6 minute read
A bit about you
What do you do? I am a workplace services manager for several sites based in Central London. report into the workplace services director.
My top perk at work
is… The privilege of working in some of the most historic, listed buildings in the country.
With the exception of everything Covidrelated, I would have to say the biggest career challenge would be the work I did to build a switchboard and helpdesk team from scratch under very demanding conditions.
The biggest career challenge
would be the If I wasn’t in FM, I’d probably be… An work I did English teacher. I love to build a reading and imparting knowledge.
switchboard
and helpdesk team from Which “FM/Workplace myth” would you most like to put an end scratch to? One of my biggest bugbears – that leaving windows open whilst having your air-conditioning running will make your space cooler, quicker.
I have always worked in customer servicetype roles – from receptionist to room bookings. Working in FM was the natural next step for me.
How long have you been in your
current role? For the last 2.5 years (not that I’m counting). If you could change one thing about the industry, what
would it be? I would like to see a higher number of women within all areas of FM.
Any interesting tales to tell? I have What piece of advice would you give to a young facilities/ workplace manager starting out? If you
don’t ask, you don’t get!
What was the weirdest day you’ve had in the office?
Neither. I would like to think that I am a conduit between my internal clients and the people behind the scenes making things happen.
strategic? My role is predominantly operational with elements of strategic thinking thrown in from time to time.
report? We are a team of 10, and growing, within the Whitehall Campus. Ultimately, we participated in carnival activities in seven different countries to date.
BEHIND THE JOB
Ria Ravello
Lots, but the Official Secrets Act prohibits me from divulging any.
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird, definitely. It is when I do my best thinking and planning for the day ahead.
I imagine doing the FM for 10 Downing Street would be challenging and interesting in equal measure.
And where would FM be an absolute
nightmare? Disney World or any other large amusement park.
Your life outside FM mostly involves…
Keeping Mike and Reiner fed and entertained (husband and foster cat in that order), interspersed with bouts of reading, long walks and shopping.
RIA RAVELLO is a workplace manager with the Government Property Agency in Central London
My top perk at work is… The great
variety the site has, the people and the free food we have after some events.
the pandemic while working at a homeless charity was hard.
be? Give up on trying to be on the top desk (board level). You aren’t. Be proud of catching those who are when they stumble. Don’t forget our roots.
BEHIND THE JOB BEHINDTHEJOB
Jason Casey
What do you do? I am the facilities coordinator at the St Bride Foundation.
I like the variety of FM and I fell into it having been the post room manager at an advertising company in the early ’90s.
How long have you been in your current
role? Just over a year. Any interesting tales to tell? What was the weirdest day you’ve
While working in the permit office at the BBC, we had a request to ‘permit’ a Halloween activity for The One Show by the water feature outside. The chemical they wanted to use reacted with water so I advised them to do the experiment (exploding pumpkins) at least two metres from the feature – not on the edge as proposed. In the rehearsal, the pumpkin exploded and chunks flew two metres in all directions. If it hadn’t been moved, there might have been a huge explosion.
had in the office? In my current role I was teaching fire safety and JASON the benefit of fire doors. The CASEY CIWFM organisation’s historian put his is facilities hand up and said that fire doors coordinator can be fatal. He then proceeded at the St Bride Foundation to explain a death to a visitor to in the City the site in 1928 caused by the of London spring-loaded fire door that whacked him on the head. He has newspaper cuttings to prove it, too. Early bird or night owl? Early bird. I don’t understand FMs who stroll into a job after 9am so others can be first to find the issues.
If I wasn’t in FM, I’d probably be… A
sports journalist or political cartoonist.
Which FM/workplace ‘myth’ would you most like to put an end to? That What FM job in the world would you love more than anything?
I was interviewed a few years ago for a London Zoo H&S role, and the place was amazing. I didn’t get the job and a week later an aardvark died in a fire. One of my mates rang up and said: “I saw you got the job, then!”
manager? A task manager.
the industry is mainly male. I have worked with many females in FM, and most have been in roles senior to me. And where would FM be an absolute
strategic? It’s operational. What advice would you give to a young facilities/workplace manager
How many people are there in your FM/workplace team, and to whom does the FM team ultimately report? am the sole
FM, although our events team provides front-of-house and housekeeping. range of industries where possible, and do all courses offered to you.
starting out? Get experience within a nightmare? Anything too corporate, where the FM role is to sit at a desk playing with figures to bamboozle a client with numbers rather than get things done.
Your life outside FM mostly
involves… I set up a women’s football team for my youngest child to have a team to play for. I spend most
Sundays running the line, writing match reports and getting these reports into local newspapers.
