Roche Hungary announces new managing director

Important changes are about to take place at the Hungarian subsidiary of the Swiss Roche Group, with the arrival of new managing director Raffaella Bondi, and the company's planned move into the Budapest One Office building, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

With almost two decades of experience in a wide range of areas across the Roche Group, from diagnostics to pharmaceuticals and diabetes care, Bondi has previously worked in Switzerland, Denmark and her native Italy.

The Swiss pharmaceutical company F. Hoffman-La Roche, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year and has been present in Hungary for more than 35 years, also announced moving to an agile corporate structure to provide Hungarian patients and healthcare professionals with more effective medical and diagnostic solutions.

The transition is accompanied by a change of headquarters: the company, which currently employs nearly 200 people in Hungary, is moving from Budaörs to the Budapest One building developed by Futureal, where it will set up a new activity-based office on 1,800 sqm with an interior design concept by Jones Lang LaSalle and design by LAB5.

"The healthcare industry is changing globally, with data-driven digital solutions and complex, mutually supportive services gaining ground, as the COVID-19 epidemic has reinforced," said Bondi. "At Roche, we are working on the innovations of the future and providing agile responses to the challenges of today, and we will continue to work in a model that supports our teams to collaborate more effectively than ever before. Our goal is for Roche to create even more added value for society as a systemic partner in Hungarian healthcare."

Budapest One has been designed to BREEAM and WELL Platinum standards. There are no dedicated workstations in the new office, employees can book the space that best suits their work for the day through an app: small and large meeting rooms, desks and collaboration areas, but also have the option to retreat if the task requires it.

"We are honored that one of the leading players in the pharmaceutical sector has chosen Budapest ONE. Roche's decision also confirms that the market continues to show strong interest in offices with excellent locations, high quality, modern, comfortable and flexible spaces. The last two phases of the complex are now in the final stages of development and, when completed, the iconic office park will also become a business driver for a new city centre," said János Berki J., director of international office leasing and asset management at Futureal.

"Looking back on our close working relationship since 2013, the past two years have been very significant for us. In June 2020 we inaugurated the new headquarters of the Roche Service Centre and a year later we celebrated the opening of the Roche Hungary headquarters," said Dániel Bukta, project manager at Jones Lang LaSalle. He added: "Both were special for us, yet the latter project was characterized by much more personal relationships and discussions. It was the combination of unique material choices and solutions, and a well-coordinated team that made this build really exciting. We believe we have succeeded in creating an office that people will want to return to after the hardships of the epidemic. For us, the greatest joy was seeing the impressed and delighted looks on the faces of the workers."

"Teams of Roche staff from different functions have been actively involved in the design of the new office. This continuous teamwork throughout the design process was the key to success," said Linda Erdélyi, LAB5's lead designer.

She added: "The result of a lot of consultation is a truly bespoke, yet infinitely versatile, flexible space complex that is tailored to Roche's needs. Living green vegetation was used in a jungle-like way in the spaces, complemented by special cladding materials. Lightly reflective surfaces, rustic wood paneling and special fabrics with sound-absorbing properties cover the enclosed elements of the interior, creating different atmospheres and helping colleagues to freely choose their space for their daily work."
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