Hey Fred, thanks for finding time for us. What’s your role at On? And how long have you been here?
I started in 2012. I was employee number five, I think. Now, I work across e-commerce and marketing, with a focus on digital growth.
To help my friends understand what I do, I tell them I help people all around the world understand what’s so great about On’s gear, and try to get them excited about trying it.
In five words, how would you describe working at On?
Ha, that’s tough. Fun, definitely. Challenging. Really, really interesting. Always Inspiring. And energizing – I get such a kick from working here.
You helped set-up the Berlin office, what was that like?
I worked with Marc, our COO, to find an office. We knew that Berlin was where we needed to be, but apart from that we had to start from scratch.
When we found the office, next to Görlitzer Bahnhof in Kreuzberg, it was totally empty. Fixing it up became part of my job. I worked alongside a carpenter, I helped with electrical installations. I even had to make design decisions like selecting furniture. Then, in summer 2018, our first Berlin employee started.
Did those early employees in Berlin like your work?
I mostly did a good job. But the meeting rooms didn’t quite work out. I made them look cool, they looked like garages… but it turns out I should have focused more on making them soundproof!
The thinking for all the offices comes from David, one of On’s co-founders. It’s all about movement. People can move easily from one office to another. There are no fixed desks, so you’re always sitting next to someone from another department. And there are always places to meet and chat and drink too much coffee.
And, most importantly, every office has showers, so that people can be active all through the day. A pre-work run, a lunch break yoga session, people really use that opportunity.