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Orchestrating experience

The purpose

Aon’s new Dublin headquarters at Fifteen George’s Quay is a story of how a business found equilibrium between people, space, and purpose, and used data to steer every step of the journey.

Aon Dublin moved into its new home in central Dublin in 2025. The decision to consolidate operations from two ageing offices into a single, high-performance hub for nearly 600 employees marked a deliberate shift; designed to bring people together, elevate client interactions, and shape a space that performs as well as it represents.

The outcome

Aon Dublin’s new headquarters is a recalibrated employee experience that reflects how people really work in a modern world.

The outcome is a 22.6-point leap in workplace experience, with a workplace experience score (Lmi) of 88.0, an outstanding result that places Aon firmly in the upper echelons of global workplace performance.

Background

Aon x Leesman

From the outset, Aon’s strategy was defined by clarity. The goal was not to design around trends, but to build a space grounded in how work gets done. That began with listening.

In collaboration with Leesman, Aon conducted pre- and post-move surveys to understand employee needs and measure the impact of change. They captured and analysed attendance profiles and monitored and understood utilisation patterns across all types of workspaces.

“Our ambition was to excel in the areas that matter,” says Peter Sayers, Director Workplace Projects. “We let insights guide us, then delivered a space that reflected those needs.”

The improvement was transformative: the new headquarters delivered measurable gains across all 21 measured work activities, with 95% now exceeding Leesman+ thresholds, a powerful signal that the environment had evolved with purpose.

With a workplace experience score (Lmi) of 88.0, Aon Dublin saw a 22.6-point leap in workplace experience from their pre-move survey results. This outstanding result places Aon firmly in the upper echelons of global workplace performance.

Certified for Impact

Performance wasn’t limited to experience scores. Aon’s new headquarters also achieved LEED and WELL Platinum certifications, underscoring its commitment to sustainability and wellness.

Todd Budgen, Head of Real Estate at Aon said “Efficiency is always a consideration for any Real Estate project, but that did not mean we were willing to compromise on quality and experience. The results of the Leesman Workplace Experience surveys alongside our achievement of LEED & WELL Platinum certification demonstrate both can be achieved with the right approach.”

Approach

Moving the Metrics

The move to Fifteen George’s Quay allowed Aon to unify operations in a single, state-of-the-art environment while also creating an opportunity to redefine the workplace experience.

The impact of the relocation was measurable and the shift reflected a tangible change in how employees felt about their day-to-day experience.

Employees reported a renewed sense of pride, with 96% saying they were proud to bring visitors into the new space; a powerful reflection of how closely the environment aligns with Aon’s brand and values. The office also resonated emotionally: 94% of respondents agreed it’s an enjoyable place to work, while 93% agreed that it enables their team to work productively.

From Fixed Desks to Fluid Use

One of the most significant changes came in the form of removing desk booking systems. In the previous office, where teams were spread across two disconnected buildings, desk booking had been introduced to manage space and flow, but in reality, became a point of friction.

In the new HQ, Aon Dublin removed booking entirely and introduced “home zones” and anchor days that offered a layer of structure without compromising autonomy, shifting the emphasis from control to mutual trust by allowing employees to manage their own space usage based on task, team, and rhythm.

The impact was immediate. Employees who no longer needed to reserve desks reported a significantly higher experience, with an Lmi score of 87.7, up from 67.7 in the previous system.

Behind this shift was a deeper understanding of how space is used, and how employee behaviours evolve when the environment allows for greater flexibility. Post-move, the proportion of employees who reported mainly working at a single setting dropped from 40% to 24%, while those who said they often moved between different types of spaces increased from 12% to 20%.


Crucially, this group who sometimes work from a single setting, but often use others, now reports the highest experience score across all mobility profiles, with an Lmi of 89.6, up from just 61.9 pre-move.

Designed for Movement

Beyond mobility between home and office, Aon focused on mobility within the workplace itself. A spectrum of thoughtfully designed settings encourages employees to shift seamlessly between tasks, from quiet solo work to high-energy collaboration.

Importantly, this support enables performance. Those in more complex roles, requiring greater task-switching and cognitive demand, saw some of the highest experience scores across the business. These employees need spaces that move with them, and now, they have them.

Finding Their Rhythm

Ultimately, Aon’s success lies in its ability to align strategy, insight, and design. Every decision, from location and layout to amenities and acoustics, was grounded in evidence. The result is an office that does more than just accommodate employees. It amplifies their potential.

Fifteen George’s Quay is a workplace in rhythm with its people. It listens. It adapts. It performs.

This is not just a headquarters; it’s a flagship designed to enable. And in doing so, it sets a new benchmark for workplace experience.

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