5 minute read
The Big Interview
the big
interview The eclectic entrepreneur
In pursuing a colourful career that has taken him halfway across the world and seen him work in several industries, Andrew Ross has built up a wealth of invaluable experience that’s helping him in his current role. After co-founding a number of real estate investment businesses in Australia and Europe, spanning healthcare, residential development, and student accommodation, he sold these businesses and branched out into the co-working industry.
Together with hotel industry veteran Tom Foster, Andrew opened a co-working space in the UK and became a master franchisor for Venture X, which provides high-quality, flexible shared office space and a boutique concierge-style service to a wide range of business professionals.
Being a master franchisor not only gives Andrew and Tom the opportunity to open future franchises on their own, it also gives them the right to sell new Venture X franchises throughout the UK, a strategy that allows them to scale their operations quickly with sacrificing quality.
Andrew says: “After selling the real estate businesses I was searching for my next challenge. There was a major shift towards co-working at the time and I knew it would provide opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs. Tom and I secured a deal with US-based United Franchise Group, which owns Venture X, and our journey began.”
Since assuming the role in early 2019, they’ve been extremely busy and the borough of Hounslow has been a key target for them. They’ve invested in Chiswick Park, taking 13,998 sq ft of space at the flagship West London location as part of a wider plan to expand Venture X’s presence across Europe.
Now, in a historic move, Andrew and Tom are preparing to bring co-working to Westfield London for the first time ever, with all of 20,000 sq ft of Venture X White City to open later this year. White City is a creative, technology and
life sciences hub and well known as a thriving retail destination and home of the BBC’s Television Centre. White City has recently been reenergised with 700,000 sq ft of new office space, and thousands of new homes.
Andrew says: “White City is becoming a major retail destination for co-working space. The coworking space at our upcoming Westfield location is already more than 30% pre-let which highlights the popularity of the shared office culture. We’re also opening a studio room at White City where you can do podcasts and videos. It’s just another string to our bow.
“As with Chiswick Park, all of our office space is high-end in terms of its fit-out. It’s not just about the bricks and mortar, though. Venture X provides modern workspace communities that are inspiring, diverse and collaborative. We offer a space where individuals and businesses can grow, share ideas and achieve success. By getting our offer right, members have a sense of belonging within these communities.”
Born in Scotland, Andrew spent his formative years in Australia when his family emigrated to Coffs Harbour near Sydney. After returning to the UK at the age of 22, he took up a management consulting role for a couple of years before going back Down Under to start a business in real estate, investing in healthcare. The business did well and after a few years Andrew sold his assets and relocated to London.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next,” he recalls. “One of my friends asked me if I’d be interested in going to Barcelona to invest in residential property. We bought a property together and the next thing I knew I was owning 12 of them! We almost accidentally built this business. It was a challenge, though; the properties needed gutting and the only people who lived in them were squatters!
“Then the Catalonian crisis came along and it spooked us a bit, so we sold the properties in 2018.” That paved the way for the next chapter in Andrew’s colourful career: his current journey with Venture X. Despite the COVID crisis, which has sparked a huge rise in homeworking, he believes that business professionals need the flexibility of being able to share ideas faceto-face and be a part of a physical community that enhances the quality of working life.
Andrew says: “Some people either can’t work from home or find it difficult to separate their home and work life. They enjoy the community aspect, mixing with people, and want a physical shared space where they can do their day job. “Companies will realise this and many will look to offer a flexible working model. This benefits the company, too. They might not want to sign up to a 15year lease and prefer a less costly pay-as-you-use service instead.
“In future years, we want to grow Venture X’s presence throughout the UK. Globally, our brand aims to be the largest pure franchise operator of flexible workspace in the world. However, we’re also conscious that whatever region we invest in, the needs of local businesses come first and we must offer a service that reflects and caters for these needs.”
Andrew Ross: the inside story:
Favourite food? Victoria sponge cake.
Favourite tipple? Sitting somewhere in the Med drinking an Averna with a slice of orange.
Favourite holiday? When I got married in Ibiza – and while there took my mum to one of the island’s super-clubs for her 60th birthday!
Describe your family life? My wife is a busy obstetrician who often works a 24-hour shift or longer. I have a dog called Prudence Victoria (partly named after the sponge cake) that enjoys going to the pub as much as we do.
How do you spend your downtime? Working out with my wife in our new backyard rig that we installed when the gyms shut, followed immediately by sharing an ice-cold beer.
What are your key strengths as a manager?
Fostering strategic and long-term relationships and finding creative solutions to problems.
And your limitations? Multi-tasking, impatience.
Best thing about doing business in the borough?
Meeting all types of businesses and leaders who come through our workspace, and the social networking that we do via organisations such as the Chamber.
Famous person you’d most like to spend dinner
with? Pink.
Most interesting fact about yourself?
I once held a Guinness world record and featured in the book.
