Jo

Most of my career was spent working for Rolls-Royce with all my roles being customer facing and focussed on the customer experience / journey.  My first real substantial role was working for the Managing Director at Rolls-Royce which was invaluable as it gave me a broad understanding of business at a very early age.  This led to managing the Company Learning and Development Centre which involved customer and employee training, events and my first introduction to facilities management, including the introduction of a 24/7 operation.  This is where I worked with the partner company to deliver hard and soft services and ensure compliance to all legislative requirements.   My role also expanded to include some procurement and contract management activities during this time.  My career then developed further in facilities management as I was asked to replicate the customer facing facilities model across the corporate estate and became Head of Facilities Management for this area.  I didn’t choose a career in facilities management, but it was more that it chose me - it was a natural evolution.

After almost 30 years with Rolls-Royce, I decided to try something new and took a role supplier side and this then led me to come to Bellrock.  What I quickly realised was that when you are driven by meeting and hopefully exceeding customer expectations, fundamentally there isn’t a huge difference whether you sit customer or supplier side.

It was a natural evolution and not a conscious decision.  Initially I wasn’t sold on FM as I thought I would need to have more technical knowledge, but quickly realised that I could use other skills that I possess like questioning, clarifying and knowing where, how and who to get information from.   I quickly realised that you don’t need to be the most technical person to succeed in this industry but my operational knowledge, experience in delivering and NEBOSH qualification provided me with a good grounding.  Like many others, it’s a sector that’s centred around people. Although you’re managing finance, operations, health and safety, fundamentally you’re working with people, building customer relationships and working with committed people who want to provide a great service.

Firstly, my earliest role model is my mum who has always taught me to believe in myself, work hard and do my best and that is all that can be asked of you.  In my career, there have been several positive female influences.   The first one that springs to mind is Eleanor Radbourne who taught me that there are many different routes to reach the same destination.  Deborah Ward was another, as she was someone who could truly sell a vision and deliver it with enthusiasm, energy and passion.   A previous manager of mine, Cath Russell was also influential as not only did she take the time to see things from my perspective (I’m a bit of a perfectionist and like things done well!).  She also taught me to step back and take a broader view to see the wood for the trees.  Cath was very unassuming but a real inspiration, and I’m confident in saying that we learned a great deal from one another.  Cath was also someone who was able to positively manage a work/home balance which I still aspire to.

FM isn’t the most exciting subject on the face of it, there’s no hiding from that. But fundamentally it underpins most successful businesses and allows a business to focus on what’s core to them.  If things are going well, facilities management shouldn’t be on the agenda unless you’re discussing innovation, data driven solutions and process improvement / cost saving opportunities.  In reality, it can offer a diverse and successful career within most industries as all companies need facilities management in some shape or form. 

We’ve recently introduced apprenticeships and graduate programmes at Bellrock which is a real positive step. Careers Fairs are another great way of spreading the word.

Focus on your professional and personal development.  Look for a mentor and coach in the workplace.  Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo and never be afraid to ask questions. Success is a team effort.