A Safe Space to Connect Through Vulnerability

Barilla fostered real connections among HR leaders by celebrating failure.

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The evening’s agenda was thoughtfully designed: in collaboration with Fuckup Nights, Barilla hosted a private storytelling dinner for 26 members of its extended HR leadership team at the Ode aan de Amstel restaurant in Amsterdam. As part of a two-day global offsite that included strategic sessions and transformation workshops, this dinner offered a distinct, memorable space for connection.

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Among topics like AI, ESG, and experience design, one moment stood out for its emotional impact: the Fuckup Night.

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A Format Designed for HR Leaders

The experience followed a three-course dinner format. Between each dish, speakers from diverse roles shared their most meaningful failure stories. This structure encouraged reflective dialogue, strengthened relationships, and fostered a culture of openness—making it easier for vulnerability to emerge.

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Two separate areas—one for dining, one for listening—encouraged full engagement with each story.

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Camila Cortés, EMEA Expansion Lead for Fuckup Nights, moderated the evening with warmth and empathy.

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What Makes This Format Special for HR and Leadership Teams

With operations in over 100 countries and nearly 9,000 employees, Barilla knows authentic leadership is essential to long-term success.

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The Fuckup Nights format helped reinforce key leadership values:

• RRadical candor: creating room for honesty and vulnerability without fear.
• Psychological safety: building spaces where it’s safe to speak up—and fail.
• Human-centered leadership: placing real people (and their real stories) at the heart of change.

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“Radical candor is not a weakness. It’s the gateway to trust, growth, and better collaboration.” — Anna Alberti, Global HR Director, Barilla Group

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A Transformative Night for Global Teams and Leaders

This experience was designed to foster deep connection and authentic reflection. 

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As Anna Alberti described it, it was "a deeply human and emotional experience. "  

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Events like these allow teams to show up more honestly and build stronger bonds—reminding us that professional development is inseparable from human growth.

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By sharing stories of setbacks, Barilla’s team explored what it means to lead with empathy, courage, and openness. Change stems not just from strategy, but from leading through uncertainty with clarity and care.

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"It was a deeply human, emotional experience that left us energized for what lies ahead." — Anna Alberti, Global HR Director, Barilla Group

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This leads to an important question: Why choose a Fuckup Night rather than traditional team-building activities like scissors and Post-Its?

These events do more than "break the ice." They spark meaningful conversation and real team connection.

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In a world of constant change and growing disconnection, HR can drive innovation through learning—even (especially) from failure.

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Bringing Fuckup Nights into your leadership experiences:

• Build team cohesion through vulnerability.
• Encourages growth mindsets among leaders.
• Sparks real conversations beyond corporate speak.
• Shows that leadership is human, too.

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About the Moderator

Camila Cortés is EMEA Expansion Lead for Fuckup Nights. She designs and facilitates leadership experiences rooted in vulnerability and honest storytelling.