Companies
CBRE’s McKenna joins Upflex to lead regional HQ
Isobel McKenna, former head of EMEA client solutions at CBRE, will run Upflex’s London-based EMEA HQ following the flex office marketplace’s $30m fundraise.
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As SVP of workplace solutions for the region, McKenna will be at the forefront of Upflex’s push into the European market.
She will be joined by Freddie Case, former director of enterprise at Kontor, who has been appointed VP of workplace solutions, EMEA.
Both hires have extensive experience in the flexible office space. Isobel previously spent six years at IWG, serving as VP of enterprise accounts. Prior to Kontor, Case had worked at WeWork and Flexioffices.
Their appointments come just days after Upflex announced a $30m fundraise led by WeWork. The coworking giant entered a strategic partnership with Upflex in February, making the startup the sole aggregator of WeWork space.
Having struck an exclusive deal with WeWork, Upflex now has more than 6,000 sites that users can book across 900 cities in nearly 80 countries.
Christophe Garnier, co-founder and CEO of Upflex, said: “We see huge potential for further growth in 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.”
Headquartered in New York, Upflex opened its European HQ in December after acquiring workspace aggregator WorkClub. The startup aims to open 200 new locations per month in 2022, about half of which are expected to be in the UK and Europe.
Isobel McKenna said: “I’m 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.”
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