Nicolas Stritt: You’ve been managing Lista Office LO’s Fribourg and Neuchâtel offices since the start of 2020, and you’ve actually been in the office furnishing sector for twelve years. How did you get into this industry?

My career path began in sales, as I've always enjoyed selling things. What’s always been important to me is the opportunity to sell high quality products. When one of my customers told me about a vacancy at Lista Office LO, I felt attracted to the company as well as the sector. It obviously worked out for me – I’m still happily working here!

You are the only manager in the group who is responsible for two branch offices. What differences do you see between the two branches you manage?

Lista Office LO Neuchâtel is still starting up. However, during last year we made the crucial step from our small office into a 250m² showroom in La Chaux-de-Fonds. La Chaux-de-Fonds is one of Switzerland’s clockmaking towns, and you might say that time has stopped here. Our ultra-modern showroom presents a distinctive contrast in the town centre. When we were planning it, our key idea was that it should not be a furniture showroom as such, but rather an inspiring office world. A number of architects have already been impressed by our approach.

Our Fribourg office was transitioned to this concept over two years ago. Our showroom there is a lively workplace and exhibition space with a carefully designed lighting scheme, lounge area and cafeteria. Our customers value the fact that they can get an authentic sense of what it’s like to work in this space and the atmosphere they can expect to create in their own workplaces.

And what’s the difference between these two locations and the company’s other branches?

The traditional clock industry is particularly strongly represented in our region, so our two locations here do draw in customers from the clockmaking sector. In addition, this part of Switzerland is notable for the fusion of two distinct mindsets: the earnestness of the German-Swiss, and the relaxed joi-de-vivre of the West Swiss. The result is a delightful mixture!

We are one of the smallest companies here, which is also a difference from Lista’s other locations. However, we still have the full range of customers, from small to large. Indeed, just like in places like Geneva or Zurich, customers here are looking for attractive, modern offices. So, even though we’re working on a smaller scale, we’re still implementing the full spectrum of exciting interior designs.

What trends do you think will affect office outfitting in the corporate world over years to come?

As the baby boomer generation phases out of professional life, we will see more people leaving the corporate pipeline than entering it. That means that the next generation will be in the satisfactory position of being able to pick and choose their employer. Students in Fribourg, in particular, will have high expectations of their future work environment. That’s because the student and training locations here are all super-modern themselves. The people coming from these institutions will be looking for workplaces with a ‘cool’ atmosphere – offices with sofas, a break and lunch area, and maybe even table football. This is our opportunity – this is exactly where we’re strongest.

What other themes will be important for your business model?

One factor that the corporate world has been dealing with for a long time is the increasing importance of family life, while at the same time moving away from traditional family roles. For example, in recent years, work from home and other flexible hours models have been taking on much more importance.

We’re seeing now that people do prefer to work in the office, and value the personal interaction they get there. However, for the return to office working, the atmosphere in the office needs to be right – and that means the interpersonal atmosphere as well as the infrastructure. That's why more and more businesses are renovating their offices and creating attractive new social spaces.

Work from home is here to stay, but if the company is able to offer a pleasant work environment that clearly offers added value over a home office space, more people will naturally choose to return to the office.

What else would you like to share with us?

I’ve had the good luck to have a great team, and we’ve been working together splendidly for several years now. We treat each other as equals, respect each other, and are honest with each other. In a nutshell: we’re a well-oiled team, and that transmits to our customers when they're working with us.

Nicolas Stritt is married and the father of two children. His favourite way to find work/life balance is on the golf course with customers. He loves the freedom and simplicity of camping with his family. In summer, this includes travelling to the seaside, or bathing his spirit by Lake Neuchâtel.