FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
SBFM Account Director, Abigail Richards, has been awarded the Future Leader FM Award 2025 presented by The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers. This prestigious award celebrates the brightest and most promising leaders in Facilities Management and recognises exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication.
Richards received the award for her unwavering commitment to excellence and her leadership qualities. The judges were impressed with her approach to FM and the impact she has made at SBFM. She has continually evidenced her ability to innovate and create positive impact and has shown her focus for delivering the best for her clients, her team and the FM industry at large. Her strategic direction, passion, and commitment have resulted in heightened performance, cost-saving efficiencies, and social value generation. Richards has also demonstrated her potential for future senior leadership positions at SBFM.
As the 2025 Pattenmakers Future Leader FM, Richards will receive £2,000 for personal and professional development, a £500 bursary for engagement activities with the Livery, as well as access to an experienced mentor and a network of FM professionals. She will also benefit from freedom of the Livery for five years or until becoming a Liveryman.
Commenting on the award, Richards said: “I am honoured to receive the Pattenmakers Future Leader FM Award. This recognition inspires me to continue collaborating with my amazing team to achieve even greater success and keep pushing boundaries to evolve the FM industry. I’m really grateful for all the support I’ve received from the Pattenmakers, and I’m looking forward to working together.”
Matt Chapman, CEO at SBFM commented: “We are so proud of Abi for this incredible achievement. Her innovative leadership and passion for excellence embodies SBFM’s values and sets an inspiring example for our entire team. This recognition underscores her exceptional impact in the industry. We are excited to see her continued contributions to the future of FM.”
On 27 February FMJ will be hosting a webinar in partnership with workplace management solutions provider, Matrix Booking, to discuss the challenges posed by managing hybrid work models, meeting sustainability targets, and dealing with economic pressures, which have long required a fine balancing act for Facilities Managers. This is set to become more complicated this year with the Government announcing plans to allow staff to work more flexibly.
The webinar will bring together the digital experts from Matrix Booking alongside a panel of workplace thought leaders to discuss how FMs can create the perfect balance.
Can’t make it no problem… Simply sign up below and after the webinar has been broadcast, we will send you a link to watch the recording. Register for the webinar by clicking here.
