Workplace Innovator Podcast | Enhancing Your Employee Experience | Facility Management | CRE | Digital Workplace Technology

Daniel Grilli is General Manager for Australasia at VECOS where he is passionate about using adaptive workplace technology to deliver operational strategy initiatives. Mike Petrusky asks Daniel why he believes that true innovation involves rapid learning from failure and requires organizations to be agile, experiment, and adapt quickly. They explore how design and management of workplaces are shifting from assumption-based to evidence-based, using real data about how spaces and amenities are actually used. Daniel says that adaptive technology should serve the people in the workplace, making experiences seamless and frictionless while integration and interoperability between workplace technologies are essential to overcome legacy system silos and unlock greater efficiency. The future of smart workplaces lies in their ability to adapt rather than simply being technologically advanced, so Mike and Daniel offer the encouragement and inspiration you will need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization!
Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-grilli-3359b834/
Learn more about VECOS: https://www.vecos.com/en/
Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J
Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/
Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/

Alexander Wennerberg is CEO & Founder at Hives.co where he is passionate about helping organizations tap into their teams' best ideas and turn them into real improvements. Mike Petrusky asks Alexander why he believes that innovation is most effective when it empowers those closest to workplace problems to propose and implement solutions, rather than relying solely on top-down initiatives. They explore how facility management and real estate teams should focus on making their "invisible" work more visible, so they are recognized as value drivers rather than cost centers. Alexander says that organizations should treat workplaces as ongoing experiments, valuing continuous feedback from those who use the space rather than just executives and AI should be used to organize and surface employee feedback, not replace the genuine human observations and experiences that drive workplace progress. Successful change management treats employees as active participants rather than passive recipients while it encourages engagement and trust, so Mike and Alexander offer the practical advice and the inspiration you need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization!
Connect with Alexander on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderwennerberg/
Learn more about Hives.co: https://www.hives.co/en
Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J
Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/
Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/

David George is CEO & Founder at CRUX Workplace where he builds on his decades of experience in workplace design, facilities management, real estate management and strategy to help clients co-create high performing, flexible workplace designs that enable people to do their best work. Mike Petrusky asks David why he believes that workplace strategists must be involved from the outset to understand business processes and create effective briefs for architects and designers, while innovation is centered on enabling people to perform their best and feel joy and connection at work. Engaging employees early in the design process leads to higher acceptance and ownership of the change, and David says successful change management relies on three pillars: employee engagement, clear communication, and sponsorship from leaders within the core business. He suggests creating a steering committee including CRE, IT, HR, and FM to drive workplace projects and says organizations must move beyond traditional office designs conceived decades ago and embrace new ways of work aligned with how people work today. Tune in to hear Mike and David share practical advice and the inspiration you will need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization!
Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgeorge1/
Learn more about CRUX Workplace: https://www.crux-workplace.com/
Join the Workplace Evolutionaries community: https://we.ifma.org/
Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J
Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/
Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/

Rebecca Swanner is Associate Principal and a Senior Workplace Design Leader at HED where she is passionate about creating interiors that strengthen culture, support the evolving nature of work, and amplify human potential. Mike Petrusky asks Rebecca why she believes that workplace leaders should initiate big picture conversations about desired outcomes before making workspace or logistical decisions. They explore how AI is absorbing low cognitive load tasks, increasing the need for humans to focus on strategic and creative work while leading to a "cognitive bar" that requires protecting focus. Rebecca says the workforce is ready for more responsive workspaces that use wearable tech and data to adapt environments to personal needs and tasks. By dynamically adjusting lighting, temperature, and acoustics using real-time biometric data, we can begin to optimize human performance. Effective workplace transformation requires piloting and iterating designs and success metrics should shift from measuring occupancy to measuring outcomes as the future of work will be more integrated, asynchronous, and hybrid. Tune in as Mike and Rebecca offer some practical advice and the inspiration you need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization!
Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-swanner-b8a9a55/
Learn more about HED: https://hed.co/
Read about HED Intelligence in PLACE: https://hed.co/intelligence-in-place/
Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J
Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/
Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/

Lisa Copland is Managing Director and Founder at Presynct, an Australian consultancy that helps organizations with workplace strategy, transition, and portfolio decision‑making. Mike Petrusky asks Lisa why she believes that successful workplace transformation involves aligning business strategy, workplace experience, spatial design, technology, and change management as interconnected elements. They explore how workplace design and portfolio decisions are most effective when integrated with an understanding of how people work and broader organizational goals. Lisa says that innovative workplace solutions often come from diverse perspectives and a willingness to challenge industry norms, so she encourages technology integration and using AI to dynamically optimize space allocation by grouping teams based on actual attendance and work patterns, moving away from static floor plans. Optimizing existing space usage via technology and behavioral change can be a valuable step before committing to changes in property portfolios, so Mike and Lisa offer the practical advice and inspiration you will need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization!
Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-copland-99601312/
Read the article discussed called "Reframing the Workplace: How strategy, technology, and human behavior are coming back into sync": https://eptura.com/discover-more/blog/reframing-the-workplace/
Learn more about Presynct: https://presynct.com.au/
Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J
Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/
Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/