Marianne Viftrup Hedegaard
Marianne holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Copenhagen, where she also earned her master’s degree. She specializes in cultural and organizational development and helps create inclusive workplaces through leadership development, analytical work, DEI programs, teaching, and strategic user involvement. Marianne applies a systemic approach to working with organizations and leadership, grounded in the complex, everyday realities of employees and leaders – their meaning-making practices, as well as the social dynamics, norms, and cultural logics that shape the organization and influence well-being, collaboration, and task execution.
Marianne has ten years of experience in cultural analysis and ethnographic methods, including interview techniques, fieldwork, focus groups, and observational studies. Her work is driven by a commitment to creating practice-oriented analyses and development processes that are closely tied to the specific realities that organizations and workplaces face.
In addition to her work at LEAD, Marianne is affiliated with the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies at the University of Copenhagen as an external lecturer. There, she teaches qualitative methods, cultural and social theory, and anthropological analysis – drawing on the latest research to inform her work at LEAD.
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Selected Publications
Mindful Work. An Ethnography of Mindfulness and the Sociality of feeling in Danish Workplaces. PhD-dissertation, Københavns Universitet 2020
The Mindful Gardener and the Good Employee: Mindfulness Practice and Affective Labor in Danish Workplaces. University of Hawaii Press 2020
Marianne Viftrup Hedegaard Experience in the United Nations system
Marianne Viftrup Hedegaard holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Copenhagen and specializes in cultural and organizational development, with a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She supports organizations – public, private, and non-profit – in building inclusive workplaces through leadership development, analytical work, DEI programming, teaching, and strategic user engagement.
With ten years of experience in cultural analysis and ethnographic methods – including qualitative interviews, fieldwork, focus groups, and observational studies – Marianne brings a systemic approach to organizational change. Her work is grounded in the complex realities of employees and leaders: their meaning-making practices as well as the social dynamics, norms, and cultural logics that shape their specific organization. This enables her to design practice-oriented analyses and development processes that are closely aligned with the specific challenges faced by teams – also within multicultural workplaces.
Marianne’s expertise is highly relevant for UN agencies, NGOs, and multilateral organizations seeking to strengthen intercultural understanding, foster inclusive environments, and enhance collaboration across diverse stakeholder groups. Her approach ensures that organizational strategies are informed by deep cultural insight and empirical research.
In addition to her consultancy work at LEAD, Marianne is affiliated with the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies at the University of Copenhagen. There she teaches in qualitative methods, cultural theory, and anthropological analysis – drawing on cutting-edge research to inform both her academic teaching and practical consultancy.