Building a workplace strategy that scales—across continents.

Overview

What does it take to design a workplace strategy that actually works—across countries, cultures, and continents?

In this episode of The Flexible Office Economy, Mark Gilbreath sits down with Robert Teed and Daaf Serne of ServiceNow to unpack the hard-earned lessons behind their global workplace transformation. From rethinking the role of HQ to scaling hybrid operations across 30+ countries, this is an unfiltered look at what happens when workplace strategy becomes a true business function.

Together, they explore how ServiceNow evolved its real estate model to prioritize agility, employee experience, and global consistency—without defaulting to rigid mandates or legacy assumptions. They share insights on data-driven planning, navigating internal stakeholders, and why the office must now earn its place in the employee journey.

This is the blueprint for scaling flex—globally and thoughtfully.

Episode Highlights

• How ServiceNow manages a distributed workplace across 78+ global locations
• Why the future of workplace is a product—not just a place
• Building trust with employees through choice, not mandates
• The role of data in global portfolio planning
• Scaling flexibility across EMEA, APAC, and North America
• Lessons learned from balancing cultural nuance with operational consistency

If you’re building a global workplace strategy—or trying to fix one—this episode offers a masterclass in how to lead with clarity, trust, and adaptability. Robert and Daaf share honest reflections from the trenches of one of tech’s fastest-scaling real estate portfolios.

It’s tactical. It’s strategic. It’s global. And it’s exactly the kind of conversation real estate leaders need right now.