The LEGO Group expands Shanghai office to support growth in China

The LEGO Shanghai main office is one of the company’s five main offices around the world established in 2014 to support LEGO growth in China. The recent move to new and more spacious surroundings is the result of the strong growth that LEGO China has experienced during the past years, which has increased the number of employees at the main office from 80 to 200.

“For the past three years we have onboarded many new employees who have been instrumental in bringing the LEGO® play experience to children in China. We expect the number of employees to increase in the future, and I am very excited that we have these new and creative surroundings to accommodate them,” says Jacob Kragh, General Manager and Senior Vice President, LEGO China.

Implementing “new ways of working”
The new LEGO Shanghai main office has implemented the “new ways of working” introduced at the London main office in 2014, which means that employees are free to choose their seating, work schedules, and styles rather than being confined to fixed seats and desks. This allows employees to plan their workday around activities, as the physical space of the office is no longer divided by department.

The biggest impact of this innovative way of working is that the traditional concept of ‘a department’ has dissolved which encourages cross-organisational collaboration and allows employees from very different parts of the organisation to learn from each other and thereby think and act more holistically.

“A key part of our success has been the conscious approach to create a flat corporate structure where we encourage employees to think ‘end to end’ and work across department boundaries. This is not new to the LEGO Group but new ways of working will further help facilitate our collaborative spirit in the company and reflects our value of caring and respecting our people,” says Stephen Joseph Burke, Vice President of HR for LEGO China. “An old Chinese proverb says that if you are harmonious in the family, you will be prosperous, and we believe that a harmonious work environment is necessary to achieve excellent results and sustainable growth.”

Caring for employees and the environment
As part of the LEGO Group ambition of creating a positive impact wherever it operates, ninety per cent of the open office areas have natural light and the main office area is illuminated with LED lights, among others.

When selecting the location for the new office, LEGO China management also took into consideration the convenience of public transport, which is why the new office is located at the interchange of three main subway lines. Furthermore, the company has also provided leisure and training facilities in the office building to encourage employees to greet daily work in a healthier way.

About the Shanghai main office

• Location: ICC T2. No. 288, Shaanxi South Road Shanghai
• Size: 7,000 m2
• Capacity: Approximately 400 employees and 50 visitors
• The Shanghai main office offers different kinds of work and meeting spaces for employees to choose from based on their activities. These include among others meeting rooms, quiet zones, working zones, silent rooms, informal collaboration area, team huddle spaces and a cafe area

For further information:
Jan Christensen
Corporate PR Manager
Phone: +45 30102754
E-mail: media@LEGO.com