IWG boss mulling £2.2bn break-up of serviced office space business

The world’s largest serviced office space provider is mulling a £2.2bn split which could result in swathes of the company’s international portfolio being sold off, according to Sky News.

Mark Dixon, who runs IWG and founded the company under its original Regus brand, is said to be weighing up plans to split the firm into two parts as a way of unlocking value for investors.

Hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of value could be freed up in the move, which would potentially separate IWG’s property estate from the rest of its operating business.

Banking sources told Sky News that the discussions are at an exploratory stage, but could lead to an announcement before the end of the year.

The reports come after months of speculation around the future ownership of IWG, with Guy Hands’ Terra Firma reportedly holding talks with the firm over a potential spin-off of its Spaces arm.

IWG has rebuffed a number of takeover offers from private equity firms such as Lone Star and TDR Capital since the start of the year.

While IWG has been providing flexible office space for three decades, it has caught the eyes of investors over the last 12 months following the swift rise to prominence of its US rival WeWork.