The Leader - March/April 2009 - (Page 87) DISCOVERY FORUM FINDINGS Workplace and Sustainability: CHICAGO, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Chicago Sustainability Discovery Forum Host: Tribune Company Sponsor: Jones Lang LaSalle Networking Sponsor: CoreNet Global Chicago Chapter Sustainability at Travelers: An Ever-Evolving Challenge Jim Scannell, Senior Vice President, Administrative Services, The Travelers Companies, gave a presentation on sustainability initiatives at Travelers. “We had the backing of the board and senior people in different areas; the business groups were supportive,” Scannell explained. “Our challenge is getting people to focus on it from a holistic perspective, trying to manage the expectations.” Nortel Networks Sustainable Initiatives Steve Fowler, Real Estate Sustainability and Design for Nortel Networks gave a presentation on sustainability practices with the technology company. “Nortel has always been environmentally responsible,” Fowler began. Indeed, the company has employed many green practices for a long time. But, in 2007, Nortel took a more aggressive approach, which included developing a green council and determining the company’s global emissions. Southern California Discovery Forum Host: City National Bank Mindspeed Technologies: Where West Meets East Flora Fuller, MBA, Director of Facilities/ Purchasing for Mindspeed Technologies gave a presentation on her company’s challenges and opportunities in entering emerging markets, specifically in establishing an office in Ukraine. Fuller said the most important advice she has is to develop good relationships with the people you work with on these projects. Relationships, networking, good teams (both real estate and legal), and understanding the culture, preparation – these were the drivers to the success of the project. Wells Fargo Real Estate Solutions: Facilities as a Competitive Advantage Cheryl Howard, SLCR, Senior Vice President, Corporate Properties Group, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (WFHM) gave a presentation on consolidating two sites at Wells Fargo. Leases for two sites were set to expire and both sites were experiencing issues (parking problems, air quality concerns, etc.). So, consolidating the sites into one provided an opportunity to eliminate these issues and add amenities. Northern California Discovery Forum Host: Adobe Systems Sponsor: Gensler Lockheed Martin Space Systems Joe Gonsiewski, Director Facility Operations and Services (BA), Lockheed Martin Space Systems, gave a presentation on his company’s efforts to modernize older buildings and create an environment that can attract and retain the next generation of workers. Several buildings have been targeted for the project, and all but one will be rebuilt or renovated to better fit today’s work force needs. The plan is to rebuild the buildings for efficiencies one at a time, and the last building won’t be rebuilt. Next Generation Workplace at Cisco Systems Peggy Stritch, Senior Manager, Cisco Systems, gave a presentation on the Next Generation Workplace, Cisco 3.0, at Cisco Systems. Cisco 3.0 began as a 50-100 person pilot. The group began their research into the workplace changes by asking the people who do the work how they work. The team felt it was essential to involve the people – in Cisco’s case, engineers – in the process, therefore having them own the design. The success of the project requires a complex set of measures, not simply how many square feet per person were saved. The success of the project is also measured by worker satisfaction, by productivity, etc., Stritch explained. 2 0 0 9 THE LE ADE R 87 MARCH / APRIL
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