Building Thriving Workspaces with Soul, Strategy, and Systems
Pooja Mehta Kumar
Chief HR & Ops Officer,
Redbrick Offices
Pooja Mehta Kumar is a rare leader who navigates seamlessly between precision planning and people-centred strategy. As the Chief HR & Operations Officer at Redbrick Offices, she has shaped over 2.5 million sq. ft of vibrant, high-performing workspaces across India, transforming them from just physical environments into thriving hubs of culture and collaboration. With a career spanning over 24 years and an alumna of IIM Calcutta, Pooja has held leadership positions at several multinational corporations, including Wipro, Citigroup, and Capita, where she led large teams across multiple cities in India. Her journey at Redbrick Group began with leading the Sales vertical for Residential Projects. Over time, her role expanded to overseeing the large-scale Facilities function at Redbrick Offices, where she established robust foundational systems with a keen eye for detail. But it was her deep interest in the human side of work—how teams bond, what makes spaces feel inclusive, and how culture comes alive—that truly set her apart. Pooja joined at a crucial growth phase, building the entire Facilities Management function from the ground up —budgets, compliance, vendor ecosystems, and tech integrations.. As the company scaled, so did her role. She began to lead HR initiatives, designing policies, enhancing employee experience, and creating people-first frameworks that mirrored the efficiency of her operational systems. A key milestone came when she led Redbrick’s ISO and USGBC LEED Gold certifications at the Pune centre, increasing revenue by 40% and reinforcing her belief in the power of aligned systems, sustainability, and culture. For Pooja, scaling is about the soul. And every workspace tells that story. How does she do it? She shares here with TradeFlock.
How do you balance people leadership with operational excellence?
Honestly? You don’t balance it by separating the two—you balance it by integrating them. In a fast-moving workspace environment, people and operations are deeply connected. Disorganised systems lead to stress and burnout, while even the most sophisticated tools fail without team alignment. My approach centres on three essentials. First, clarity in process—from vendor onboarding to managing 45 centres—ensures smooth execution. We’ve built ERPs and dashboards that make operations predictable and audit-friendly. Secondly, it involves putting empathy into practice. Leadership means listening, reducing friction, and designing workflows that support both our teams and members. Finally, I believe in being present where it matters, knowing when to step in and when to step back and trust the process. In the end, I don’t see it as juggling two hats. I see it as building a culture where people drive performance, and operations create space for people to thrive.
How do you scale a ₹1000 crore portfolio while maintaining service quality and company culture?
For me, scaling isn’t just about adding more square feet; it’s about adding more value per square foot. The value comes from how the space feels, functions, and serves its people. My philosophy? Growth must never outpace intention. However, you can scale fast, sure —but if you lose the warmth, the reliability, or the clarity of service along the way, you’re not growing; you’re just expanding. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers, expansion plans, and efficiencies, but at the heart of it all are people—their experience, trust, and connection to the space. I believe operational excellence and human warmth can coexist when you build the right systems and protect the right culture. That means creating strong backend frameworks —ERP systems for vendor management, AMC tracking, and compliance dashboards—that ensure reliability and scalability. Additionally, humanising every touchpoint builds consistent culture across 45 centres, without sacrificing each site’s unique vibe. But I’ve also found that sustainability plays a huge role in scaling with soul. Our LEED-certified sites and energy-efficient processes aren’t just good for optics; they signal that we care about what we leave behind, not just what we build. Most importantly, listening with intent and acting quietly builds trust—fuelling scalable systems and deeply personal, people-centred spaces.
What’s your secret to boosting productivity and engagement across locations?
At Redbrick, we’ve intentionally cultivated a culture that fuels both productivity and engagement through thoughtful frameworks and rituals across our 45+ centres. One standout initiative is Compliance Clinics—informal, monthly sessions that break down a single ISO or safety topic into real-world scenarios, making compliance relatable and actionable. To ensure our teams are heard, we’ve implemented Instant Feedback Channels like QR codes and real-time Slack threads, where concerns are met with swift action. Our #CelebrateTheOrdinary initiative highlights unsung everyday wins via internal WhatsApp groups and monthly meetings. We also run Site Swaps and Shadowing programmes, allowing team members to explore other roles and locations quarterly, building empathy and refining processes. At the core is The Redbrick Way, our Operations Bible that ties values to execution. Paired with wellness-driven spaces and Leadership Listening Hours, these elements anchor our people-first, high-performance culture.
How do you design culture in a dynamic, transient, and diverse co-working ecosystem?
In a co-working ecosystem, culture isn’t built in walls; it’s built in moments. And when your audience is constantly evolving—freelancers today, a funded startup tomorrow, a global enterprise next week—you can’t rely on traditional workplace culture cues like tenure, hierarchy, or static policy. You have to design for fluidity without losing identity. For me, it starts with clarity of values. At Redbrick, culture is emotional architecture. We replace rules with rituals—mixers, huddles, shoutouts—creating connection over compliance. From warm welcomes to rapid support, curated art to quiet corners, every detail ensures even brief stays feel intentional. Because here, belonging isn’t a perk—it’s the blueprint.
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