Five women and ten men, all between 30 and 50 years old, all volunteers.

For the past few days, these 15 managers from Luxembourg-based Flibco have been taking part in an experimental programme called “Managers for the Future.”

The initial promise: to provide them with meticulous medical support, as precise as that of a professional athlete.

“Right from the planning stage, our aim with this initiative has been to have a lasting and significant impact on the health of our employees,” says Flibco CEO Tobias Stüber. “We believe in a modern working environment that values health and wellbeing as much as productivity and hard work.”

“The pilot project will run throughout 2025,” continues the CEO. “At the end of this period, we will evaluate its impact in terms of feedback from participants, improvements in wellbeing and potential benefits for performance and corporate culture. If successful, we may consider extending the programme to a larger number of employees.”

The specialists

Two partners are working with Flibco. The first is Dr Carolin Baumgartner, a specialist in sports medicine. At the first session in Munich at the end of last week, she carried out a full health check of the 15 participants. She will be accompanying the group over the coming months.

“Rather than intervening when illnesses require treatment, we identify risk factors at an early stage and intervene proactively,” says Baumgartner. “This enables us to prevent many illnesses before they become serious health problems. It’s an approach we firmly believe in.”

And because Stüber’s philosophy is inspired by the world of sport, Flibco has also approached TSG Hoffenheim, a Bundesliga football club and (in the CEO’s phrasing) “pioneer in data-driven performance optimisation.”

“Our work has always been about optimising human performance--not just physically, but also mentally,” says the Baden-Württemberg club’s head of psychology and consultant, Jan Spielmann, who is also director of a research laboratory. “The methods we use to improve decision-making under pressure, manage stress and strengthen the resilience of our athletes can be applied to corporate leadership. We look forward to seeing how these principles translate into the business world through our partnership with Flibco.”

“Their expertise in using digital tools to improve decision-making and stress management aligns perfectly with our vision,” adds Stüber.

A battery of tests

After the check-up in February, Flibco’s guinea pig volunteers will in March be given “personalised recommendations tailored to the needs of each participant” in virtual one-to-one sessions with Baumgartner, “to encourage a lasting improvement in health.”

This will be followed in April by a two-day workshop at TSG Hoffenheim “to assess the mental attitude and stress levels” of the participants. That, in turn, will be followed by monthly focus groups with Baumgartner “to monitor treatment, answer questions and document individual progress.” Then comes another health check-up in the summer, also in Munich, “to analyse the results and draw up a detailed report.”

Mental and physical resilience

“True leadership is based on mental and physical resilience,” says Stüber. “That’s why each participant in the programme will undergo a series of in-depth medical and psychological assessments.”

The programme includes an exploration of a patient’s medical history; an electrocardiogram; ultrasound scans to examine the vascular condition, thyroid and abdomen; blood and urine tests; and other psychological tests.

“Flibco sees this initiative as experimental proof that responsibility for employee health lies not just with insurance companies, but also with the companies themselves,” says the CEO. “Investing in prevention and wellbeing is not just about reducing health risks, but actively shaping a healthier, more resilient workforce.”

This is not the first time that Flibco, which has 120 employees in the grand duchy and abroad--and which is owned by the SLG Group (1,750 employees in Luxembourg)--has made a name for itself with innovative HR initiatives.

In the past, the company has converted to management by results (rather than by the number of hours worked) and has introduced a four-day week. According to the company, these approaches have resulted in an absenteeism rate under 1%.

This article in French.