The OKR Podcast Modernizing Strategy Execution at Global Scale
Jan 7, 2026
Milan Červenka, Product Line Lead of Strategic Management at MSD, shares insights on modernizing strategy at a 130-year-old global enterprise. He reveals the challenges of fragmented OKR practices and highlights how a unified system with WorkBoard is transforming execution. Milan discusses the importance of standardized data for alignment and the shift from cumbersome QBRs to data-driven meetings. He also touches on the role of AI in enhancing coordination, making individual priorities clearer, and encouraging cross-functional transparency in decision-making.
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Decades-Old Fragmented OKR Journey
- Milan describes MSD's long, fragmented OKR history that included nine different OKR tools across the company.
- He recounts consolidating onto a single platform (Viva Goals then WorkBoard) to stop duplicated effort and wasted investment.
Systems Replace Coordination Overhead
- Milan argues systems are necessary for global organizations to avoid blind coordination and reduce manual churn.
- A central tool elevates capacity so people can focus on creative, impactful work rather than manual aggregation.
Choose Tools By Fit And Sustainability
- Evaluate tools for ecosystem fit, easy UX, vendor stability, and total cost of ownership before choosing a platform.
- Avoid vendors that treat strategy execution as a peripheral feature or that look unsustainably small.