FACILITIES MANAGEMENT JOURNAL JOBS
FM CAREERS - CAREER LADDER
FM is known to be a career that people fall into
from other sectors. In this regular column, FMJ
chats to a facilities professional about how they
got into the sector and takes a look at their
career path. This month we talk to Francesca
Laugier-Davies, Account Manager, Pareto FM
What was you first job in the
FM sector?
I applied for an FM apprenticeship with
a charity I was volunteering for at the
time.
What made you choose FM as
a career?
I wasn’t exactly clear on what FM was
before I applied for the apprenticeship,
but I was intrigued by the role and
felt that I had enough transferable
skills to make the leap. A© er a year’s
apprenticeship I discovered I really
did enjoy the variety and challenge it
o ered.
How did you progress through
the profession to your current role?
I owe my early career to my mentor,
boss and friend Chris, he exposed me
to every facet of FM. On completion
of my apprenticeship I remained with
the charity as an FM, progressed to a
regional manager and, while working
full time, completed my MSc in Facility
and Environmental Management at
UCL. Once I’d matriculated, I moved
onto Vitality as their FM for the London
and later Croydon o ices. Despite
enjoying my time there, I began to
feel increasingly frustrated with the
way services were delivered by FM
companies; the limited involvement,
lack of initiative and impersonal, overly
formal relationships. I’d seen Andrew
(Pareto FM Founding Director) lecture
at UCL while doing my degree and
when the opportunity to work for him
came up, I jumped at the chance!
What is your greatest
contribution to the FM sector, or
your current role?
I’m a firm believer that the best way
to ensure we get high quality people
in this industry is through mentoring
and creating a supportive environment
for new FMs to learn and develop their
skills. I’ve adopted this approach in
every role I’ve held since completing
my apprenticeship and tried to give
back some of what’s been given to
me. At CRI, Vitality and IPG I identified
members of my team I believed had a
flare for FM and potential to go further
in the industry; each f the women
I’ve mentored has gone on to forge a
successful career and it’s not a “big
splash” but I like to think I’ve made a
di erence to them.
What’s changed most since you
started in FM?
The way we work has changed; our
hours and locations are no longer
as fixed as they once were, and
this has significantly impacted the
way we construct work space and
use buildings; there’s an emphasis
on space for collaboration and
socialisation to meet the needs of
a more diverse and fluid workforce.
Employees have come to a holistic
environment and companies recognise
that if they want to attract and retain
the best talent, they need to create
innovative, multi-functional spaces
that suit this changing workforce.
What personal qualities do
you think are most needed for a
successful career in FM?
• Flexibility is key- Being able to
quickly adapt to change is crucial in an
industry that is constantly evolving and
as broad as FM.
• Being an excellent communicator is
tied to adaptability, the role of an FM
spans all levels; you need to be able to
confidently present solutions, direct
contractors, negotiate with suppliers,
manage and inspire teams, collaborate
with and support peers.
• Confident in Decision Making- As the
experts, we’re relied upon to make
informed, logical conclusions based
on experience and the information
available; in pressured situations
you need to be able to make quick,
confident decisions.
Name:
Francesca Laugier-Davies
Current role:
Account Manager, Pareto FM
Born: London
Lives: London
If you could do one thing
di
erently in your career in FM,
what would it be?
I have a background in design and
build, so© FM and project management
and although I do have a working
knowledge of hard services, I’d
like to find the time to expand that
knowledge.
What would make the biggest
di
erence to the FM sector? And
how could that be achieved?
More apprenticeships! I’ve never come
across an industry that has so many
indirect routes of entry. It would be
fantastic to see more people come in
at entry level who have set their sights
on FM as a career. Apprenticeships
are as much about the delivery as the
qualification at the end. We ought
to engage more with colleges and
awarding bodies to raise the profile
of FM; by generating an interest in
and understanding of what FM really
entails.
What advice would you give
to young people coming into the
profession now?
If you need daily recognition this may
not be the industry for you; Good FM
should be invisible, we are the people
who work behind the scenes to ensure
everything runs smoothly and BAU
continues unimpeded. No news in FM
is o© en good news, it’s rare a client will
contact you with praise on achieving
perfect lighting or temperature levels;
we’re the go to in an emergency, the
problem solvers and fixers. Most of
the time, you need to be content in
knowing that you’ve done a great job
and for that to be enough.
What are your long-term goals
for the next seven to ten years?
Quite honestly, I’ve not thought that
far ahead, I’m so happy to have found
a company and role I love so I’m
just enjoying it for what it is at the
moment. What I’m looking forwards
to is being part of the continued
success of Pareto and to help grow it
to be not the biggest but certainly the
best FM provider in the UK. If I could
help realise that, I’d feel I’d achieved
something.
What do you predict could be the
main changes to the FM sector over
the next few years?
There has been an increased focus on
health and wellbeing both in and out
of work; building and o ices are being
designed to promote more active and
comfortable environments in a bid to
retain quality sta . The challenge for
the FM industry will be understanding
and reacting to the needs of individual
businesses to develop a flexible
solution that optimise the productivity
of the sta and support the needs
of the organisation. However, with
property at a premium as ever, it’ll be
up to FM to adapt existing spaces in
order to achieve this goal.
What are the greatest challenges
of working in FM?
The very nature of FM means you’re
presented with fresh challenges
every day; reacting quickly to
failure, controlling costs and time
management are all close to the top
of the list, but I believe successfully
managing client expectations is a
key marker of a good FM. Clients
are demanding and rightly so, they
are paying you to deliver a specific
service and as their facilities manager
its important you understand their
expectations, what they will and will
not find acceptable, how to deliver
news (positive and negative) and when
to involve them if a situation becomes
di icult or a deadline may slip. If
there’s a setback, be honest and most
importantly; never over promise and
underdeliver.
Would you, or someone you know, like to be featured in our career ladder column? If you’re an operational
FM with more than 10 years’ experience in the sector, then email sara.bean@kpmmedia.co.uk
58 JULY 2019
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