30/08/2022

FMJ roundtable of experts and senior FMs tackles ESG and the return to work

FMJ, in conjunction with Zip Water, brought together a panel of senior FMs under Chatham House rules to share their expertise in providing sustainable and healthy working environments. 

With the unique challenges faced by FMs in the wake of the pandemic – and the increasing need to meet Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) guidelines – a roundtable was proposed to gather together a group of experts and senior-level FMs to offer their insight. Leading publication Facilities Management Journal (FMJ) was best placed to host, while a handful of senior FMs were carefully selected to participate alongside two of Zip Water’s hydration experts.

The participants of the roundtable were as follows:

• Sara Bean, Editor FMJ

• Robbie Ferguson – National Sales Manager, Zip 

• Daniel Johnson – National HydroCare Manager, Zip

• Ian Baker, Head of Workplace, EMCOR UK

• Simi Gandhi-Whitaker, Strategic Technology Director, Mitie  

• Peter Carr, Head of FM, CEG

• Maureen Symester, Head of Facilities, Richmond Pharmacology

• Russell Burnaby, Head of FM, Brent Council

• Steve Harris, Head of FM, London Borough of Camden

• Satinder Kaur, Head of Workplace Development, General Medical Council

Each participant offered a fresh perspective on how best to tackle the challenges faced by FMs in 2022, substantiated by their own experiences at their respective companies. FMs are under increasing pressure to devise a Sustainable Health and Wellbeing strategy that has the unenviable task of enticing workers back into the office as well as complying with ESG. Our panellists detailed their own unique approaches to the issue, their concerns moving forward, and shared ideas on how the current offering in workplaces can improve.

Topics such as defining hybrid working, what wellness means in 2022, the importance of office ambience and technology, and even the role of food and drink were explored during the collaborative discussions. Return to work and ESG dominated the conversation; it was argued that both have expanded and deepened the role of the FM, broadening the scope of the position into previously disconnected sectors – particularly those that need advice on ESG compliance.

The FMJ and Zip Water roundtable on sustainability and healthy working environments has produced some fantastic points of discussion and advice from highly experienced, senior figures across various industries. Opportunities to share knowledge and insights between such senior FMs are hard to come by; click here to see differences you could be making to your workplace, and discover how other experienced FMs are handling 2022’s challenges – you will find the full recording of the roundtable, a look at the key insights, and if you’re short on time, a quick list summarising the points of discussion.