Zealand Pharma Engaged DSG Consulting to Establish a Unified Culture and People Strategy after Acquiring Valertias Holdins, Inc.
Zealand Pharma, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery, design, and development of innovative peptide-based medicines acquired Valeritas Holdings, Inc. in the spring/winter of 2020. Although employees were internationally dispersed with offices in Copenhagen, DK, New York City, NY, Boston, and Marlborough, MA, the leader in peptide therapeutics and novel treatment solutions set out on a venture to become key players in the US market.
The Challenge
Zealand Pharma partnered with DSG Consulting to conduct a comprehensive organizational assessment focused on hiring practices, partnership assessment methodologies, and overall goal-setting structures. Early in the engagement, it became clear that differences in cultural expectations between the Danish and American teams had created misalignment around the company’s approach to culture and inclusion. The assessment surfaced operational gaps, including structured interview criteria and scoring rubrics, limited partnership pipelines to support talent and culture initiatives, a lack of a formal performance management system to track employee development, and no early recruiting strategy.
The Tactics and Results
DSG Consulting developed two foundational training sessions to support the Danish team’s understanding of culture, leadership, and people practices within a U.S. business context. In addition, the team produced a comprehensive 23-page playbook for leadership, people operations, and management outlining practical frameworks for strengthening hiring, interviewing, partnership selection, and internal alignment.
The playbook included guidance on crafting a company values statement, best practices for structured interview processes, and a supplier engagement framework with a standardized evaluation rubric. DSG Consulting also recommended five mission-aligned organizations for long-term partnership development and introduced a strategic shift toward early-career recruitment by identifying nine HBCUs as potential pipeline partners.