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It’s one thing to build a great workplace. It’s another to do it 28 times in different countries, for over 4,000 employees, representing more than 100 cultures, all while preserving a shared company identity.
That’s exactly what Sabine Spoelstra, Global Program Manager for Workplace and Real Estate at Adyen, is doing. In this episode of Fika Friday at the Office, Sabine shares her unique approach to building workplace experiences that feel cohesive across continents, but never copy-pasted.
Her background in anthropology and international business shows up in everything from how she leads projects to how she thinks about space, culture, and connection. Since joining Adyen just before the pandemic in 2019, she’s gone from local office manager to the global driver of their workplace strategy, and she’s still just getting started.
“I think whenever you enter a new office, you immediately feel that it's an Adyen office. But then it doesn’t have to be a copy-paste… We always try to make it better and adjust to local needs.”
Designing for Identity and Adaptation
One of the most striking parts of our conversation was how Sabine balances brand consistency with cultural sensitivity. At Adyen, every office is rooted in a shared identity, but it’s never a clone of another.
Take the Shanghai office, for example. While designed within Adyen’s global standards, it incorporates local elements that reflect the culture and preferences of the team based there. This kind of thoughtful localization doesn’t just make a space feel right, but it makes it work.
Sabine credits her anthropology background with helping her navigate these nuances. It’s about about people, expectations, and how work gets done in different parts of the world.
Connection Through Coffee (and Tea)
Fittingly for a show named Fika Friday, we also talked about rituals, and Sabine lit up when describing the design intention behind Adyen’s coffee corners.
Rather than scattering coffee machines throughout their offices, Adyen places full-service barista stations on the ground floor. This is about creating natural hubs where people from different teams and floors connect. It aligns perfectly with one of Adyen’s core principles: "seek different perspectives."
“We use those spaces to encourage movement, interaction, and spontaneous conversations.”
It reminded me of Sabine’s own tea rituals with family and friends - small, personal acts that reflect something much bigger: the power of shared moments in building community.
Physical Offices Still Matter
Despite overseeing a global portfolio and managing digital projects daily, Sabine is a near-daily visitor to the office. Why? Because she believes in the value of in-person connection.
That belief has shaped how Adyen designs space post-pandemic: open floor plans are still the norm, but there are now more phone booths and quiet zones to meet the growing need for privacy and flexibility. The message is clear, offices aren’t going away. They’re just becoming more thoughtful.
Wellbeing, Flexibility, and Growth
Sabine also touched on how workplace design is increasingly shaped by employee wellbeing from ergonomic furniture to air quality and natural light. These aren’t luxuries; they’re essential features for supporting health, comfort, and sustained performance.
Flexibility plays a major role too, especially with a multigenerational workforce. Adyen’s approach is refreshingly simple: if you’re doing your job, you can work in the way that works best for you.
“As long as you do your job, I think you can pretty much have a flexible way of working.”
That flexibility has been essential during a period of rapid growth. In Amsterdam alone, Adyen’s team grew from 600 people to a footprint of 17,000 square meters across multiple locations. And Sabine’s team has had to adapt space and strategy just as quickly.
Final Thoughts
Sabine Spoelstra brings a rare mix of cultural fluency, operational rigor, and human insight to the world of workplace strategy. Her work at Adyen shows that global consistency doesn’t mean uniformity, and that great offices are not just designed, they’re felt.
The future of work is about creating places, physical and cultural, where people want to show up, contribute, and grow. Sabine reminds us that when we design with curiosity and care, we can build workplaces that not only scale, but connect.
Listen to the full episode with Sabine Spoelstra to explore how culture, connection, and flexibility shape the global workplace. Catch Fika Friday at the Office wherever you get your podcasts.
