The transformation is spectacular: the Richemont Group has treated its Fribourg campus (see photos) to a stunning two-year-long makeover, and just in time to celebrate its 50^th anniversary in Villars-sur-Glâne. This vast redevelopment and construction project, completed in summer 2023, provides the Group’s 1,400 employees with a unique work environment.

Inside, there are adaptable high-quality hybrid and collaborative workspaces that promote operational excellence and spark creativity. As Edgar Vandel, the site manager, explains, “In the past, each environment had a clearly defined function. Today, all of the spaces are multimodal. This decompartmentalization takes conventional open-plan layout to another level because the space is designed to facilitate communication between residents. It gives the site a campus feel, which in turn enhances our corporate culture.”

Outside, the grounds are a green oasis offering spaces to relax and unwind. According to Suzanne Lévesque, Company Secretary of Richemont, “One expression of our commitment to sustainability is our ambitious human-powered mobility plan. It has allowed us to do away with a lot of our above-ground parking, freeing up 40,000 square meters – almost half the surface area of the campus – for gardens, terraces and green spaces.” explains Suzanne Lévesque. As well as gorgeous outdoor spaces, site residents can enjoy an impressive range of high-end services and events, including a restaurant with the Terroir Fribourg label, several cafés and lounges, in-house boutique, gym, wellness area, etc., “which add a real Community Manager role to the list of employer obligations we are required to fulfill”.

Head and heart

Thanks to the extensive redevelopment of the Fribourg site, Richemont is now in an excellent position to sharpen its competitive edge and attract new talent who will help the Group scale new heights. The site has expanded considerably since the Cartier lighter factory opened in Villars-sur-Glâne back in 1972. It is now home to a Cartier watchmaking manufacture, a global logistics center, as well as multiple centers of expertise in fields as varied as distribution, operations, finance, human resources, digitalization, e-commerce and IT. Suzanne Lévesque concludes, “The Fribourg campus is a strategically important site for Richemont. It is both the head and the heart of the Group.”