A 'mission control' social media monitoring room and collaborative meeting booths were on show at the official opening of the reconfigured PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand headquarters in Chatswood, Sydney.
PepsiCo has been based in the building since 1993, but the redesign saw it reduce its presence to just three floors which are all physically connected, open plan and reflect an agile working culture.
The company has replaced the traditional office-based structure with a paperless, sit-stand, hot-desking design incorporating more social spaces as well as booths and nooks for more informal collaboration.
Even the company's senior managers have embraced the open plan design, according to Merima Baralic head of the PepsiCo ANZ Corporate Affairs team.
Baralic said the reduction of formal meeting rooms in favour of more informal spaces was another key change.
“How many meetings are confidential? How many really need to be held behind closed doors?” she said.
Other interesting touches include a staircase linking all three floors, and a high-tech interactive fridge and touch-screen drinks dispenser.
The company's 'mission control' is a room containing several large screens that are dedicated to real-time monitoring of social media, not just relating to PepsiCo products but also trending world issues.
“We can monitor the sentiments of key opinion leaders in areas of interest such as International Women's Day,” Baralic said.
Chief executive officer of PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand, Robbert Rietbroek said the revamped premises were a reflection of PepsiCo’s “corporate identity and innovative collaborative culture”.
“All this has been done with an aim of shifting our work environment to truly reflect the global culture of PepsiCo – a more modern, cohesive, inspiring and collaborative organisation,” Rietbroek said.
“The new office is also timely with the launch of Performance with Purpose 2025 – our global goal to deliver sustainable long-term growth while leaving a positive imprint on society and the environment.”
