Patrick Schaller

TITLE: CEO
COMPANY:  World-Wide Business Centres AG, World-Wide Business Centres, Network Europe
INCUMBENT: Yes/No
OBCAI MEMBER SINCE:  1994 or even earlier
OBCAI COMMITTEES SERVED or POSITIONS HELD, or OBCAI VOLUNTEER:

  • OBCAI International Task Force (Volunteer)
  • OBCAI Marketing & PR Committee (Volunteer)

WHY I WOULD LIKE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS and/or MY VISION FOR OBCAI:

I entered the Business Center industry in 1996 and, despite my young age, have a relatively large amount of experience in this branch. As CEO, I operationally and strategically run various Office Business Centers at different locations, as well as a Business Center Network with approximately 100 independent members worldwide. I am also President of the Office Business Center Associations in Switzerland and Luxemburg.

I believe that combining traditional and modern ideas is one of the key factors for successful association work.

The OBC industry no doubt has a great future. The reasons for the demand in office space have changed significantly since 2007. While the main driving force used to be growth, the focus is now on the optimisation of available space, cost reduction and site optimisation. Flexible, adaptable office solutions are in demand, variable instead of inflexible overheads are required and mobility is of course also an important matter, due to today’s and tomorrow’s mode of operation.

On the consumer side, many aspects of consumer behaviour have also changed. Apart from anxiety regarding the future, these particularly include the unfavourable change of price elasticity, the greater importance of utilisation and cost benefits, the tighter time preference and the predominance of financing and security issues.

My vision for our industry’s future is based, among others, on the following items:

  1. Keeping the industry up-to-date in technology & mobility
  2. Making our industry better known
  3. Sharing experiences and communicating with one another
  4. Values and ethics of entrepreneurship are important

Keep the industry up-to-date in technology & mobility:
The factors mobility and technology are currently changing our workplace quite sustainably. OBC clients and employees expect to work with technologies that intuitively adapt to their requirements and that can be seamlessly integrated into a remote working environment. The office of the future is based on the increased use of modern technologies, automation and sophisticated technology. 
No doubt technology will continue to impact the workplace in the future. Companies must provide both virtual and physical premises to enable a greater share of telecommuting.

Making our industry better known
The OBC industry is, however, still unknown to many people. Making our industry better known is in everyone’s best interest. Industry associations, such as OBCAI, and the local association should especially put a lot of effort into this topic.

Sharing experiences & communicating with one another
Discussions and an exchange of ideas with experienced entrepreneurial leaders in the Office Business Center industry are extremely important. But these should always be embedded in an environment that is concerned with the enduring values of entrepreneurship, as well as a long-term, sustainable approach to the political and social spheres.
Only this long-term, fundamental approach concerned with the crucial values of entrepreneurship leads to a long-term development of awareness and ultimately to trust, stability and progress for each individual leader active in the business world.
We must take the time to reflect, get in touch with and maintain personal contacts with like-minded individuals and for once simply get away from it all. Anyone who does not have the time to reflect cannot improve and is simply bogged down. And we all know what a stalemate means in today‘s rapidly developing world.

We should not underestimate the enormous importance of meeting people, engaging in conversation and seeking to learn more. A group exchange during discussions about business, work and issues will give you suggestions and ideas and, above all, food for thought on how to make constant improvements and continue to develop. That is the only way we can exist in the real world today and also generate a sustainable value system.

Values and ethics of entrepreneurship are important
After all, only this long-term and fundamental view results in the generation of awareness and finally leads to trust, stability and progress for all those who are commercially active.

So, use your resources and think about tomorrow. I would be extremely happy to be given the chance to become a Member of the Board of Directors of OBCAI.