The Business of Meetings – Episode 246 – From Cirque Du Soleil to FIFA 2026: Organizational Design for Major Events with Geneviève Retzlaff
We are thrilled to have Geneviève Retzlaff join us today!
After having a fulfilling career with various organizations, including seven impactful years in HR at Cirque du Soleil, Geneviève founded Grow Better Together.
In this episode, we dive into her experience with Cirque du Soleil, her work with FIFA, and her insights on venues. We also explore how organizations can structure themselves more effectively, particularly their collaboration with the meetings and events industry.
Starting Her Career at Cirque du Soleil
Beginning her career at Cirque du Soleil allowed Geneviève to fulfill a lifelong dream. She received an unexpected interview opportunity while traveling in Peru and landed her first HR role at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal. Her role allowed her to immerse herself in the dynamic and highly creative environment of the Cirque du Soleil.
Touring Life and Creative Immersion
Eager to expand her experience, Geneviève soon transitioned to a touring position with Cirque, joining the iconic Saltimbanco production. Touring gave her a crash course in adaptability and allowed her to appreciate the balance between creativity and logistical precision required in live entertainment. She loved being with a traveling show and feeling part of a unique, close-knit family.
Returning to Montreal and Building a Family
When Saltimbanco ended, Geneviève returned to Montreal, taking on a senior HR role at the Cirque headquarters. During that period, she met her husband, started a family, and solidified her talent management and team development within the entertainment industry.
A Shift to Coaching and Consulting
Moving to Munich with her husband opened a new chapter for Geneviève in her career. Joining the film industry before launching her HR consulting business allowed her to combine professional growth with the flexibility she needed for family life. As a certified transformational coach, she now focuses on helping leaders align their teams with their business goals while creating environments where employees can thrive.
The Culture of Cirque du Soleil
Geneviève describes the culture of Cirque du Soleil as a remarkable blend of creativity, artistry, and meticulous planning. Each touring show had its unique atmosphere, and the experience of working within such an innovative organization left a lasting impact on her approach to leadership and team building.
Supporting FIFA
Geneviève currently contributes to how FIFA prepares for events like the FIFA World Cup 2026. Her role involves equipping teams with the tools and resilience to manage day-to-day requirements and challenges of large-scale events. She focuses on fostering agility, collaboration, and sustainable performance.
Leadership Principles and Personal Growth
Geneviève emphasizes the importance of values-driven leadership and fostering a growth mindset. She leverages tools like CliftonStrengths to empower individuals and teams, highlighting the importance of self-awareness, delegation, and adaptability. Her journey exemplifies how aligning personal and professional values can lead to meaningful and impactful work.
Giving Feedback and Team Evaluation
Geneviève highlights the importance of regular feedback to foster productivity and clarity within teams and recommends quarterly reviews. To overcome resistance, she reframes reviews as productivity tools that offer long-term benefits despite the short-term effort they require. Regular feedback helps team members understand their roles, harness their strengths, and stay motivated.
Enhancing Engagement
Geneviève prefers initiatives that tap into employee strengths to increase engagement. She begins with surveys to assess the state of the teams, identify challenges, and define the success metrics. After the project has been completed she revisits the surveys. She does it again six months later to track progress and make adjustments. By focusing on sustainable improvements, she ensures teams remain engaged and energized.
Simple Tools for Measurement
While Geneviève has not yet integrated AI tools into her processes, she relies on straightforward methods like Google Forms to measure team engagement. Although she recognizes the potential of more advanced tools, she finds her approach effective and adaptable.
A Vision for Human-Centric Organizations
Geneviève would love to see more organizations embrace a human-centric approach. That desire drives her as she strives to show leaders the transformative power of valuing and nurturing their teams.
Bio:
Geneviève Retzlaff is the founder and CEO of Grow Better Together, specializing in aligning people and organizations at the intersection of human dynamics and business. In this space, she navigates the intangible elements that define organizations—attitudes, values, goals, and practices—and finds ways to harmonize them. With 15 years of experience in HR partnership and talent development combined with over 6 years acting as a certified executive & team performance coach, she guides companies through:
- Leadership and team development
- Creating organizational capacity and efficiency for venues to host large-scale events
- Aligning human strategies with business strategy
Geneviève thrives on empowering teams to achieve shared goals by embracing strengths-based, values-driven leadership.
Connect with Eric Rozenberg
On LinkedIn
Connect with Geneviève Retzlaff
On LinkedIn
