"Innovative Offices for the New Normal"

The Covid-19 shutdown changed the office environment overnight. Those who could swapped the office for their own four walls at home. This trend towards working from home triggered a debate as to whether office space still has a future. The number of square meters is not the crucial factor in this regard; instead, it is primarily the quality of the space that determines its future viability. The office of the future is individual, flexible and location independent.

In this “Members for Members” online event hosted by Drees & Sommer and supported by DJW, participants will learn more about and discuss the challenges and opportunities of the workplace of the future and how they affect the people who work there.

Rowena Johnston of Drees & Sommer will share the “Soulware – Software – Hardware – Programming” principle which has been developed by Drees & Sommer to future-proof their customers’ and their own offices. Although the requirements of work environments are constantly changing, the coronavirus has accelerated the pace of that change and we are now beginning to see a different kind of office environment starting to take shape.

Together with co-speaker Dr. Oliver Fix, Canon Deutschland, and the participants, Drees & Sommer would like to explore:

• What role does the building play?
• How will the rooms and spaces be used in the office?
• Where and how can digitisation help?
• How do we cooperate with each other to ensure productivity and innovation while maintaining social and emotional bonds?

The discussion will be hosted by Sven Mylius, Senior Manager, Drees & Sommer.

Speakers

Rowena Johnston, Senior Design Leader, Drees & Sommer SE

Since 01/2021  Senior design leader, Drees & Sommer SE
2010 - 2020  RBSGROUP, Munich, Germany
2004 - 2010  Freelancer, Germany & Australia
1993  Graduate Diploma - Interior Design (honours) Queensland, University of Technology. Brisbane, Australia
1990 - 1992  Bachelor of Applied Science – Built Environment Queensland University of Technology. Brisbane, Australia

Dr. Oliver Fix, Head of Corporate and Public Affairs, Canon Deutschland GmbH

Born 1960 in Hilden, 4 children

Studied business administration at LMU in Munich, thesis on quality circles in Japan, followed by doctorate in Tübingen.

First professional experience at Bertelsmann and KPMG Peat Marwick management consultancy.

Since 1993 at Canon in various functions (marketing, sales, IT, logistics, order and contract management, M&A, integration management) both in Germany and abroad (NL, UK). In the meantime, managing director at Rollei. Since 2018 Managing Director of the Canon subsidiary cognitas and since 1.1.2021 additionally Head of Corporate and Public Affairs of Canon Deutschland GmbH.

Contact

Deutsch-Japanischer Wirtschaftskreis e. V. (DJW)
Maria Deutsch
Event Coordination
events@djw.de