AIR IS WHERE IT’S AT — CELEBRATING ONE AMAZING YEAR AT OUR NEW HQ!
2026-01-13 14:49:36.0
After 50 years of driving transformation in the financial services sector turning big purchases into affordable instalments for millions of customers of leading brands, last year we opened a brand-new headquarters. Welcome to AIR; a 25,000 sq. ft office space in Solihull town centre!
This move reflected our commitment to both the Solihull community and regional growth ambitions, a decision which was based on our business goals.
After one year of being in our new home, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the impact and celebrate the achievements of this move.
Ambition
Our vision for AIR was to create a space that both delivers a dynamic environment to support our current work, and one which will propel us towards our future business ambitions. Our new environment has supported our growth ambitions as we scale up our activities in Retail, Motor and Personal lending.
We engaged with colleagues across BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK to understand what matters most to them from an office environment, so that we could include their ideas in our design planning process.
Looking at our business as a whole and what we want our teams to achieve, culminated in a modern, flexible space that allows our colleagues to connect, work together and create.
Since moving to AIR, we have:
- Reached 2 million users on our Creation Finance App
- Achieved 100,000 reviews on Trustpilot, with 88% rated 5 star
- Welcomed a new customer every 22 seconds
and so much more!
Stephen Hunt, CEO at BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK, explained the rationale behind the move, "A key consideration when moving our HQ to AIR was about bringing a genuine breath of fresh air into how we work and how we think. We wanted to challenge ourselves, look beyond the walls we were used to, and draw inspiration from the world around us to push boundaries of our business.
“And over the past year, we’ve really seen the impact of that decision. Our colleagues are energised by the space and the collaborative environment it creates, and that sense of inspiration is clearly feeding into their day-to-day work as we continue to deliver against our business goals.”
Collaboration
AIR was designed with collaboration in mind; making connecting with colleagues easier than ever before with a space enabling collaboration; working both in-person or remotely.
A key focus of the new ways of working was to remove the 'friction' for colleagues coming to the office so we brought different ways of thinking to drive problem-solving. The result included everything from innovative parking solutions, discounted travel and great tech to increased social events and entertainment campaigns … all supporting a positive hybrid working model.
One of the big highlights for our colleagues are our monthly payday socials. Each month is different and involves vendors from the local community, including ice cream, Caribbean food, stone baked pizza, and a good old quiz night!
Ricardo Mantovani, Deputy CEO BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK, reflected on the past year, “It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since we moved into AIR. What’s been really great to see is how our people have embraced the collaborative energy of the space. AIR offers so many opportunities for colleagues to come together, work differently, and connect in new ways.
“What I’m especially proud of is how quickly people have made the space their own. They’ve embraced the change, and AIR has truly become a valuable asset to our organisation.”
Impact
We’re proud of the community impact we continue to make as a presence in Solihull town centre. In the past year, as part of the BNP Paribas' 1 Million Hours 2 Help programme, our colleagues have committed to giving back over 1,000 hours to the local community by volunteering their time to support various charities and initiatives, including litter-picking across Solihull with CleanupUK and delivering our “Leaders for a Changing World” programme in schools with Teach First.
Another achievement that we’re particularly proud of is how this move has enabled us to progress our environmental goals. By implementing energy efficient systems, eco-friendly materials and spaces designed to minimise our carbon footprint, we’ve achieved the ISO 14001:2015 certification — an internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems (EMS).
Chris Lawes, Sector Lead - Business, Professional & Financial Services at West Midlands Growth Company, shared the impact that this move had from a regional perspective, “BNP Paribas Personal Finance has done a great job of attracting new talent into the business, and being based in Solihull plays a big part in that. It’s a fantastic location that ensures we remain well-connected and well-positioned in the heart of the Midlands.
“Our region has the largest professional and financial services sector outside of London, so having BNP Paribas Personal Finance based at AIR really reflects the scale, opportunity and depth of talent that exists here. It’s also a strong statement about the role the region plays in the future of the wider financial services sector.”
Here’s to Life@AIR and another year of enjoying the space! To keep updated with our latest news, make sure you’re following us on LinkedIn.