What if the office wasn’t a place, but a platform? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of International Workplace Group (IWG), to unpack how hybrid work is reshaping where, and how we work. Long before “hybrid” was a buzzword, Mark saw the writing on the wall: people needed flexibility, and companies needed scalable, distributed solutions. Now, with over 4,500 coworking locations in 120+ countries, IWG is meeting that need.

Together, they explore offices 15 minutes from home, why the return-to-office debate misses the point, how the rise of commuter towns is reshaping economic maps, and why productivity in 2025 is about outputs, not hours. Mark shares data showing hybrid workers are not only more productive, but happier and healthier, and how companies that don’t adapt risk losing top talent. The conversation dives into leadership blind spots, the myth of culture tied to a building, and what organizations must do to curate connection, not just enforce presence.

If you’re rethinking office space, leadership culture, or how to keep your best people engaged, this episode is a must.

https://youtu.be/HEs_3X3cqsw

Guest Information:

Mark Dixon is the founder and CEO of International Workplace Group, the world’s largest operator of office and flexible workspaces. With hardly any starting capital, Mark had already launched, grown and sold a number of different businesses in the retail and wholesale food industry, by the time he founded IWG in 1989, after spotting businesspeople meeting around coffee tables. Now, the company rents out meeting rooms, office space by the hour, virtual offices and space in co-working sites across more than 120 countries. Mark has received many awards for enterprise and is widely acknowledged as one of the pioneers of the workspace industry who revolutionised the way business approaches its property needs with his vision of the future of work.

To find out more please visit: https://www.iwgplc.com/en-gb 

Chapters:

00:00 – What If the Office Was Never the Point?
01:30 – How a Coffee Shop Sparked the Future of Work
03:20 – Companies Wanted Flexibility Long Before Remote Work
05:15 – Tech Has Quietly Reshaped Work Since 1989
06:35 – Why RTO Is the Wrong Question
08:20 – The Commute Is Broken—Here’s What Should Replace It
09:50 – What Companies Get Wrong About Office Culture
11:00 – From Office Mandates to Curated Offsites
12:30 – HR Is Now Driving Workplace Strategy
13:40 – Can You Build Culture Without a Headquarters?
15:00 – How AI Is Powering “Work Location as a Service”
16:30 – Belonging Without Buildings: What Leaders Need to Learn
17:25 – The Future of Management Is About Curation, Not Control
19:00 – Building a Sense of Belonging20:10 – The Manchester United Test: Are You Building a Real Community?
21:55 – Predicting the Future of Work
23:10 – Offices Will Become As-A-Service Like Hotels
25:40 – On-Demand Offices Empower Startups and Solo Workers
27:10 – 2030: AI Chooses Your Best Place to Work
28:40 – Hybrid-Only Companies Are Already the Norm
30:20 – The Office Is an HR Issue, Not a Real Estate One
31:15 – The One Question Every Leader Should Ask About Work