Navigating the Future of Global Workplaces with Julian Sera from Cytokinetics

In this episode of Make Yourself @ Work, Matt Tverberg sits down with Julian Sera, Senior Manager of Facilities at Cytokinetics, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on muscle biology and heart disease innovation. With experience at large enterprises such as Tesla and Apple, Julian shares what it takes to scale workplace operations internationally while maintaining complex regulatory requirements. From locking down conference rooms for regulatory response teams to collaborating on creative room naming conventions, Julian unpacks the operational details that are often overlooked when it comes to workplace management. He dives deep into how he leverages utilization data to design smarter offices, why small tweaks to airflow timing can have a massive impact on the bottom line, and why flexible design elements prevent wasted space in hybrid environments.  You’ll also hear practical lessons in change management and how the team at Cytokinetics balances standardization with personalization as they expand their global footprint. Some key lessons from the conversation include: don’t assume knowledge, always communicate the “why” behind new tech, and build trust by following through on even the smallest requests. This episode is a must-listen for facilities leaders, workplace strategists, operations executives, and anyone responsible for scaling physical environments in fast-growing, regulated industries. — Quotes “No cookie-cutter approach is gonna actually work even within a company itself. Every department has different needs. And I think that kind of trend that we've seen a lot in the workplace design world is really creating different worlds, different environments for people rather than creating a cube farm.” “If you say that you're gonna do it, just do it. Because if you don't, next time it's cold they might not reach out to you. Next time they have a bigger thing that's not just office temperature, they might not reach out to you. I think it's building off those seemingly meaningless little asks that can have a big impact.” “If people aren’t asking us and we’re catching it ahead of time, awesome. That’s a good day. A lot of facilities, workplace, all of our operational aspects, we’re kind of like those ninjas in the background. And I think if you’re too noticed, that means you’re doing something wrong.” — Timestamps  (00:32) Background on Julian and Cytokinetics (01:47) Managing global offices and scale (03:32) What brought Julian to the space (05:04) Avoiding a cookie-cutter approach (07:58) Operating in a highly regulated industry (11:36) Underestimated aspects of facilities and operations (13:45) The team logistics that follow global growth (17:58) Strategic space planning leveraging data (25:22) Empowering all types of roles across the organization (29:27) The power of follow-through (31:06) Looking toward the future (36:28) How to prioritize new tools (39:39) How Julian makes himself @ Work — Links  Connect with the guest and host on LinkedIn! Julian Sera Matt Tverberg Learn more about Envoy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.