Best Workplaces 2012 Europe
The 100 Best Workplaces In Europe 2012
Presented: June 19, 2012 Berlin, Germany
We’ve been helping organizations identify, create and sustain great workplaces for 20 years. Let us help you create yours. Visit www.greatplacetowork.net or email info@greatplacetowork.net for more information.
Welcome! To the 2012 Edition of the Best Workplaces in Europe! Great Place to Work® has been analyzing, understanding, selecting and publishing Best Workplace lists around the world for 20 years. We believe that any company can become a great workplace. Indeed, in Europe, we have been producing a best companies’ regional European list since 2003. This year, we have more than 1.500 companies participating from 18 countries in Europe. These companies represent some 1,2 million employees. separate lists for the best companies in two size categories—one for companies with 50 to 500 employees and one for companies with more than 500 employees. To be eligible for the multinational list, a company must have appeared on at least three national Best Workplaces lists in Europe. All 100 companies have created trust-based cultures. All 100 companies are shining examples of how to build solid businesses based on trust, pride and camaraderie. All 100 companies are great workplaces. Congratulations to all for this outstanding achievement. You are building a better society by transforming your workplaces.
José Tolovi, Jr. Chairman of the Board Great Place to Work® Institute, Inc.
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About Great Place to Work® “Our mission is to build a better society by helping companies transform their workplaces.” Great Place to Work® is a global research, advisory and training firm that helps organizations identify, create and sustain great workplaces through the development of high-trust workplace cultures. We serve businesses, non-profits and government agencies in 45 countries around the world (with 18 offices in Europe.)
culture, industry, size or age. By raising the level of trust in the workplace, companies everywhere can improve their business results since cooperation and innovation depend on trust.” Each year, Great Place to Work® partners with more than 5.500 organizations with some 10 million employees worldwide to conduct the largest annual set of workplace culture studies in the world. Our business, from research to educational events to advisory and training services, is laserfocused on helping leaders create their own great workplaces.
Our clients, like the companies honored on these pages, are those companies and organizations that wish to maintain Best Company environments. We also serve those that are ready to dramatically improve the culture within their workplaces, and those in between the two.
A work environment based on trust We know that organizations that build trust and create a rewarding cycle of personal contribution and appreciation create workplace cultures that deliver outstanding business performance. Our co-founder, Robert Levering, puts it succinctly: “From studying the world’s best workplaces, we have learned that trust is the key differentiator. This applies to all organizations regardless of national 2 | Best Workplaces in Europe 2012
• We’ve defined what a great workplace is and how to measure it; • We understand the benefits of creating great workplaces; • We know what distinguishes the best companies’ efforts in creating great workplaces, the core elements that make programs and investments successful; • We know how to help you create your own great workplace.
Behind the European Best Companies Lists by Otto Zell It’s never easy to create and sustain a great workplace. The task of transforming and maintaining great workplaces is even more difficult when those accomplishments are measured against similar kinds of companies in other countries. The 100 companies on our three European lists are recognized for their commitment and success in creating high-trust relationships in their workplaces. All 100 companies clearly demonstrate the attributes of a great workplace, an environment where your trust the people you work for, have pride in what you do, and enjoy the people you work with. These companies have created and maintained policies and practices that help them to achieve organizational objectives with employees who give their personal best while working together as a team or family, all in an environment of trust.
Congratulations from all of us at Great Place to WorkÂŽ. Companies on the European lists have demonstrated their courage and confidence to build great workplaces, even in the face of the Eurozone financial crisis, or if they reduced the size of their workforce (true for one out of five companies on the lists) or added jobs (true for more than half of the companies on the list.) Great workplaces almost always perform better on the public markets, attract more job applicants, retain more employees and suffer less shrinkage.
Fast Facts About the Top 100 Most represented industry on the lists: Information Technology
29%
Average company age
35
years
Proportion female senior managers
Total number of jobs created by the 100 companies
6.032
23 %
Current annual turnover rate
7,2% Commitment to employee training
71
hours
Ratio of job applicants to existing jobs
9:1
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How We Picked Europe’s Best Companies® by Otto Zell
Any company that appears on one of the 18 national Best Workplaces lists in Europe is a candidate for one the three Best Workplaces lists. The three lists are: multinationals
large workplaces (more than 500 employees)
If a company is a multinational, it must have appeared on at least three national Best Workplaces lists to be eligible for the Best Multinational Workplaces List in Europe. If a company is a multinational, but appears on two or fewer national Best Workplaces lists, it competes with the other companies for a ranking on either the Best Large Workplaces (more than 500 employees) or Best Small and Medium Workplaces (between 50-500 employees), depending upon the size of its employee population. All three lists are built on data provided by our 18 Great Place to Work® Europe. We use the same methodology to rank companies on the Large and the Small and Medium lists as we do within the 18 European countries themselves.
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small & medium workplaces (between 50 and 500 employees)
Determining Total Scores All companies are ranked based upon their individual Trust Index© and Culture Audit© scores. A total score determines whether or not a company will be listed, as well as its rank on a particular list. This methodology is used to create all of our Best Workplaces lists, not only across Europe but also in Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas.
Best Workplaces 2012 Europe
To be eligible for consideration to appear on the 25 Best Multinational Workplaces list, a company must have: • At least 1.000 employees around the world; • At least 40% of its global workforce (or at least 5.000 employees) outside the home country (the country in which the company is headquartered); • Appeared on at least three national Best Workplaces lists in Europe.
A mutinational company’s score is calculated as the average of its individual country scores, weighted by the total number of employees in each country. In addition, a multinational may earn up to 25% extra credit based upon: • The number of countries in which they participate in a Great Place to Work® list; • The ratio of the number of employees who work in Europe compared with the total number of employees that are represented by participating companies in the region. The higher this number, the higher the credit.
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How We Evaluate Best Companies Great Place to Work® assesses organizations and considers their potential inclusion on one of our Best Workplaces lists based on the results of two assessment tools: The Trust Index© Employee Survey and the Culture Audit© Management Questionnaire. Through these tools we evaluate what employees think about their workplaces. We ask about their workplace experiences and analyze the effectiveness of management practices that underpin a company’s workplace culture.
Trust Index© Employee Survey The most essential measure of whether a company is a great workplace is whether employees say it is a great workplace. Therefore, two-thirds of Great Place to Work®’s assessment is based upon the confidential and anonymous feedback that we receive through our rigorous Trust Index© employee survey.
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This assessment is the starting point for any organization, and it measures the employee experience in five areas: respect, credibility, fairness, pride and camaraderie. Together, behaviors in these five areas lead to a workplace environment with a high-level of trust, the most critical factor for creating a great workplace. The survey tool is validated annually, and is the goldstandard measure of great workplaces in business and academic research.
The Culture Audit© Management Questionnaire The Culture Audit© provides insight into an organization’s values system and programs and practices, and accounts for one-third of the Great Place to Work® assessment.
The Culture Audit© consists of two parts: the first collects employee demographics and general information about the company. In the second section, companies share their philosophy and practices in areas such as hiring, communication, employee development, and company celebrations.
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Giftwork® Training for Managers
6X 5X 4X 3X 2X 1X
Giftwork® Training for Managers
How can you build a culture of trust?
Giftwork® Training for Frontline and Mid-level Managers In this two-day workshop, learn to build a workplace culture of trust, innovation, and productivity using a profound approach we call Giftwork®. Why is the Giftwork® approach so powerful? Because it can fundamentally transform your workplace culture. Everyday tasks, often seen as obligations, become opportunities to build trust between managers and employees. Our journey is highly interactive, immersive and fun!
LEARN MORE > Giftwork® Training for Managers Contact your local GPTW office or visit www.greatplacetowork.net
25 Best Multinational Workplaces
1. Microsoft
14. Cisco
2. NetApp
15. Leroy Merlin
3. SAS Institute
16. SC Johnson
4. Admiral Group
17. Gr端nenthal
5. W.L. Gore & Associates
18. Mars
6. National Instruments
19. EMC
7. Quintiles
20. PepsiCo
8. Diageo
21. Abbott
9. Affecto
22. Accenture
10. Sick
23. Mundipharma
11. Medtronic
24. FedEx Express
12. McDonald's
25. Novo Nordisk
13. Autodesk
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1º PlACE Microsoft
microsoft.com A Best Company in 15 European countries, global software provider Microsoft Corp. offers a flexible working environment and a supportive management culture, according to employees. The company utilizes innovative technology to enhance work/life balance, providing employees the flexibility to determine when, where and how they work. To facilitate collaboration, senior managers work alongside employees on special project groups. All employees are encouraged to contribute to their community in any way they see fit through paid volunteer days. The result: employees appreciate Microsoft’s culture of innovation and productivity that is defined by an emphasis on results, rather than hours in a cubicle.
Qualified in: Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Ireland Italy The Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom
First Listed In
Portugal 2000 Number of Global Employees
Industry
Software
92.688
Women in Senior Management
23%
Voluntary Turnover
5%
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Employees in Europe
14.070
“Responsibility combined with accountability in an environment that encourages creativity. I know what I need to achieve in business terms and I am allowed to determine the best manner in which to achieve it. This draws on my skills as a manager which makes me feel valued as an employee.”
2º PlACE Industry
NetApp
netapp.com Qualified in: Austria France Germany The Netherlands Switzerland United Kingdom
Storage & Data Management Employees in Europe
1.628
First Listed In
The Netherlands 2008 No. of Worldwide Employees
12.114
Employee Growth
“In my four years at NetApp they never cease to amaze me. I wake up and pinch myself to make sure it is real. I am so passionate about the technology. They will have to kick me out because I am not leaving!”
29%
Women in Senior Management
6%
Voluntary Turnover
5%
3º PlACE SAS Institute
sas.com
Industry
Software First Listed In
Qualified in: Belgium Finland France Greece Italy
The Netherlands Poland Portugal Sweden Switzerland
Employees in Europe
2.053
“Here I can be myself at all times. I feel part of something and I feel a sense of contribution. I don’t ever get the feeling, when I get up in the morning, that I don’t want to go to work.”
Portugal 2002 No. of Worldwide Employees
12.837
Employee Growth
16%
Women in Senior Management
27%
Voluntary Turnover
6%
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CONFERENCE
20 12 ASIA PACIFIC
August 29 & 30, 2012 JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong
learn, share & connect with Asia卒s best workplaces
Join us for the first workplace culture event of its kind in the Asia-Pacific Region
To attend or for conference information please contact our: 2012 Great Place to Work速 Asia-Pacific Conference Team www.greatplacetowork.com.hk/publications-and-events/ Great Place to Work速 in China 12/F International Commerce Centre 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong T. +852 3669-8353 contact@greatplacetowork.com.hk Great Place to Work速 is also offering sponsorship opportunities, please write to Susana Munoz smunoz@greatplacetowork.com.hk for more information.
25 Best Large Workplaces 1. Tetra Pak Packaging Solutions
14. Novartis
2. Google Ireland
15. Sparda-Bank M端nchen
3. DIS AG
16. EnergiMidt
4. Athenian Brewery
17. Atento
5. Elica
18. Dell Ireland
6. Nordea Liv & Pension
19. Irma
7. Fater
20. Care
8. SMA Solar Technology
21. Boots Retail Ireland
9. Capital One Europe
Betriebskrankenkasse
10. Tivoli
23. Novozymes
11. Reitangruppen
24. Beaverbrooks the Jewellers
12. Schoenen Torfs
25. Davidson
22. SBK Siemens-
13. Accent Jobs
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1º PlACE Tetra Pak Packaging Solutions
tetrapak.com
Tetra Pak Packaging Solutions is a Swedish food processing and packaging solutions company, with a major packaging materials plant located in Rubiera, Italy. Inspired by its core values, the company empowers its employees to be responsible, be free, and have fun in the workplace! The company offers a flexible benefit plan that allows employees to augment their baseline salary in a few notable areas, ranging from educational reimbursement to in-home caregivers. Support and training also comes in informal ways; the company sponsors a fun cartoon series (broadcasted via the company intranet) that’s used to remind employees about corporate conventions, such as dress code and the promotion of recycling. First Appeared In
2010
Industry
Manufacturing
Employee Growth
8%
Women in Senior Management
16%
Voluntary Turnover
3%
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Number of employees
775
Qualified In: Italy
“We have strong core values that are truly lived and followed, a great source of direction for decisions when the picture is not clear.”
2º PlACE Google Ireland
google.ie Qualified in: Ireland
Industry
Online Internet Services Number of employees
2.200
First Appeared In
2006
Employee Growth
17%
Voluntary Turnover
6%
“Google moves at lightning speed-constant progress, change and excitement!”
3º PlACE DIS AG
dis-ag.com Qualified in:
Industry
Staffing & Recruitment
Germany Number of employees
933
First Appeared In
2005
Employee Growth
6%
Voluntary Turnover
1%
“It feels good to be treated with trust and respect!”
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50 Best Small and Medium-sized Workplaces
1. Futurice
2. Miles
15. Tutoris
3. Noventum Consulting
16. Paninfo AG
4. BofĂŚlleskaberne Edelsvej
17. LEGO
5. Baringa Partners
18. FINN.no
6. Atrias
Personalmanagement
19. Webstep
7. Kungsleden
20. Morgan McKinley
8. Centiro Solutions
21. Twinings UK & Ireland
9. Socialpsykiatri Lolland
22. Kantega
10. Octo
23. SKAGEN Fondene
11. Jones Lang LaSalle
24. Fondia
12. Nissan Italia
25. Bain & Company
13. Impact International
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14. Frøs Herreds Sparekasse
26. Hartmanns
38. Electrolux Home Products Denmark
27. AE
39. InfoJobs
28. Everis Portugal
40. Novia Finland
29. Virgo Health
41. Accuracy
30. Middelfart Sparekasse
31. UKFast
32. Diversify Consulting Group
33. Stretch
34. MSD Ireland (Human Health)
35. ROFF
42. Brand Learning Partners
43. Mind Source
44. Convista Consulting 45. Mjølner Informatics 46. ARDEX Baustoff
47. Lansons Communications
48. Softcat Limited 36. NetDesign
37. Boehringer Ingelheim
49. Cinnober Financial Technology
50. Trovit
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1º PlACE Futurice
futurice.com
Futurice is an information technology company, based in Helsinki, Finland, that specializes in Internet and mobile software development. The company’s unique culture —built on the ideas of freedom, responsibility, and trust— is loved by employees and customers alike, and has resulted in strong growth for the company. To encourage transparency throughout the organization, all meetings and trainings are open for anyone to attend. Indeed, employees are empowered to organize their own training programs. Furthermore, CEO Tuomas Syrjänen meets every new employee individually during orientation, and then annually for a 30-minute conversation. First Appeared on a List
2011
Employee Growth
25%
Voluntary Turnover
5%
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Industry
Software Number of employees
141
Qualified in: Finland
“Our management genuinely wants to make this the best possible workplace for employees.”
2º PlACE Miles
miles.no
Industry
IT Consulting
Qualified in: Norway
Number of employees
68
First Appeared In
2012
Employee Growth
35%
“Management’s emotional involvement in the company and its employees is unique. This makes it a great place to work.”
Voluntary Turnover
5%
3º PlACE Noventum Consulting
noventum.de Qualified in: Germany
Industry
IT Consulting
Number of employees
86
First Appeared In
2007
Employee Growth
-1%
“I can’t imaging having more freedom concerning work-life balance and personal development. Absolutely outstanding!”
Voluntary Turnover
3%
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Special Recognition Awards As part of the 2012 Best Workplaces in Europe effort, Great Place to Work® is proud to present three special awards: Inspiring Pride; Transparent Communication; and Employee Involvement. Employee Involvement
Inspiring Pride
The award winners were chosen from among the 100 great workplaces that appear on this year’s three lists. All companies were eligible, regardless of size. The awards are based upon three of the nine Giftwork® Practice Areas, where companies effectively build high levels of trust, and therefore great workplaces. To be considered for the award, we looked at the breadth and variety of programs and policies in each of these areas that distinguish Best Companies from their counterparts. The nine practice areas are organized along three core themes: achieving organizational objectives; people giving their personal best; and working together as a team or family. We present three awards each year, cycling through one
Transparent Communication
of the three core themes —and, over the course of three years, all nine of the Giftwork® Practice Areas. This year’s awards cover the areas of Inspiring, Speaking and Listening, which together form part of the first of the three themes: helping an organization to achieve its organizational objectives. The 2013 Special Awards will be for Showing Appreciation (Thanking), Work-Life balance (Caring), and Employee Development (Developing), the areas that enable employees to give their personal best. The 2014 Special Awards will be for Innovative Hiring Practices (Hiring), Culture of Fun (Celebrating) and Community Involvement (Sharing), the key components to working together as a team or family.
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Employee Involvement SPECIAl AWARD The winner of the special award for Employee Involvement in Europe in 2012 is Merck Sharp & Dohme Ireland (Human Health) Limited (MSD), a global pharmaceutical company in Dublin, Ireland. With this special award, Great Place to Work® recognizes companies that excel in the way in which they involve employees in the decision-making process. This is demonstrated through outstanding practices for collecting employee feedback as well as the degree of management responsiveness to employee questions and concerns. MSD has long demonstrated a commitment that allows employees shape the organization. For example, when the company began developing its Vision, Values and Long Term Goals in 2006, an employee task force developed MSD’s values and then translated those values into a set of practical behaviors that reflected daily life at MSD. Over the intervening six years, these values have been incorporated into the structures and systems that the company uses for recognition, appraisal and decision-making.
As one employee notes, leaders at MSD “listen to employees and really do make changes based on employee feedback.”
MSD’s “Change Team” also gives employees an opportunity to directly shape the company’s strategic directions and priorities. The Change Team itself is composed of 15 employees from across the organization. The Team is tasked with analyzing the results of the company’s annual Great Place to Work® survey. Accordingly, the team moderates ”buzz groups” that solicit input on organization-wide issues. The group strategizes with leadership and creates action plans to act on Trust Index© survey feedback. The team’s ongoing work also ensures a open communication through the year. Ultimately, the Change Team exemplifies MSD’s committment to creating a collaborative, emnpolyee-driven culture.
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Inspiring Pride SPECIAl AWARD The winner of the special award for Inspiring Pride in Europe in 2012 is Reitangruppen, a wholesale and retail franchiser based in Trondheim, Norway. With this special award, Great Place to Work® recognizes a company that excels in inspiring its employees with the result that they feel that their work has more meaning than being “just a job.” At Reitangruppen, inspiring pride starts with the company’s vision: to “be known as the most value-driven company in Scandinavia.” All internal meetings with more than six people start with a discussion of company values. The company recently launched a leadership training program centered on using stories of their values in action. Through practices such as these, the company hopes that all employees feel that they are valuable and that they contribute to the company’s economic success. Reitangruppen’s organizational structure is another source of pride for employees. Founder Odd Reitan is very involved in the business, and all employees know the Reitan family and meet them several times per year. The company is also very ”flat”, each employee has a set of goals tied to company goals along with a job description with defined responsibilities. As a result, employees are given tremendous authority to make their own decisions that impact the business, regardless of position.
“The company’s business and leadership philosophy is based on a belief that everyone wants to do the best job possible, and it is motivating to get trust and freedom to solve your assignments.”
Reitangruppen’s committment to social responsibility is a further source of inspiration. The company contributes 40 million Norwegian kroner (US$6.6 million) to social, environmental and health organizations. Employees can directly contribute by volunteering for the Red Cross or becoming ambassadors for various causes. Reitangruppen creates a culture that helps employees grow and gives them a feeling of being part of something bigger.
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Transparent Communication SPECIAl AWARD The winner of the special award for Transparent Communication in Europe in 2012 is Futurice, a software and IT consulting company based in Helsinki, Finland. With this special award, Great Place to Work® recognizes a company that excels in sharing information with employees while fostering a culture of transparency. Futurice believes that all information should be open for everyone, with only specific areas such as salaries and other personnel information restricted in terms of access. This commitment to transparency is noteworthy within the context of the industry in which Futurice competes. As one employee succinctly notes, “Your position in the company does not influence how openly you will be informed.”
“Futurice is eager to keep learning and willing to share everything they have learned outside their organisation.”
Management’s commitment to transparency is demonstrated through a variety of practices. All meetings —including management meetings— are open for anyone to attend. The management team issues the same monthly report to both employees and the Board of Directors, having first distributed it to employees for their comments and input. And CEO Tuomas Syrjänen hosts a monthly “Ask the CEO Half an Hour,” a live session where Syrjänen answers employee questions. “FutuView” screens —digital monitors displaying project statuses, market analysis, daily events and even financial status updates— are placed throughout Futurice offices. The company also encourages transparency through low-tech tools, such as distributing stickers that read “Ask Why” and “I Love Feedback.” Futurice’s commitment to transparency even extends beyond the organization —the company has invited other companies building their own best workplaces to visit.
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Directory - Great Place to Work® in Europe Austria Kagraner Platz 40/3/3 – A – 1220 Wien +43 (0) 1 798 59 28 0 www.greatplacetowork.at
Netherlands Herengracht 124 – 128 – 1015 BT Amsterdam +31 6 28530433 www.greatplacetowork.nl
Belgium Reep 1 – 9000 Gent +32 9 210 9737 www.greatplacetowork.be
Norway Middelthunsgate 27 – PO 5492 Majorstuen 0305 Oslo +47 922 12 747 www.greatplacetowork.no
Denmark Falkoner Allé 20, 4 – 2000 Frederiksberg +45 33 69 13 69 www.greatplacetowork.dk Finland Meritullinkatu 1 C – FI – 00170 Helsinki Sepänkatu 20 – FI – 90100 Oulu +358 (0) 40 1989 765 www.greatplacetowork.fi France 1 bis, Cité Paradis – F – 75010 Paris +33 (0) 1 44 83 87 11 www.greatplacetowork.fr Germany Sülzburgstraße 104 – 106 D-50937 Köln +49 (0) 221 93335 0 www.greatplacetowork.de Greece Panormou 74 – 115 23 Athens +30 210 6971098 www.greatplacetowork.gr Ireland Discovery House – Feltrim Road Swords County Dublin +353 1 890 9510 www.greatplacetowork.ie Italy Via della Moscova 40/5 – 20121 Milano +39 02/4946343 www.greatplacetowork.it luxembourg 5, Z.A.I. de Bourmicht – L – 8070 Bertrange Luxemburger Wort +352 26 27 69 1 www.bestplacetowork.lu
Poland ul. Drużynowa 3/1 02-590 Warszawa +48 22 331 66 99 www.greatplacetowork.pl Portugal Escritórios Quinta do Jamor 2790-466 Queijas +351 214 177 419 www.greatplacetowork.pt Spain Calle Victor Andres Belaunde 10 Esc. Izq 1A - 28 016 Madrid +34 91 141 08 99 www.greatplacetowork.es Sweden Sverige – Munkbrogatan 2 111 27 Stockholm +46 08 562 00 480 www.greatplacetowork.se Switzerland Seestrasse 123 8002 Zürich +41 (0) 43 817 65 67 www.greatplacetowork.ch Turkey (opening later in 2012) Barbaros Bulvarı No: 47 Beşiktaş 34349 Istanbul +90 212 236 50 20 www.greatplacetowork.com.tr United Kingdom Angel House – Suite 2 225 Marsh Wall, Canary Wharf – London E14 9FW +44 (0)870 608 8780 www.greatplacetowork.co.uk
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