IWG CEO: Future of work demands flexibility, not traditional offices
NEVADA, UNITED STATES — IWG CEO Mark Dixon believes the future of work isn’t about returning to the office — it’s about breaking free from traditional office models altogether.
“It makes no sense in the digital world to have people commuting hours a day to go and use a laptop somewhere else,” Dixon said during an interview on The Allwork.Space Future of Work podcast.
IWG, which operates over 5,000 flexible workspace locations worldwide, has been reshaping commercial real estate for the hybrid era.
Dixon, once frustrated by rigid leasing terms, saw early how inflexible contracts no longer served modern businesses. His solution: create dynamic, on-demand workspaces that meet the real needs of today’s workforce.
Rethinking the office debate
Dixon dismisses the “return to office” debate as missing the bigger picture. It’s not about choosing between office or remote — it’s about managing productivity across both.
He argues that companies should focus on environments that help people do their best work, whether that’s from home, a co-working space, or a local hub.
“Businesses that do not offer hybrid working risk missing out on the best young talent,” Dixon previously said about a United Kingdom study conducted among over 1,000 recent graduates and final-year students.
“For many, flexibility is not a perk, but a necessity, and they will not consider jobs that require a long commute five days a week.”
With AI automating many back-office functions, Dixon sees demand shifting away from large, centralized offices toward smaller, collaborative hubs. The future, he says, lies in high-quality, well-located spaces that employees can access flexibly—without the financial drag of long-term leases.
Flexible real estate, leaner operations
The economic case for flexibility is strong. Companies that embrace hybrid models are saving significantly on office overhead while expanding their talent pools beyond local geographies.
“Clearly there’s a huge job for offices in helping individuals be more productive for their company. Equally, there will be people that are really good at working from home, and there’s no problem as long as you can manage it,” Dixon said.
As remote work and AI shrink the need for fixed space, IWG plans to expand its global footprint even further. Hundreds of new locations are on the horizon, giving businesses more options to scale quickly and smartly.
