To stay at the forefront of transformation, we’re excited to introduce our new Global Head of Engagement & Strategy, Saskia Wölfle. With a background in International Business and Design Management, along with a passion for art, interior design and innovation, Saskia has spent the past four years driving design-led transformation at Studio Banana, collaborating with forward-thinking clients and a creative team to develop innovative, human-centered strategies.

As you embark on this exciting journey, what does your new role entail?

As global head of Engagement and Strategy I lead the team responsible for delivering transformation services, focusing on strategically shaping new working and learning environments. In collaboration with our clients through co-design formats, we integrate sustainability from the outset while ensuring seamless change management and communication throughout the entire process. My key responsibility is to build on the best practices we’ve developed across Studio Banana’s geographies while continuously innovating and adapting our service offering to meet the evolving client needs.

What unique perspective and experience do you bring to this new role?

I started at Vitra as a work student at 19 and have since explored trends in new work, strategizing its future. At Studio Banana, I’ve deepened this expertise by leading workplace and exploratory projects. My background in International Business and Design Management equips me to align client needs with employee transformation to create engaging experiences, purposeful environments, and vibrant communities.

What are the key services your team will be working on from a client’s perspective?

I see transformation as an ongoing journey, not a project with a fixed end. My goal is to establish a continuous, holistic service—partnering with clients from identifying challenges to visioning, strategy, design, move-in support, and ongoing improvement. This circular approach allows us to create a deep understanding and meaningful connections that pushes environmental and social sustainability to a next level.

What high-impact value will you and your team bring to Studio Banana’s clients?

One of our greatest strengths is our ability to combine deep empathy to understand our clients’ challenges with our expertise to push the boundaries of what’s possible. This enables us to guide them in shaping the future and driving lasting transformation.

How does your role contribute to the overall goals of the studio?

Together with the Engagement and Strategy team, we craft bespoke collaboration methodologies that lay the foundation for successful transformation projects. In our studio, Engagement, Strategy, and Design are closely interlinked. Through strategic interactions, we ensure a purposeful, targeted approach that shapes a holistic experience for future users, considering people, places, and processes. Throughout the process, we collaborate closely in interdisciplinary teams to deliver maximum value for our clients.

Which projects stand out as the most memorable and impactful from your experience at the studio?

Some of my favourite projects are confidential unfortunately, as the strategic and engagement phases are often highly sensitive. However, I would love to mention two projects that I was recently involved in: our collaboration with the city of Thun in which we tested flexible ways of working. The client entrusted us to collaborate from the strategy development up until a post-occupancy analysis and continuous improvement measures as well as accompanying co-design and change measures along the way.  On the other hand, the Loops project with Inselspital was a rather explorative hence highly strategic project, in which we focused on the spatial experience of multiple target users and co-created it with a group of stakeholder ambassadors.