximately $8.8 trillion annually due to reduced productivity and higher turnover rates (Gallup, 2023). Mental ill-health further exacerbates this, leading to an estimated $1 trillion in lost productivity each year (World Health Organization, 2019). Despite these stark figures, the implementation of effective well-being interventions remains a challenge. Organizations often prioritize short-term financial goals and operational efficiencies, limiting resources allocated to comprehensive well-being initiatives (Pfeffer, 2010). This reactive corporate culture, combined with nascent stages of well-being strategies and traditional business models that overlook the tangible benefits of well-being investment, necessitates a paradigm shift. Emphasizing and demonstrating the strategic value of investing in employee well-being is essential for fostering a thriving, resilient workforce and ensuring long-term organizational health and productivity.

Corporate Wellness Innovation at Goalmap

As Goalmap evolves, we stay rooted in innovation, constantly refining our offerings based on the latest research and stakeholder feedback. Our mission remains clear: to transform workplaces into environments where well-being is paramount, supporting organizations in nurturing their most valuable asset—their people.

Our platform distinguishes itself by offering a comprehensive catalog of interventions that address mental and physical health and safety, ensuring a well-rounded approach to well-being. With a catalog of approximately 300 carefully scripted interventions, we cater to a broad spectrum of well-being needs. From initiating warm-up exercises at the start of the workday in logistics companies to prevent musculoskeletal pain to conducting workshops on active constructive responding for managers and organizing "lunch & learn" sessions on breast cancer prevention, our interventions are designed to foster overall employee well-being.  

In 2024, Goalmap is on track to grow 100% year-over-year for the fifth consecutive year and deliver more than 10,000 well-being interventions, primarily in-person, showcasing the increasing scalability of the operational model—without reliance on venture capital. Our commitment to in-person interventions resonates in a post-Covid world, emphasizing the human need for connection and interaction. This expansion has been enabled by a strategic embrace of automation, digitization, and the continuous development of web applications tailored for our clients, trainers, and internal team. Our network of 500+ trainers enables us to recruit and deploy well-being professionals across France, ensuring that we can offer tailored interventions that meet the specific needs of our clients. However, this agility comes with its challenges, necessitating robust screening and training processes to maintain the targeted quality and effectiveness of our interventions. 

Serving esteemed blue chips and large public organizations in France, including the Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Justice, Goalmap is gaining visibility in a still highly fragmented landscape.

Envisioning the Future of Corporate Wellness

The future of corporate wellness is poised for a transformative shift towards standardization and portability of well-being skills, akin to established practices in industries like manufacturing. Imagine a universally recognized gold standard for well-being competencies. This concept, inspired by the likes of ISO certifications (International Organization for Standardization), aims to streamline wellness interventions, ensuring quality and enhancing productivity across the board. Such a universal repository of authenticated well-being skills could serve as a comprehensive resource, enabling employees to access the right training at the right time, fostering proactive approaches to well-being, and allowing for the seamless integration of wellness into the fabric of organizational and individual development.

This vision extends to redefining skills ownership through the concept of portability, moving from an organization-centric to an employee-centric model. Portable well-being skills, verified through secure technologies like blockchain, promise to reduce training redundancy and enhance the propagation of critical wellness competencies. Employees could carry these verified skills throughout their careers, much like passports, bolstering a culture where wellness is integral to professional growth.

As we chart this course, the synergy between standardization, portability, and digital innovation will not only unlock new avenues for scalability and impact but also foster a culture where well-being is a universally valued and integral part of professional development. The path to this future requires collaboration among wellness providers, organizations, employees, and policymakers, underscoring the shared commitment to enhancing workplace wellness. By embracing these innovations, we can collectively drive towards a future where corporate wellness programs are not just beneficial but essential for the thriving of individuals and organizations alike.

My journey from finance to founding Goalmap has been more than a career shift; it represents a profound transformation toward aligning professional endeavors with deep personal values. Leveraging insights from the MAPP program, Goalmap hasnot only increased participant satisfaction from 8.9 to 9.2 out of 10 since 2021 but also quadrupled our intervention outreach, demonstrating that well-being practices can scale effectively and meaningfully. Yet, the journey doesn't end here. The ambition to revolutionize workplace wellness by introducing standardized and portable well-being skills is a call to action for a societal shift—a movement toward recognizing and prioritizing holistic well-being at the core of our professional lives. This vision extends beyond Goalmap, inviting collaborators, innovators, and leaders across the globe to join forces. Together, we stand on the brink of a new era, where the integration of well-being into the workplace transcends aspiration and becomes a measurable, impactful reality for everyone. In championing this transformation, we not only aim to enhance personal fulfillment and organizational success but also contribute to a more resilient, thriving society.

References

Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2008). Positive organizational behavior: Engaged employees in flourishing organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(2), 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.515

Eccles, M. P., & Mittman, B. S. (2006). Welcome to Implementation Science. Implementation Science, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-1-1 

Goetzel, R. Z., Henke, R. M., Tabrizi, M., Pelletier, K. R., Loeppke, R., Ballard, D. W., Grossmeier, J., Anderson, D. R., Yach, D., Kelly, R. K., McCalister, T., Serxner, S., Selecky, C., Shallenberger, L. G., Fries, J. F., Baase, C., Isaac, F., Crighton, K. A., Wald, P. ... Metz, R. D. (2014). Do workplace health promotion (wellness) programs work? Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 56(9), 927. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000000276 

Nielsen, K., Nielsen, M. B., Ogbonnaya, C., Känsälä, M., Saari, E., & Isaksson, K. (2017). Workplace resources to improve both employee well-being and performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Work & Stress, 31(2), 101–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2017.1304463

Nilsen, P. (2015). Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks. Implementation Science, 10(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0242-0

Pfeffer, J. (2010). Building sustainable organizations: The human factor. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(1), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMP.2010.50304415

World Health Organization. (2019). Mental health in the workplace. https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/mental-health-in-the-workplace

Wrzesniewski, A., Rozin, P., & Bennett, G. (2003). Working, playing, and eating: Making the most of most moments. In C. L. M. Keyes & J. Haidt (Eds.), Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well-lived (pp. 185–204). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10594-008

About the author | Damien Catani's (C’23) career trajectory embodies a remarkable pivot from the high-stakes world of international finance to the pioneering field of corporate well-being. Beginning his professional journey in M&A at JPMorgan, Damien's path took him across global financial capitals from Paris to Abu Dhabi. Despite a successful career and a comfortable lifestyle, Damien felt a deeper calling that resonated with his foundational values of well-being, instilled by his forward-thinking parents.

In 2023, Damien enriched his expertise by completing theMaster of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania. This experience profoundly influenced the direction of his company, Goalmap, integrating evidence-based practices into corporate well-being interventions. Under his leadership, Goalmap has flourished, offering a holistic suite of well-being programs that emphasize physical health, mental resilience, and workplace safety, and is set for international expansion.

Damien's journey from the finance sector to the forefront of employee well-being exemplifies the power of aligning personal values with professional endeavors. As a MAPP alumnus, Damien aspires to build a world where work is a vector of personal fulfillment and accomplishment.

When not dedicating his efforts to Goalmap, Damien engages in personal projects that span a variety of interests. Among his recent endeavors are achieving a breath-hold of over six and a half minutes and swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar. His forthcoming book employs a musical metaphor—tuning in, composing, playing, orchestrating—to offer insights into goal-setting as a lifestyle and to share the harmonies of a life well-lived.