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The north of England’s most influential FMs and property professionals came together last month to discuss how the profession is supporting the region as the place to do business.
Several high-profile speakers took to the podium at the event which was organised by CBRE and Moneypenny and hosted at Liverpool’s The Spine building, home to the Royal College of Physicians, in the city’s new Knowledge Quarter.
CBRE Senior Director Ollie Thomas opened the event, before CBRE Associate Director Frankie Isherwood provided an overview of the northern office market and highlighted the big brand employers that are helping to attract talent to the region.
IWFM Chair and Thomson FM General Manager Mark Whittaker asked whether the north still has an image problem, before sharing the IWFM’s insights on the trends shaping the profession. Whittaker also discussed data from the IWFM Market Outlook 2022 Survey Report which revealed the extent of workplace change following the pandemic and painted an optimistic outlook for 2022, with more than one in three FMs saying their teams are now better positioned within their organisations.
Jenn Hazlehurst, Managing Partner of EY’s Liverpool office, talked through what successful hybrid working looks and feels like to her team. She explained how activity-based working is supporting EY and that their increased focus on teamwork and collaboration has been reflected in the design of their new office on Liverpool’s iconic Albert Dock.
Lastly Joanna Swash, the Chief Executive Officer of Moneypenny – which enables thousands of UK businesses to embrace hybrid working with outsourced switchboard and call-handling services – explained how an award-winning culture is crucial in the search for diverse talent and helping the north to compete. She lifted the lid on life within Moneypenny’s purpose-built HQ, explained how staff onboarding, engagement and wellbeing are crucial as happy employees make happy customers, and looked at the growing need for sustainability in buildings and operational practices too.
Jess Pritchard, Head of the Corporate Sector at Moneypenny, who co-hosted the event said: “The event showcased how the north is already home to some brilliant and inspiring businesses, but also highlighted how crucial flexibility and choice are for employees and why FM professionals must have the right tools to help organisations compete.”
Lara Wade, Business Development Manager at CBRE concluded: “This was a hugely optimistic event, with a focus on how FMs are not only gaining more recognition for their contribution over the last two years, but also shaping future hybrid working and workplace strategies.”
Established in 2000, Moneypenny is the world’s market leader for telephone answering, live chat, outsourced switchboard, and customer contact solutions. In total, more than 21,000 businesses across the UK benefit from Moneypenny’s mix of extraordinary people and ground-breaking technology.
This webinar will look at how outsourcing is a cost-effective and highly relevant strategy to not only counter the race for talent, but to build greater agility, expertise, infrastructure and resource into business. In particular it will acknowledge the operational challenges facing FMs as the UK starts its return to the workplace.
To register for the webinar click here.
