New Appointments in Facilities Management – September 2023

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• New Appointments in Facilities Management – September 2023

26 September 2023

September’s new appointments in the facilities management sector includes ISS, Joblogic, The Government Property Agency, SBFM and many more.

 

Picture: a graphic showing the headshots of Jamie Sones, Lisa Commane and Leanne Lynch

 

Jamie Sones Joins Joblogic

 

Leading field service management software provider Joblogic has appointed 29-year-old Jamie Sones as its new chief financial officer. With a background in delivering explosive growth in tech scale-ups, the dynamic Sones brings a wealth of relevant experience to the role.

Effective immediately, Jamie Sones has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Joblogic. 

As a strategic and commercially minded CFO, Sones is an exciting appointment, one poised to support the company into its next phase of growth, following Joblogic’s recent private equity cash injection by Axiom Equity. With his proven track record in scaling businesses, Sones is perfectly positioned to propel Joblogic forward at an important juncture in the company’s development.  

Jamie, 29, cut his teeth at Receipt Bank, where he played a pivotal role as Director of Business Development during a transformative period for the company. He joined Receipt Bank when it was 50 people and led finance and business development as the company rapidly mushroomed to over 1,000 employees, and its subsequent acquisition by Hg Capital. This experience at the company, which is now known as Dext, holds relevance to Joblogic's current growth path.  

In addition to his tenure at Dext, Sones spent three years at TIER Mobility, a rapidly growing European urban scooter/bike/moped innovator, where he held the position of Director of Strategic Finance. This role allowed him to gain valuable insights into strategic planning and operations within a high-growth company. Sones also possesses an extensive roster of distinguished investors with whom he has previously collaborated. He has joined forces with industry giants like SoftBank, Insight, Goldman Sachs, Mubadala, among others. Now, at Joblogic, Sones brings a unique perspective, combining his expertise in finance with a hands-on approach to business. He is equipped to offer concrete improvement strategies to enhance Joblogic's performance and drive its growth. 

"The significant market potential and Joblogic's exemplary execution capabilities are the factors that distinguish the company," said Sones. "My objective is to elevate Joblogic from being a profitable UK/West Midlands business to becoming a multinational B2B SaaS enterprise." 

Commenting on the appointment James Whatmore, CEO of Joblogic, said: "We are pleased to welcome Jamie on board, as he brings invaluable expertise that will help guide Joblogic’s future growth trajectory. Having prior experience of rapidly growing tech innovators, he understands the needs of the investment community and the challenges associated with scaling and enhancing the internationalisation of a company.” 

 

ISS UK & Ireland Appoints Leanne Lynch as Chief Information Officer

 

ISS has announced the appointment of Leanne Lynch as Chief Information Officer, who will assume the role on 12 September 2023. The appointment follows a rigorous search process, which focused on identifying a candidate with the strong skills and experience needed to deliver ISS’s ambition to be the technology leader in the industry and to drive Group CIDO Markus Sontheimer’s global technology strategy in the UK and Ireland.

As Chief Information Officer, Leanne will have a remit to deliver technology solutions that support, connect and protect ISS, its people and clients. This will include delivering best-in-class tools to support the more than 30,000 colleagues that work across the UK&I region, aiding better communication with front-line employees, and enabling higher productivity and efficiency across the business. And, with significant experience in cyber defence — most recently at London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport — Leanne will ensure that security remains at the top of the business agenda to safeguard both ISS and its clients.

Furthermore, Leanne brings a wealth of expertise from a wide range of industries, which will be key in supporting ISS’s journey to be the leading data-led provider of integrated facilities services (IFS). This will include the development of innovative solutions designed to improve workplace performance and FM service provision, as well as providing clients with insights about their buildings, estates and user behaviours — ultimately enabling ISS to work more closely with clients to design workplaces that meet the needs of their business and people.

 

GPA Appoints New COO

 

The Government Property Agency (GPA) has appointed Lisa Commane as Chief Operating Officer (COO), strengthening its executive team as it delivers the property estate needed for modern government.

Lisa begins her role at the GPA at the end of October and as COO will be responsible for coordinating the delivery of our ambitious programme, and overseeing corporate services, including teams working across commercial operations, data and technology systems, security, planning and performance, HR and legal as well as marketing and communications.

Currently the Chief Operating Officer of Ofwat, Lisa has over 20 years of senior experience in public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Having trained in accountancy at management consultancy KPMG, her previous roles include working at Deloitte and then at Coventry City Council, where she gained extensive experience of developing and implementing overarching change strategies encompassing finance, people, customer, property, data and IT. Lisa is also a board member at the MHA, the UK’s largest charitable provider of care for older people.

Lisa joins the GPA as it leads one of the most ambitious workplace transformation programmes in the UK, delivering a smaller, better-connected and better quality, greener property estate to support the work of the Civil Service and bring departmental teams closer to the communities they serve. 

Since launching in April 2018, the GPA has taken responsibility for nearly 1m sqm of the Government’s portfolio – managing and maintaining properties and acting as an expert partner to government departments on portfolio planning and workplace services including inclusive design, property technology, sustainability and workplace experience. This expertise has seen the GPA’s Stephenson Street Office in Birmingham awarded as the best employee workplace experience in the UK’s public sector, and within the top 2 per cent of global workplaces.

The GPA is also delivering the Government Hubs Programme, where recent milestones have included starting construction on the First Street Hub in Manchester, and opening the GPA’s fifth hub in Peterborough. 

Lisa Commane, incoming COO at the GPA said: “I'm absolutely delighted to be joining the GPA at this important time in the agency's growth and development. I'm looking forward to collaborating with the established Executive team and others to deliver on our ambition for growth across the UK, the green agenda and to play our part in transforming the civil service.”

 

RO Appoints Ana Bajri as its First Head of Sustainability

 

The RO Group has appointed Ana Bajri as its first Head of Sustainability.  A technical expert in the property sector, Ana’s experience lies in real estate and the built environment, with a strong record of understanding and navigating ESG issues in a commercial environment.

Ana joins the RO Group from Countrywide Surveying Services where she has been responsible for creating and implementing sustainability strategies and the integration of ESG principles across the business. Her key successes included developing and leading programmes to upskill over 500 surveyors on energy efficiency and delivering and presenting a suite of webinars on sustainability, net zero carbon and green mortgages. 

Prior to that she was a Senior Technical Manager also at Countrywide, where she drove compliance and managed risks for the surveying division, and was responsible for product innovations, desktop valuations and sustainability.  She consulted with lenders on sustainability issues, specifically around climate change.  She also ensured the successful adoption of industry standards in surveys and valuations, including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Home Survey Standard.

Ana joined Countrywide from RICS where she worked for close to a decade.  As Associate Director, International Property Standards she worked on sustainability and environmental matters.  Notably, she led the development of the RICS Responsible Business Framework – a global best practice document which provides an approach towards embedding ESG considerations into the management of real estate, in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) to minimise negative impacts on society and the environment.  She also developed the sustainability strategy for RICS and advised on ESG commitments. 

Under UK government proposals, every commercial building, whether it be an office, shop, or warehouse, must have an energy performance certificate rating of C by 2027.  The RO Group is already committed to exceeding these targets following its legal as well as its moral obligations around sustainability across all Group activities, and the appointment of Ana further demonstrates that commitment.

 

phs Compliance Appoints New Sales Director

 

phs Compliance has appointed Tom Cliffe as its new Sales Director as part of its continued growth.

Based in Warrington, phs Compliance is one of the UK’s leading providers of facilities management and compliance services, working closely with its customers to offer everything businesses need to stay compliant and keep their people safe at all times.

Tom spent over 12 years in the business services industry before joining phs Compliance, which is part of the phs Group. He has extensive experience servicing the retail sector and had several big brand retailers as part of his customer portfolio.

Tom will be managing phs Compliance’s sales team of 20 people across the UK, working closely with customers to ensure compliance and safety. Working with over 35,000 business sites across the country, phs Compliance services include statutory electrical testing, including EET/PAT tests and fixed wire testing, inspection services, maintenance and remedial work.

Speaking about his new role, Tom said: “This is an exciting time to be joining the business. We had a great year, set to be even stronger this year. We are in a confident position in the market as we launch our new range of bundle services, giving customers the best value services. By bundling together our services, such as electrical and fire safety, we can offer our customers lower prices and greater efficiencies, carrying out everything they need to be safe and compliant in just one visit. It also reduces mileage, keeping our carbon footprint as low as we can.

“I’m looking forward to helping the business grow further, developing and building our customer base, particularly in retail, and increasing service lines for customers. Developing my team will also be a priority as the fantastic people we have here are definitely at the heart of this business.”

Tracy Burtwell, Manging Director at phs Compliance, said: “Tom is already proving to be an invaluable member of our team, supporting his own team to meet their personal career goals and leading the business forward with greater efficiencies and a confident direction. We look forward to another strong year with Tom heading our sales.”

 

SBFM Names Dale Line as Chief Strategy Officer

 

SBFM has announced the appointment of Chief Strategy Officer Dale Line to its Board of Directors.

With a distinguished track record in planning and executing large-scale operational, cultural, people, and technology transformations across diverse industries, Line brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this new role.

Prior to joining SBFM, he held esteemed positions, including Lead Consultant at Newton Europe, Growth Strategy Lead at The Modern Milkman, and most recently, Lead Consultant at Isaac Operations.

His outstanding contributions in these roles have earned him a reputation as a strategic thought leader and a driver of growth and innovation.

As Chief Strategy Officer, Line will help streamline operations and lead the company in its ambitious growth journey. He will focus on accelerating the transformation of business operations and the strategic execution of the company’s expansion into new and existing markets nationally.

Reporting to CEO, Matt Chapman, and the Board of Directors, he will lead the company’s visionary people and technology strategies, driving growth, enhancing competitiveness, and adapting to shifting market dynamics.

Commenting on the appointment, Matt Chapman, CEO of SBFM, said: “We are delighted to have Dale join our business and become a valuable member of our Board of Directors. His extensive background in business transformation and scaling is sure to play a pivotal role in leading our expansion and progress within the ever-evolving FM landscape.

“As a business we are not content with standing still; instead, we actively seek out opportunities to make a meaningful impact and we want to surround ourselves with the very best people, who think differently. Dale's strategic foresight, paired with a focus on operational excellence and a customer-first approach, will be key in fulfilling our vision to not only lead but reimagine our industry.”

Dale Line, Chief Strategy Officer, added: "I'm excited to step into the role of Chief Strategy Officer for this new chapter in SBFM’s journey. The company's future-oriented approach in the facilities management sector is truly inspiring. I look forward to working with the entire team, to ignite meaningful transformation within the industry and continue the business’ progression.”

Picture: a photograph of a person working an an Apple Mac, typing on a keyboard. The person is also wearing an Apple watch.  Image Credit: Unsplash

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 26 September 2023

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