Alina Necula, Country Manager for Romania at Lion’s Head, spoke with Property Forum about the company’s plans to expand in the industrial and logistics sector and its strategy to boost its Bucharest- based portfolio. She also mentioned some of the trends that are shaping the workplace environment.
What are Lion’s Head’s plans for 2023 and how was last year for the company in terms of occupancy rates and the structure of the tenants’ portfolio?
Oregon Park maintained a 100% occupancy level; our tenants have a long-term commitment and their feedback regarding the level of services provided is highly positive. Lion’s Head’s plans for 2023 are very ambitious – we are actively working on the strategy that we have already announced. This entails entering the logistics & industrial market and strengthening our position in the office segment by doing research on alternative development opportunities.
What kind of companies are the biggest tenants in your Bucharest-based project Oregon Park?
Oregon Park has been designed according to the highest office construction standards and with a focus on the reduction of energy consumption via practical and sustainable means. We, as a team, are focused on providing our tenants with the full range of services and support, which has helped us develop strong relations with our tenants of different sizes and industries – big and professional, international companies in the software business such as Oracle and Deloitte
Technologies, services firms including Allianz Trade – the international leading insurance company or the BNP Paribas group, agribusiness company Cofco or consumer goods firms such as GEWISS or Philips.
What are your current priorities as manager for the Romanian operations of Lion’s Head?
On a strategic business level, the focus is on strengthening our position in Romania by investing in a new asset class – in the industrial sector and logistics. In parallel we take great interest in and assess the opportunities that might appear on the office segment side. On a more operational level, the focus is on strengthening the relationship with our existing tenants – a profitable, effective, and sustainable rental property business is built on strong partnerships. At the same time, as a manager I put a lot of focus on keeping and further developing our committed, professional, local team that plays a substantial role in deploying the company’s strategy.
Are you looking to expand your presence in Bucharest or regional cities with new developments or takeovers of other office projects?
Yes, we are actively looking to enlarge our portfolio in Bucharest with new developments and takeovers of other office and logistics projects.
How are companies approaching the topic of office as a workspace? Are there emerging trends in this regard?
Office as a workspace or space as a service (how I like to call it) is our new ‘’modus operandi ‘’ in the office. People want to socialize with colleagues, collaborate, meet customers, mentor and be mentored, or to receive training. When it comes to employee performance and productivity, the workplace environment tends to be essential and substantial. Creating a healthy work environment can be a game-changer in a myriad ways. As the workforce moves towards more hybrid and remote work, office design evolves so it can offer an environment for socialization and community building. Within the next few years, companies will make the remaining places of work even more flexible and multi-functional. Another trend I see is the one of diversity and inclusion – every employee deserves a safe and supportive work environment.
