New year, new moves: Unpacking
the market shifts of week one

2026 is barely a week old, but the flex and commercial real estate world is already on the move. Senior exits, promotions and new ventures are landing thick and fast. Here’s a snapshot of the key moves worth knowing...

Leading the headlines, after more than a decade at the helm, Tim Rodber has stepped down from The Instant Group, marking the end of an era for one of the flexible workspace sector’s most influential figures. Rodber joined Instant in July 2013 and served as chief executive for 12 and a half years, during which the business scaled from a 30-person team in Paddington into a global advisory and marketplace platform employing roughly 700 people worldwide.

That trajectory peaked in March 2022, when global workspace giant IWG completed a £320 million merger of its digital businesses with The Instant Group - a deal that created one of the world’s largest independent flexible workspace marketplaces, supporting more than 250,000 businesses across 175 countries.

Instant has yet to announce a successor. As for Rodber, his next chapter remains under wraps - but given a career that’s already spanned the British Army, England international rugby and the boardroom, a quiet retirement feels unlikely.

Elsewhere, senior moves continue to land across the market. Rebecca Honey has joined BASE Offices as Head of Agent and Broker Relations, following six and a half years at Fora and a subsequent year at The Drayton. Lonic has strengthened its leadership team with the promotion of Giuseppe Ciccarello to Director, while Alexandra Gathercole has made the jump from Stirling Ackroyd to Avison Young, stepping into a Director role within the firm’s London flexible workspace advisory team.

And finally, a launch to watch. Mark Gregson, founder of Impact Working, has joined forces with James Hennessy - former Managing Director of Incspaces and founder of Iconomy - to launch a brand new workspace operator, Juntos. The duo confirmed via LinkedIn yesterday that Juntos has secured its first flagship building: a long-term lease at 52 Bedford Row in Holborn, formerly home to WeWork. A confident first move - and one that puts Juntos firmly on the map from day one.

To stay up to date on senior appointments, launches and wider shifts shaping the sector, be sure to subscribe. With 2026 only just getting underway, there's no doubt plenty more to come.