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Unite 25 | From Ten to ONE: Building a Business Case for Unifying 42,000 Jefferson Employees

On-Demand
44 Minutes

What happens when eight mergers and acquisitions leave you with ten intranets, competing systems, and 42,000 employees struggling to stay connected? Jefferson faced exactly that challenge. In this Unite 25 session, the team behind the university and health system’s award-winning intranet shares how they turned complexity into clarity and built a single digital home that unites everyone across campuses, hospitals, and offices.

 

Session Overview

After years of rapid growth through merger and acquisition, Jefferson found itself with a fragmented digital landscape. Ten separate intranets meant inconsistent communication, duplicated content, and employees unsure where to find what they needed. The solution was ONE — a unified platform designed to bring together 42,000 people under one seamless experience.

“We didn’t just build another intranet. We built a space where every employee belongs.”
Samantha Magaard, Lead UX/UI Designer, Jefferson 

In this candid session, Katie Maloney (Senior Director, Internal Communications, Jefferson) and Samantha Magaard (Lead UX/UI Designer, Jefferson) unpack the journey of creating a digital workplace that truly reflects the organization’s mission and culture. From conducting 31 executive interviews and seven employee personas to running extensive focus groups, their process was rooted in empathy and evidence.

The result is more than just a new intranet. It’s a cultural reset. ONE connects employees across functions and geographies, dramatically reduces help desk queries, and gives everyone a single source of truth. It’s proof that when you design around how employees actually think and work, engagement follows. 

“Employees don’t think in departmental silos - so why should your intranet?”
Katie Maloney, Senior Director, Internal Communications, Jefferson

Key Insights (What You’ll Learn)

  • How to build a compelling business case for unifying fragmented digital systems.
  • The human-centered research methods Jefferson used to map employee needs and pain points.
  • Strategies for aligning executive vision with day-to-day employee reality.
  • How a unified platform can reduce operational friction and boost engagement.
  • Lessons learned from leading change across a complex higher-ed and healthcare environment. 

Why Watch

  • See how Jefferson turned ten disconnected systems into one cohesive digital experience.
  • Learn practical steps for managing stakeholder alignment and governance through M&A.
  • Discover how UX design and employee listening shaped every aspect of ONE’s build.
  • Walk away with a blueprint for simplifying and scaling your own digital workplace. 

Who Should Watch

Perfect for internal communications, IT, and digital workplace professionals navigating post-merger integration or leading large-scale intranet consolidation projects. 

Meet the speakers:

Katie Maloney - Senior Director, Internal Communications, Jefferson

Katie led the strategic vision and communications approach behind ONE, driving executive alignment and ensuring the platform served as a true cultural unifier.

Samantha Magaard - Lead UX/UI Designer, Jefferson

Samantha guided the design and user experience strategy for ONE, ensuring every feature and visual element reflected the needs and voices of Jefferson’s employees.