office refurbishment/ weTransfer new yorkPutting a limited refurbishment budget where it mattered
Wanda Olivier’s in-house leadership experience at WeTransfer
Faced with an eight-week refurbishment window and a tight budget, I led a focused transformation of WeTransfer’s New York office. As Director of Workplace Experience & Travel, I ran employee workshops to identify high-impact changes that would improve day-to-day work.
EIGHT-WEEK REFURBISHMENT | DELIVERED ON BUDGET
Listening before committing the budget
The existing office limited opportunities for meetings, informal collaboration, and team connection. By actively engaging employees to uncover what worked, what didn’t, and what they truly needed, we built a practical, targeted investment strategy.
My top priority was aligning the project scope with real workplace needs. Every purchase and modification served a clear, measurable purpose, maximising impact within strict time and budget constraints.
Making existing space work harder
We transformed the reception into a flexible, multi-use space for meetings and gatherings, maximising its value beyond welcoming visitors. Newly opened meeting areas fostered spontaneous collaboration throughout the office.
Recognising kitchens as natural gathering points, we prioritised investment in these shared hubs and essential furniture—ensuring our budget directly improved daily team experience.
Owning the decisions and the investment
I owned the budget and secured executive approval. Partnering with Woodalls, I made agile decisions on purchases, reuse, or scope changes; negotiated with suppliers; approved final designs; and kept senior leadership fully informed on progress, costs, and risks.
Employee workshops ensured every key decision stayed closely aligned with our project brief. I led change management and proactive communications, keeping teams engaged and informed at every stage of the refurbishment.
Working with the right delivery partners
Woodalls led the overall project design and oversight. RI managed local project management and fit-out, coordinating with IT, security, facilities, and other internal teams.
A focused refurbishment delivered on budget
We completed the refurbishment on budget and within the ambitious eight-week schedule. The revitalised reception now doubles as a dynamic meeting space, new open settings fuel collaboration, and upgraded kitchens strengthen team connections, delivering tangible improvements where they matter most.
RI Workplace’s published account also describes workstations, adjustable desks, meeting rooms, informal seating and flexible booths, as well as a dedicated area for collaboration and company events. The reported eight weeks refers to the renovation period, not the full planning and leadership period.
This project demonstrates that meaningful employee input, clear priorities, and purposeful spending can drive a high-impact refurbishment, transforming existing spaces into a more vibrant, functional workplace.
Project credits and source links
Project leadership for WeTransfer: Wanda Olivier. Overall project design and project management: Woodalls. Local project management and Fit-out: RI Workplace.
The links below provide published project accounts. Wanda’s responsibilities and reported employee outcomes are based on her account of the project.
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