Katerina Ford

What has been your biggest career challenge to date?

The pandemic was an extraordinary challenge. I am still so proud of how fast my team took action and supported our offices and customers.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

More women in FM and CRE leadership roles and in M&E are needed as the industry is still unbalanced. Progress has been made as when I started there were few women in FM managerial roles.

Any interesting tales to tell? Riding up and down the high-speed lift in the BT Tower – ears popping every time and spectacular views at the top!

If I wasn’t in facilities management, I’d probably be… I’d have liked to be an interior designer. I love all interiors (office and home), and transforming spaces through design. Alas, I can’t draw to save my life!

Which “FM/Workplace myth” would you most like to put an end to? To be successful and be a leader in FM you need to have a technical background. While that might help in some workplaces, the key skills an FM needs are great organisational and people skills.

What single piece of advice would you give to a young facilities/ workplace manager starting out? Try different workplaces, ask the dumb questions, and don’t be afraid to challenge the way things are done. FM is a fastevolving industry and we need bright and innovative people to keep up with changes in workplace needs.

What was the weirdest day you’ve had in the office? Being greeted in the morning by a couple of cows in a makeshift pen and protestors outside a building in Whitehall when I was the FM there!

What FM job in the world would you love more than anything? I am really fortunate to be in the role I am in now and all I can dream of is to manage offices in all five continents of the world.

And where would FM be an absolute nightmare? On an oil rig! The H&S requirements and isolation would drive me crazy.

Your life outside FM mostly involves… My family and my dogs take up most of my time. We recently had our first litter of nine French bulldogs, which was an incredibly stressful and emotional experience!