North East fintech firm True Potential has unveiled the results of a £1.5m office transformation to create a new base fit for post-Covid working.
The Newcastle wealth management and investment technology provider, which recently sold a majority stake to private equity firm Cinven, has opened its redesigned head office, created to support hybrid working between office and home.
The £1.5million project was led by commercial interior designer Simon Grundy, an interior design consultant at Ward Robinson, who has worked with True Potential on several projects over the years as the company has grown.
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The company – which turned over a record £184.9m in its last financial year – has occupied the first and second floors of a three-storey office building at Newburn Riverside since 2011, expanding into all three floors six years later.
Last year during the pandemic the company saw a further 260 advisers join and it also recruited an extra 60 members of staff who will be based at the head office.
However, the pandemic saw the company switch to remote working overnight as the first lockdown was enforced.
As prospects for a return to the office increased, True Potential conducted a staff consultation to identify what employees wanted from office work in a post-pandemic world, as well as their ideal balance between remote and office-based work. The results were used to develop the design concept for the offices.
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Daniel Harrison, chief executive of True Potential said: “After consulting all of our staff at True Potential, it became apparent that we all missed the in-person opportunities for learning and collaboration, especially those off-the-cuff conversations and friendships that working in an office bring and that no video call can ever truly replace.”
The concept was to create a place where visitors and staff can reconnect with each other and the company. Different types of interior settings from amphitheatres to dining booths and boardrooms to café space have been created, to allow for social distancing.
There are no dedicated desks for the majority of staff, with the exception of the administration and contact teams, and people also have flexibility to work where they choose with a variety of pods, seating and work stations.
Two walls on the ground floor have been replaced by fully opening folding glass doors which lead from the kitchen to a new private garden terrace with stepped seating and high-level planters.
Mr Grundy said: “Although the number of visitors to the office at any one time has reduced, there is still a need for reception and lounge facilities. But the emphasis has shifted from hospitality to expo, with the introduction of backlit display walls, extended work and display benches, a large format video wall and video production studio.
“The colour palette is now light and neutral throughout, apart from the subtle use of the purple True Potential brand. This means the greenery inside and outside the building really stands out, and there is a general sense of light and space.”
Mr Harrison added: “Our new working arrangement provides the best of both worlds – offering more opportunities for our staff, advisers and community.
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“We now have a better, healthier and more sustainable head office and I’m confident that this refurbishment will help us go from strength to strength in support of clients and financial advisors, helping them to reach their goals.”
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