E159– Caroline Pontifex: Head of Workplace & Design Director – Savills

Another great episode of the Wear Many Hats podcast. This time, we sit down with Caroline Pontifex, Head of Workplace & Design Director at Savills, to explore how workplace design has evolved from traditional office planning into a strategic tool for business performance, collaboration, and behaviour change. Caroline shares her journey from starting in furniture space planning during the 90s to helping shape some of London’s most influential workplace projects. Along the way, she reflects on navigating recessions, industry disruption, and the transformation of workplace expectations over the last two decades. We dive into how hybrid working, Teams calls, AI, and changing employee behaviours have completely reshaped the way offices are designed and used today. Caroline also discusses the growing importance of business understanding in design, why communication is critical for leadership, and how technology is accelerating both creativity and complexity within the workplace industry. A thoughtful and forward-looking conversation for workplace leaders, designers, FM professionals, and anyone interested in the future of work and office design.