CBRE’s Isobel McKenna has joined flex office network Upflex to lead its London-headquartered EMEA arm.
The global provider of hybrid workspace solutions, which raised $30m (£24m) in a WeWork-led series A funding round last week, has brought in McKenna as senior vice president of workplace solutions for EMEA.
McKenna joined CBRE as head of client solutions for EMEA in 2020. Prior to that she was at IWG for six years, most recently as vice president for enterprise accounts.
Also joining the team is Freddie Case, who has been appointed vice president for workplace solutions EMEA. Prior to joining Upflex he was director of enterprise at Kontor, before which he worked at WeWork and Flexioffices.
McKenna said: “I am incredibly excited to be joining the Upflex team and taking forward our growth plans in the UK and Europe. What Upflex provides is completely unique: a multi-faceted technology platform that connects occupiers, brokerage firms and flex space partners with the solutions essential to meeting the needs of the new hybrid workforce. Demand for flex will only continue to grow, and I couldn’t be more inspired by the role which Upflex is playing in revolutionising how we work.”
The series A funding will help Upflex accelerate its growth in the UK and Europe. Globally Upflex is targeting the addition of more than 200 new locations per month during 2022, of which around 100 are expected to be in the UK and Europe.
Upflex co-founder and CEO Christophe Garnier said: “We see huge potential for further growth in the UK and Europe as hybrid work becomes the new norm. Following the close of our $30m series A funding and our exclusive deal with WeWork, we are perfectly positioned to accelerate our expansion into these markets, and I couldn’t be happier to appoint Isobel and Freddie to key leadership roles in our EMEA office to oversee this growth. They each bring vast experience in the flex workspace sector to their roles, along with the dynamism, vision and energy that has powered Upflex’s journey to date.”
The series A raise was led by WeWork with participation from strategic investors Newmark and Cushman & Wakefield, as well as returning investor Ecosystem Integrity Fund and venture funds including GPO Fund, Coelius Capital, Industry Ventures, Inertia Ventures, Perennial Private Investments and Silicon Valley Bank. It brings Upflex’s total funds raised to date to $34.1m.
Following its exclusive global partnership with WeWork in February, Upflex now gives on-demand access to more than 6,000 bookable locations – including WeWork’s global network – spanning around 900 cities across nearly 80 countries.
Upflex has also strengthened its footprint in the European hybrid work market with the acquisition of WorkClub and the launch of Upflex EMEA, its new European HQ in London.
Across Europe Upflex has access to more than 1,900 locations, while in the UK Upflex’s network extends to over 500 locations, totalling more than 400,000 sq ft of flexible, on-demand office space.
According to JLL, the EMEA flex market is likely to see accelerated growth, with more than 40% of occupiers expecting to increase their use of flexible workspace. In the UK, the volume of flexible office space is predicted to double by 2023, compared with 2019, according to figures from Statista.
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