In an exclusive interview with The CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of International Workplace Group, shares a forward-looking perspective on how work is being reshaped across cities, suburbs, and communities. Drawing on decades of experience building one of the world’s largest workspace networks, Mark explains why the future of work is no longer tied to a single location and how flexibility, technology, and access are redefining productivity.
Interview By SK Uddin
Mark Dixon is one of Europe’s best-known entrepreneurs and, since founding the Regus Group in Brussels, Belgium in 1989, he has achieved a formidable reputation for leadership and innovation. By understanding the way that globalization, personal mobility and digital technology have enabled new ways of working, Mark has overseen the growth of IWG into the world’s largest workspace provider. Prior to Regus and IWG he established businesses in the retail and wholesale food industry. Mark has received many awards for enterprise and is widely acknowledged as one of the pioneers of the workspace industry who revolutionized the way business approaches its property needs with his vision of the future of work.
You’ve been building flexible workspaces since 1989, long before “hybrid work” became a buzzword—how has your original vision for Regus evolved into IWG’s current strategy of creating a workspace within reach of every community?
In 2025, more new locations were signed and opened in a single year than in the entire first two decades of our operations. Our network now comprises more than one million rooms in 122 countries and with a substantial pipeline in place, our growth will continue to accelerate rapidly in the years ahead.
We are focused on rapidly expanding our coverage to create a truly global network of buildings from the largest cities to smaller towns and the provinces. Our capital-light expansion strategy, delivered through partnerships with property owners and investors, enables companies of all sizes to work productively in locations that are convenient to their people.
Increasingly, our solutions are helping companies move away from the expense and inflexibility of long-term leases, replacing them with flexible, cost-effective agreements for smaller fully equipped spaces in one of our centres. At the same time, they retain the ability to access more than 5,000 locations worldwide.
IWG operates a portfolio of 15 workplace brands – the largest workspace platform in the world – including Regus, Spaces, and HQ. In 2025, IWG signed 1,132 new centres globally and opened 782 new workspaces.
IWG is adding a record number of locations globally and expanding rapidly across Canadian cities and suburbs—from Burnaby and Surrey to Mississauga and Moncton—what’s driving this demand for more localized working, and what are the main benefits for both employees and employers?
Today, the remarkable advances in cloud technology and video conferencing software – both vital to enabling effective hybrid working – mean workers no longer need to travel long distances daily. As a result, we are seeing a redistribution of the geography of work with teams able to spend a meaningful amount of time in their local communities alongside the city centre. Innovations in technology will continue to advance in years to come and will radically underline and fuel the flexibility of location.
The rising demand for more localized working has led to a large number of our new IWG centres opening in the heart of local communities, suburbs and rural areas, enabling many people around the world to say farewell to long daily commutes.
Smaller cities and towns right across the globe including in Canada have seen a dramatic increase in signings including Moncton, NB, Bracebridge, ON and Mission BC.
![Five coworkers in a bright meeting room around a white table; a laptop shows slides and a remote participant appears on a screen.] ,](https://canadiansme.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/31.jpg)
Your inaugural Commuter Town Index named Burnaby, Hamilton, and Richmond as Canada’s best commuter towns for hybrid workers in 2026—what makes a great commuter town in this new world of work, and how do flexible workspaces factor into that equation?
IWG’s Inaugural Commuter Town Index looked at how well towns support modern hybrid workers. The index ranked popular commuter hubs across Canada against key criteria, including transport links, green spaces, walkability, amenities, housing costs, Wi-Fi speed, culture, commute time and access to flexible workspaces.
Each town’s overall score represents its appeal to commuters and its suitability for hybrid working, capturing how effectively residents can balance work, commuting and lifestyle.
Burnaby, British Columbia, ranked as Canada’s best commuter town due to its exceptional transport connectivity to the city centre, its many lifestyle amenities, and access to flexible workspaces. The town is an example of a central location with multi-line rapid transit access via the SkyTrain, a pedestrian-friendly core, strong digital infrastructure and a thriving local economy – making it well-suited to hybrid workers seeking balance without sacrificing career opportunities. IWG currently has four flexible workspace locations in Burnaby and opened a new Regus just last year at 4185 Still Creek Drive.
Hamilton, Ontario, was the runner-up, scoring highly for housing affordability, access to green spaces, creative and social venues, and lifestyle amenities. Even though it isn’t the closest commuter town in the GTA, its direct access to Toronto via the GO Train, a revitalized downtown core, a growing cultural hub, affordability, and ease of access to nature, balances local living with access to Canada’s major city centre. In Hamilton, IWG has a bustling and vibrant Regus location at 21 King Street West.
Across your brands—Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature—you offer everything from design-led hubs with strong community programming to highly cost‑effective, professional spaces; how do you think about matching different workspace brands to the needs of corporates, SMEs, and solo professionals?
In much the same way that hotel groups like Marriott and IHG offer a brand for every market segment, we do the same with our workplace brands. By offering a range of brands in Canada, we’re able to meet the needs of corporates, SMEs and solo professionals alike.
There is a different brand for every type of customer. Spaces, for example, offers professional, collaborative workspaces in beautiful and creative environments. Our largest network of workspaces Regus supports any individual or business looking for a professional workspace environment that gives them the scale they need to succeed, and HQ appeals to businesses of all shapes and sizes by providing efficient, functional space, with all the essentials needed to set up and be ready to go at a lower price point.
Looking ahead, with roughly 5,000 locations worldwide and a customer base that includes the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies, what do you see as the next major shift in how and where work gets done—and what should Canadian small and medium‑sized businesses be thinking about now to stay ahead of that curve?
Artificial Intelligence is not just another wave of innovation – it is part of the most profound shift in how we live and work in decades. The pace of change is extraordinary. Entire job functions are being reshaped in real time, while new ones are emerging just as quickly.
I’ve seen several technological revolutions over six decades in business. When computers first entered the workplace, there were widespread fears of mass job losses. In reality, new roles were created, while others disappeared, productivity increased, businesses expanded, and entirely new industries emerged.
AI will follow a similar path – but at far greater speed and scale. This is not incremental change. It is a fundamental reset of how work is organised, delivered and measured. And as with every transformation before it, those who adapt fastest will be best placed to succeed.
In my many years in business, one principle has remained constant: success requires brilliant talent too. Talent and technology are two of the largest investments organisations make, and they need to work in harmony.
The true value of technology is only realized through the people who apply, adapt and innovate with it. Without the right talent, even the most advanced tools fall short of their potential.
This is why any serious AI strategy must begin with a people strategy: attracting, developing and retaining the right talent.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
