A word from your new BCO President

By Andy McBain

It is both a privilege and a big responsibility to be elected President of the British Council for Offices. I’m really looking forward to the year ahead and all the exciting improvements, events and debates we’ll all see across the BCO and the rare opportunity to meet members around the UK.   

For more than three decades, the BCO has been the collective voice of the UK office sector, bringing together occupiers, developers, investors, architects, engineers, surveyors, designers, advisers and operators to advance best practice and create better workplaces across the country.

Our reputation has been built on industry-leading research, trusted guidance, professional expertise and a willingness to tackle the most important challenges facing our sector.

That success is made possible by our members. More than 300 volunteers contribute their time and expertise across regional and expert committees, helping deliver research, guidance, events, debate and innovation that continue to keep the BCO relevant, influential and future-focused.

Today, the workplace is changing faster than at any point in recent history. Artificial intelligence is transforming how work gets done and, as a result, where and when work gets done.

Employee expectations continue to evolve. Customer experience is becoming just as important as physical design and fit-out quality. Sustainability remains a pressing challenge.

Across the UK, organisations are rethinking how people, place and technology come together to create value.

The office sector has never been more important, but it has also never faced a more complex set of challenges. The BCO’s strength has always been its ability to bring together diverse perspectives, challenge conventional thinking and develop practical solutions that move the sector forward. Those foundations remain incredibly strong and will continue to define who we are.

However, if we are to remain relevant and influential in a rapidly changing world, we must continue to evolve.

Over the coming year, my focus will centre on three priorities:

First, we will protect the BCO’s authority and credibility while increasing our agility. Our research, guidance and thought leadership are highly respected across the industry and that authority has taken years to build. However, today’s pace of change means members increasingly need insight in months rather than years. We must remain the trusted authority while becoming more responsive to emerging technologies, changing workplace behaviours and new operational challenges.

Second, we will strengthen the BCO’s role as an industry advocate. The BCO has long excelled at producing guidance and sharing knowledge, and we should remain proud of that legacy. But there is also an opportunity for us to be a stronger voice for the office and workplace sector.

As political strategy around placemaking, communities and economic growth continue to grow in importance, the BCO can help demonstrate the vital contribution that offices and workplaces make to the UK’s economic, social and human success.

We have an unique opportunity to champion the positive impact that great workplaces create in towns and cities across the country, across every BCO region.

Third (and probably not a surprise), I will have a focus on occupiers and operational performance.

The today’s office must not simply look good; it must work brilliantly for the people who use it every day. For many years, the BCO has rightly focused on development, design and construction excellence. Today, however, success is measured by what happens after a building opens. We’ll be looking at how we benchmark workplace and customer experience with your neighbour and your peer group and the team will share a draft in Paris in June 2027.

The launch of the Customer Experience committee earlier this year reflects this growing focus on operational excellence and workplace performance.

My open invitation to all members is simple: get involved, be curious, be ambitious and help the BCO face the future with confidence.

If you would like to discuss how you can get involved please contact the BCO at mail@bco.org.uk