FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
The brightest young professionals in the UK’s commercial property sector and their best achievements have been recognised at the British Council for Offices’ (BCO) NextGen Awards ceremony.
The NextGen Awards is a key feature in the BCO’s NextGen programme, which offers commercial property professionals under the age of 35 a platform to exchange ideas and knowledge. With over 1,200 members – representing a quarter of the BCO’s overall membership – the NextGen programme also connects young professionals with the BCO members of all ages and across all fields of activity. The annual awards celebrate the achievements of the sector’s rising stars, as well as acknowledging talented graduates, inspirational leaders that support the NextGen, diversity and inclusion champions and the UK’s best NextGen employers.
The 2023 winners were selected amongst 109 nominations, the largest number that the BCO has received to date. This year’s awards recognise the NextGen’s engagement in sustainability and social value initiatives, whether by supporting charitable initiatives, inspiring peers through mentoring, or driving forward the commercial real estate industry’s decarbonisation efforts.
The winners of the BCO NextGen Awards 2023 are:
- NextGen Rising Star London & the South East – Kwamena Beecham, Architect at BGY
- NextGen Rising Star Midlands & East Anglia – Simon Pope, Associate at Howells
- NextGen Rising Star North – Amelia Walsh, Project Manager at Turner & Townsend
Highly commended: Jessica Spencer, Senior Architect at Cartwright Pickard
- NextGen Rising Star Scotland – Robin Ellis, Architectural Designer at Graven
- NextGen Rising Star South-West England & Wales – Ioana Price, Senior Structural Engineer at AECOM
- Graduate of the Year – Jerryl Ong Jun Wey, Graduate Sustainability Consultant at Cundall
- Inspirational Leader of the Year – Clare Ashmore, COO at Parkeray
- Diversity & Inclusion Champion of the Year – Ayo Ambali, Architectural Assistant at WILL+Partners
- Employer of the Year – AECOM
The awards ceremony, held at Quaglino’s in St. James’s on 1 November 2023, was attended by more than 400 BCO members who came together to celebrate each other’s success. The event also marked the appointment of Oliver Hall, Partner at Make Architects, as Chair of the BCO NextGen committee for London and the South East. Oliver takes over from Hannah Buxton, Associate Partner at RX London, under whose leadership the committee launched the BCO NextGen Wellness Programme.
Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the BCO, said: “The talent and passion amongst our BCO NextGen community members is inspirational, and it is always a great joy to celebrate their achievements. In designing exceptional buildings, and devoting time and effort to sustainable and social value causes, this year’s winning cohort are shaping the future of the commercial property sector for the better.”
Despina Katsikakis, President of the BCO, added: “As an organisation the BCO takes pride in nurturing our growing NextGen community, supporting them in amplifying their careers and in driving the industry forward. The success of the BCO NextGen Awards is a testimony to the young talent in our industry and to those championing future leaders. It is fantastic to see so many of our members embracing these opportunities, and for all of us to come together to celebrate them.”
For more details on the award winners click here.
Planned, proactive maintenance is a keystone of every FM strategy. However, with current cost constraints, there are many demands on Facilities Managers’ maintenance budgets. When it comes to drainage and plumbing, however, the expense of repairing blockages or dealing with flooding could vastly exceed the cost of preventative maintenance.
Given your role as an FM Professional, we would love to hear your views, challenges & experiences, and opinions on drainage & plumbing within the workplace.
The survey will take just five minutes to complete and offers the chance to win an Amazon Gift Card Worth £100.
Take the survey here.
