Eric Richert

Eric Richert brings years of experience to Co3 Group’s mission to design and prove systems that support contemporary work. Prior to starting Co3 Group, Ltd. with long time colleagues Ann Bamesberger and Mark Wartenberg, Eric was principal of 8 Corners Consulting, providing services to organizations such as Stanford University and the New Ways of Working Network. That work was based on nearly 20 years creating and managing pioneering work environments for Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Eric joined Sun in 1988 to manage the design and development of its Research and Development campuses and, as Vice President in Sun’s Workplace Resources organization, managed most aspects of corporate work environments. He co-founded Sun’s Open Work Solutions group in 1997 with Ann Bamesberger and started 8 Corners Consulting in 2007.

From 1997 to 2007 the Open Work program became a key part of Sun, with over half of its 35,000 employees choosing to be full participants. Open Work enabled participants to be as flexible and mobile as needed to operate “anytime, anywhere” in a diverse global company. The program directly contributed to achieving Sun’s vision of “The Network is the Computer,” now referred to as cloud computing. Annual surveys showed that Open Work was viewed as a primary employee benefit while allowing Sun to save or avoid nearly $400 million of costs from 2000 to 2007.

Open Work was widely seen as an innovative program that uniquely integrated technology, management policies and practices and real estate resources to support contemporary work. It was recognized through awards such as Corenet’s Global Innovation Award (2002) and the Alliance for Work Life Progress Innovative Excellence Award (2005).

Eric received his MBA from the University of California at Berkeley and his Master of Architecture degree from Syracuse University. He has been a speaker for the American Institute of Architects, Corenet, and the Environmental Design and Research Association, and has advised European Commission IT planners and the U.S. House Committee on Governmental Reform on how to support contemporary work. Eric has written for textbooks and has been frequently interviewed for articles about alternative work environments. He is an active charter member of the New Ways of Working Network.