Zurich U.S. HQ marks 10 years as award-winning emblem of resilience

Zurich U.S., a leading commercial insurance provider, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its award-winning headquarters campus in Chicagoland. The milestone marks a decade of adaptability, resilience and innovation that has helped the company—and this architectural marvel now known as Zurich Center—remain at the forefront of how risk is managed and work gets done.

Opened in September 2016, the approximately 780,000-square-foot Schaumburg campus was designed as a state-of-the-art workplace with a unique stacked bar structure and 40 acres of native prairie landscaping and paths that make it a landmark along Interstate 90, roughly 30 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The campus, brought to life by Clayco Inc., Goettsch Partners, CannonDesign, Hoerr Schaudt, Executive Construction Inc. and many trade contractors, earned numerous design awards and LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Today, the building stands as a powerful example of how adaptability and resilience go hand in hand, reflecting the mindset Zurich brings to helping customers navigate risk. Over the past decade, the campus has evolved alongside changing business needs while preserving the strong culture, collaboration and workplace experience that have made Zurich an enduring brand.

“One of the reasons Zurich has remained successful for more than a century in the United States is that we don’t stand still,” said Alex Wells, CEO of Zurich U.S. “Resilience requires adaptability.”

Zurich Center tells that story. Over the past decade, Zurich has continually evolved to support how people work, including in the wake of the pandemic, to ensure the property remained vibrant and optimized to support Zurich’s long-term success.

Work began in 2024 to transform the property from a single-tenant headquarters into Zurich Center, a multi-tenant campus now fully occupied by Zurich and two subtenants. The transformation included an extensive renovation of shared spaces, enhancements to workplace technology and amenities, and the modernization of office environments to support evolving work styles.

The headquarters' 10-year milestone coincides with another evolution for the organization: a transition in name from Zurich North America to Zurich U.S., a shift that reinforces the importance of the United States as Zurich’s largest and most sophisticated market. Zurich U.S. is part of the global Zurich Insurance Group, based in Switzerland.

“Together, these changes reflect a common philosophy: Successful organizations continually evolve to remain relevant to customers, employees and the communities they serve,” Wells said. “At Zurich, we honor our heritage, dating to 1912 in the U.S. and 1872 in Switzerland, while positioning our brand and our people for the future.”

Workspace updates refreshed the lobby and common areas, expanded the Starbucks lounge and opened the campus amenities to all tenants, including the conference center, fitness center, café, golf simulators and wellness rooms. Zurich also consolidated its own workspace to support flexible, hybrid work.

The transformation delivered meaningful financial benefits, including substantial long-term direct expense savings, while preserving the property as one of the premier office destinations in the region. 

Recent investments underscore Zurich’s longstanding focus on sustainable resource use, including:

• A composting program that diverts approximately 25 tons of organic waste from landfills each year.
• An innovative water-reuse system capable of harvesting up to 5 million gallons of water annually for building operations.
• Expanded electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support increasing adoption of electric vehicles.

“Ten years ago, Zurich set out to create a workplace for the future,” said Barry Perkins, Chief Operations Officer for Zurich U.S. “Today, Zurich Center continues to evolve, helping us attract talent, support collaboration, operate more efficiently and sustainably, and serve our customers more effectively. It’s a physical representation of our focus on meeting tomorrow prepared.”