As we step into the new year, Upflex CEO Christophe Garnier talks not only about celebrating our accomplishments, but staying committed to our obligations.
As we hit our stride in the new year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the tremendous changes we’ve seen in the workplace this past year, and those that lie ahead. We have now widespread proof of concept that, for companies of all types and sizes, the flexible workplace can improve both professional and personal lives. Companies still hoping for a full-time “return to office” will struggle not to be left behind as the world moves forward with hybrid work. For many, 2022 will be a shake-out. Upflex is now uniquely positioned to help companies succeed in this new world of work.
Because our mission is to empower the hybrid workplace, the past year has been one of unprecedented growth and milestones. Our team tripled in size, welcoming amazing humans around the world who accomplished wonderful things by working together as one team. We also established new European headquarters in London, launched a major partnership in India, and signed up a record number of new Space Partners around the world, giving our members access to some 40,000 desks, offices and meeting rooms across 5,500 workspaces to choose from in more than 75 countries. We are on track for significant growth and continued expansion in 2022. But as we step into the new year, I’m not here just to celebrate our accomplishments; I’m here to talk about our obligations.
Our resolution, this year and all years, is to stay focused on our core mission: building a safe and environmentally responsible workplace.
As global warming intensifies, the destruction wrought by climate change is all around us, from wildfires to super-tornadoes to flash floods, flattening communities and costing lives. To fight back, the world of work needs to find new ways to become efficient, and we must make this a priority every single day, with every aspect of our lives: our transportation, our homes, our work—and our workspace. We don’t need to build more new office real estate around the world. We need to be smarter about taking advantage of the real estate we already have.
This is why our team is dedicated to building technology that reduces work’s impact on the environment: Upflex’s hybrid work solutions don’t just help replace commutes with quality time, or support family-friendly, people-first workplace policies; they empower companies to conserve energy, reduce waste, chop emissions, even remove carbon from our atmosphere.
We know we bear a responsibility to future generations to do better, and as we grow and expand in 2022, that responsibility will remain our lodestar.
With that, the challenges of the global pandemic continue to be a part of our daily life — and daily work. We launched Safe Spaces™ to help our community quickly identify the rigorous health and safety protocols our space operators have put in place to keep them safe while they get the job done. We are hopeful that this endeavor will help teams across the world reconvene in person in 2022; and I truly hope that this year, we regain that freedom we once had to move freely through the world again, to travel, to gather, to hug and kiss and dance without fear.
I want to close by thanking you all for your continued support. We feel lucky to be a part of the professional community of people working to transform the workplace. We are all here to make sure that the momentum continues, to hold the industry accountable for change, to educate and mobilize and do whatever it takes to secure a better workplace for everyone. That is the common goal we all share, and we will only succeed by working together. On behalf of our team, I wish you and your loved ones a healthy and successful 2022.
Cheers,
Christophe Garnier
CEO, Upflex
