Orega CEO Alan Pepper has spoken to BE News about our management buyout, our plan to grow from 25 to 50 centres over the next five years, and why he expects demand for flexible offices to keep rising.
The interview, by Simon Creasey, was published on 23 September 2026 as part of BE News's In the News series. Below is a summary of what Alan said and what it means for our clients, landlord partners and anyone looking for office space.
Alan told BE News the deal took about a year, with the formal process running for the last eight months. Over more than 20 years, our founders showed that a management agreement business can scale, and the past three years of growth proved the demand for it. That made this the right moment to raise capital and take the business to the next level.
He also explained why Orega chose Apiary. The firm backs owner-managed businesses with proven models, and its team took the time to understand how a management agreement business works and why Orega focuses on established corporate occupiers.
Our co-founder Zach Douglas has stepped down as executive chairman and continues as a non-executive director. Paul Finch remains an investor. You can read the full deal details in our announcement of the Apiary Capital investment.
We currently run around 675,000 sq ft across 25 UK centres, including eight in London, through management agreements with landlords and corporate occupiers. The investment is there to speed up our growth.
"The aim is to get the business to 50 centres over the next five years – double where we are at the moment."
Orega Citypoint, Moorgate, London- Alan Pepper, speaking to BE News
London and the 'big six' regional cities stay at the heart of the plan. Alan also told BE News that we're a national business and are open to any UK city or town where there's demand for an established corporate flex product. Our most recent London opening is Citypoint near Moorgate, which opened in June 2026.
Very, Alan said. He has worked in the sector since 2004, and supply has grown every year since then. More established organisations, including FTSE 100 companies, are giving up traditional leases for flexible office space, and he expects that shift to speed up. Landlords are moving the same way: in our Future of the Office report, over 81% of UK landlords, advisers and asset managers said they plan to increase their exposure to flexible workspace over the next three years.
Alan also sees managed offices growing alongside flex, especially for two groups:
We already provide managed solutions to larger clients across our centres, and Alan said it's an area we're looking at closely. New to the idea? Read our guide to what a managed office is and how it compares with a serviced office.
In the full interview, Alan goes into more detail on the Apiary partnership, the founders' roles and the outlook for the sector. Read "In the News: Alan Pepper, Orega" on BE News →
For more from Alan, see his posts on the Orega blog or connect with him on LinkedIn. For the latest company news, follow Orega on LinkedIn.
Source: this post summarises an interview first published by BE News ("In the News: Alan Pepper, Orega", Simon Creasey, 23 September 2026). Quotes are credited to BE News. BE News is the built environment news service produced by BE Content Solutions.