AWA - Advanced Workplace Associates
main-logo
AWA Home > AWA Institute > Webinar – Should we stay or should we go… or do something completely different? Our Work
Back to all events

Register for the webinar

Date: Wednesday 4 September

Time: 10am ET/ 3pm UK  / 7.30pm IST

Where: Online

Once upon a time when an office lease was due to expire, a CRE leader would sit with his agent, share current headcount and growth plans and establish the quantum of space needed based on a simple calculation and some ideas about location.

Those days are long gone. The decision is way more complex.

So how are leading occupiers tackling this complexity? What does best practice look like? What should organisations do to secure the right quantum of space to futureproof their operations and when should they act?

During this one-hour webinar, attendees will:

  • Learn how leading organizations are navigating the complexities of lease decisions and future-proofing their operations, ensuring you stay ahead of industry trends.
  • Gain valuable insights into when and how to make critical decisions about your office space, from renewing leases to exploring new, flexible leasing models.
  • Delve into discussions about the evolving purpose of office spaces in the modern work environment and how to align your office strategy with organizational goals.
  • Explore different working styles, such as various hybrid work models, and understand how to implement them to meet the needs of your workforce.

Seth Jacob – Project Consultant, Country Financial

COUNTRY Financial is one of the US’s leading Financial Services and Insurance firms. Post Pandemic ‘COUNTRY’ wished to consolidate its real estate portfolio to recognise the new hybrid working terrain.

Seth Jacob, has been in the heart of the real estate strategy development process and has overseen the consolidation of multiple office locations into a newly renovated headquarters campus in Bloomington, IL. Seth will share his experiences and lessons from the process.

Seth joined COUNTRY Financial in late 2019, just six months before the COVID-19 pandemic began and has played a pivotal role in navigating the organisation through unprecedented changes. Seth graduated from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has over 17 years of experience in the Architecture and Construction field.

COUNTRY Financial is a leading Financial Services and Insurance provider serving nearly one million households and businesses across 19 states in the U.S. The company employs over 3,000 people and has more than 2,000 financial representatives.

Jonathon Knight – Head of Workplace Strategy, Motability

Motability is the UK’s leading provider of finance for leasing for people with disabilities. Towards the end of the pandemic, it had a break clause on its’ HQ building in London.

Jonathon Knight led a process to determine the future of Motability’s HQ and will share his story and the process Motability adopted.

Jonathan is Head of Workplace Strategy at Motability, he brings a comprehensive knowledge of Integrated Facilities Management, Real Estate, and Contract Management and is known for his determination and ability to provide excellent customer service, energy, and innovation to his stakeholders. Jonathan graduated from Staffordshire University and has almost 20 years of experience in Facilities Management.

Motability provides finance for leasing vehicles to people with disabilities, ensuring they have access to reliable and accessible transportation. This includes comprehensive packages that cover insurance, maintenance, and breakdown assistance, making the process seamless and worry-free for users.

Trevor Alldridge – Director of Operations, AWA

Trevor is a veteran of the workplace and real estate world having has over 30 years as an expert with JLL, AOS and Opus 4 (his own firm). Trevor will contrast the pre-pandemic world with the new old of hybrid and the challenges and opportunities it brings for occupiers.

Trevor has directed and led workplace consultancy and workplace change management assignments for organisations including Orange, France Telecom, Disney, Hewitt, Pitney Bowes, Atos, Gilead, Swift, RBS and Natexis BP.

Izabel Barros – Senior Associate, AWA

Izabel is a recognised industry expert in change management and is a senior associate at AWA.

She is passionate about enabling global organizations to promote innovation, manage complex change and design work experiences that support people and place through the intersection of innovation, culture, and design.

With a PhD in Strategic Design from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology, she has helped organisations and leaders across the world to envision the evolution of work and implement new work experiences, intellectual capital measurement systems, and manage the resultant change.