In December 2022, HDI Global SE moved into their new Prime Tower offices. Their 90 or so employees have since had the chance to enjoy a fabulous view from the 21st floor. We asked Nader Abed, Corporate Services Project Manager, what HDI does exactly and the reason why the company has chosen the Prime Tower as their headquarters.

Mr. Abed, could you please briefly introduce us to HDI Global SE.

The German Industrial Liability Association (Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie, HDI) was established 120 years ago by companies and associations from the German industrial field. Today HDI, which has its registered office in Hanover, has a comprehensive offer of insurance products in all customer segments. However, in Switzerland, HDI Global SE has remained true to its origins and mainly insures companies from the industrial sector, without pursuing the private customer or the SME segments. We focus on large international corporations with their headquarters in Switzerland, as they can benefit from our exclusive network in more than 175 countries. Our clients’ activities involve the most complex risks and thus, a lot of know-how is required on our part.

Your main office was located in Seefeld before: why move to the Prime Tower? What made you decide?

For many decades, our main office was located in a Gerling building on Dufourstrasse. Our offices were spread over nine floors, which partly led to a silo mentality. Both the building and the infrastructure were now getting old and the office spaces were a bit outdated. With CBRE, we have developed a workplace strategy, involving our employees in the process. We wanted an office in which collaboration can be smoother and better suited to our people business. The space on the 21st floor in the Prime Tower ticks all the boxes: we can all work in one area, we can rely on a state-of-the-art infrastructure, a central location in the city and all this at a good value for money.

Which workplace concept did you choose and for what reason?

We said goodbye to office structures and individual workplaces and chose open space and shared desk. The area in the Prime Tower is perfect for this. The open space workplace encourages rapid exchanges within the team. Thanks to the corners in the floor plan and the various room-in-room solutions there are alternative options for when you need to make a telephone call or you need to concentrate.

What do the employees at the new location value most?

We have only moved in in our new premises at Prime Tower on 5 December 2022, so people are still amazed by the fabulous 360-degree view. Especially in winter when everything is under the snow. Compared to before, not only have we invested in the building infrastructure, but also in all the workplace equipment. Our employees are happy about it and appreciate this. They also praise the new and open working environment, which brings employees closer together, encouraging collaboration.

For you personally, what stands out about the Prime Tower as a workplace?

Even after ten years, the Prime Tower has lost none of its attractiveness. It is still THE office tower in Zurich and sets the highest standards. We received a lot of positive feedback from both our clients and partners when the news came out that we were moving to the Prime Tower. I am personally very pleased with the location, in the heart of Zurich and (especially interesting for us as industrial insurers) in the old industrial district, which offers many opportunities. Our employees and clients enjoy a pleasant and modern journey by public transport thanks to the Hardbrücke train station right in front of our door.

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In the interview with Emilia Nenakhova, we learn more about the planning, renovation and occupancy of the new areas, as well as the positive effects on corporate culture.

What was so special about this renovation?

For me, the fact that I had to carry out two functions was especially extraordinary. I was both part of the project management and on the other hand, I was later a user. In order to approach the project in a neutral manner, focusing on the needs, I have collected the inputs and expectations from my colleagues in many discussions and taken them into account as much as possible.

What are the stages of such an office planning project?

It depends. In principle, first you need to analyse the initial situation and the objectives. Then you prepare the budget and establish a time frame. Afterwards, there is the more in-depth project planning. This stage involves specifications, selection of stakeholders, workshops and the preparation of detailed studies for the area and materials, as well as the corresponding scheduling and relocation planning. During the implementation phase, the coordination and monitoring of the scheduling are central. Finally, deadlines and the cost budget must be complied with.

This sounds like a ‘moving target’. How did you proceed?

The most important thing was to involve my colleagues. For this purpose, we created a team of ambassadors made up of employees from each department. The regular exchange with our ‘sponsors’ was also important.

To what extent were employees able to take part in the decision-making?

Numerous workshops allowed us to identify the needs. We also voted democratically on some matters. Sometimes, this was straightforward, whereas other times longer voting conversations took place.

Which stakeholders were involved?

Internally, individual representatives from the management, our ‘sponsors’, as well as the ambassador team, the representatives of the employees. Externally, we were able to benefit from the valuable support from the workspace consultants of our furniture supplier. Their professionalism and creativity helped us a lot. Their pragmatic approach was a perfect fit for us.

Have you encountered any challenges or hurdles?

Delivery times and meeting deadlines are the two main ones. And then there is budget control. Moreover, structural issues such as supply and fire protection played a central role.

Is there anything that helped you keep track of such a large project?

Disciplined time management. I know it sounds tedious and boring – it is, actually. However, without it, we wouldn’t have finished today! Therefore, despite unexpected challenges, it’s imperative to keep an eye on the schedule and try to patch the unexpected up, a bit like ‘expecting the unexpected’. Good planning reduces stress. Moreover, it helped that the ‘building site’ was only a few metres from my workplace, so I was able to be there quickly.

At the same time, this was a challenge, as we were rebuilding on the 34th floor during regular activity.

In such a project, can sustainable aspects also be taken into account?

Of course! Sustainability was a requirement. Our goal was to create office spaces according to a ‘healthy building’ approach. Thus, we thought about how we could further improve air quality, which was already good. We found a special mineral paint that, as well as looking fabulous, has air-purifying properties. Another example is the acoustics. We implemented various ways to help people concentrate. Many are Cradle to Cradle certified. And to round it all off, plants of all kinds.

Which flexible elements feature in the newly created office landscape?

We wanted to create an environment in which different activities and forms of work can be carried out. For example, a regular office workstation can be booked for half-day or day by day online. For short stays, the Prime Tower also offers the possibility to use one of the numerous flexible workplaces and work in a concentrated manner. For smaller occasional tasks, there are sofa corners and standing desks. After just over six months, we see that this concept works well.

Do you think that the new office environment has also an impact on the corporate culture?

That was one of our sub-goals. So far, the feedback has been extremely positive. Thanks to the aspects we mentioned before, the employees were meant to meet each other and have conversations, thus improving the internal flow of information.

What is or was your greatest wish in connection with this project?

I was hoping to create a work environment that would make people happy on Sunday night to be back at work on Monday. When I look around, I feel like we’ve gotten pretty close to that goal. [laughs]

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(from left to right: Arijan Ahmeti, Laura Bauert, Claudio Schölly, Vivianne Neuhaus, Marco Wenger)

With the new year, the responsibilities within the centre and mixed-use site management of Wincasa with respect to the maintenance of the Prime Tower site have changed.

Commercial Manager
Claudio Schölly, as Real Estate Site Manager, is now responsible for the overall responsibility of the site. Vivianne Neuhaus has long been part of the Prime Tower site team. She is now taking over the commercial management. Arijan Ahmeti will continue to work as an administrative officer.

Claudio Schölly	Real Estate Site Manager
Vivianne Neuhaus	Junior Commercial Director
Arijan Ahmeti	Administrative assistant

Technical Management
The technical management of the site is now the responsibility of Marco Wenger.

Marco Wenger

Senior Technical Manager

Tenant Development Management
Laura Bauert continues to be responsible for community management as well as for marketing and communication activities.

Laura Bauert

Junior Tenant Development Manager

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The Hotel Rivington & Sons played host to the 5th episode of the new Play Suisse TV series ‘Die Beschatter’ by successful author Simone Schmid. After gaining her first experience as a co-author on the SRF series ‘Die Bestatter’, she made her breakthrough on the big screen with the successful movie ‘Zwingli’.

The story is about belonging, family, mistrust and loyalty. In an improvised detective school, ex-cop Leo Brand gives his students real cases to solve. The scruffy Agotha soon turns from a nuisance to Leo’s favourite student. She wants to be a detective to find her missing mother.

But this search threatens to bring to light a terrible secret from Leo’s past in the police.

Curious? Stream now for free on Play Suisse:
https://www.playsuisse.ch/de/show/1541776/die-beschatter

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