Landsec | Aspire One Newsletter - Issue 94 February 2024

The voice of Landsec | Aspire // Bringing our community TogetherAsOne

We’re on the ground at W1.

See pages 028-047

The team at the Aspire Centre of Excellence (ACE), which manages the core functions and strategy for the Aspire community, has grown significantly over the past couple of years. In this issue, we meet the members of this vibrant and growing team.

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One Magazine

Cover: Raymond KayimaAspire Agent at ACE.

wWelcome to the February edition of Aspire One magazine, a jam-packed issue that we very much hope you’ll enjoy reading.

Our main feature this month is the expanded team in the Aspire Centre of Excellence (ACE) at One New Change. Since ACE opened in April 2022, the team responsible for developing the strategy of Landsec | Aspire and managing its operations has grown significantly and also taken on new responsibilities. We meet some of the ACE team to find out about their new processes, as well as what makes them tick.

This issue also turns the spotlight on Lucent W1, the latest addition to the London portfolio, which is located behind the iconic Piccadilly Lights. We say ‘hello’ to the Aspire team at the property, which I’m delighted to report is now fully let.

Many thanks to the 40 or so volunteers who helped to redecorate the premises of our charity partner, Caxton Youth Organisation, recently. Everyone worked so hard over the two days to give the club rooms in Pimlico a fresh coat of paint with bright colours. We’ll be featuring all the photos from the volunteering event in our next issue, where we’ll also have some photos of the newly decorated spaces in use by the young people at Caxton Youth. As well as our regular Wellness article and Grapevine – our roundup of news on appointments, departures, promotions and other achievements – in this issue we spend ‘5 minutes with’ Sylwia De Sousa, Portfolio Director for Principle Cleaning Services.

Kelly

David Wickens

Head of Workplace Operations & Chair of Landsec | Aspire

Shamora DalhouseAspire Service Delivery Manager.

Aspire Centre of Excellence

CREATING EXPERIENCES AS ONE

A bigger and better team

Since the Aspire Centre of Excellence (ACE) opened at One New Change in April 2022, the team responsible for developing Aspire’s strategy and managing its operations has grown considerably.

The new, enlarged team is structured in two parts the AspireAssist Customer Service Centre and the AspireAnalytics Technical Operations Centre.

AspireAssist is headed up by Alison Currell, Senior Aspire Service Delivery Manager, and takes care of ‘soft services’, including the operation of the AspireAssist HelpDesk. Meanwhile, AspireAnalytics is led by Glenn Darlison, Senior Aspire Service Delivery Manager, and is responsible for ‘hard

services’ (principally maintenance, engineering and decarbonisation).

“Both parts of the Aspire team have grown,” explains David Wickens, Head of Workplace Operations & Chair of Landsec | Aspire, “and this growth reflects the success of the Aspire community and the levels of collaboration it achieves.”

Let’s meet the new team members as they go about their daily dedication to customer service excellence.

Raymond Kayima - Aspire Agent.

Karoline GrigaiteAspire

“The whole AspireAssist team is committed to streamlining processes, with the aim of freeing up time for Workplace Managers to spend with customers, thereby enhancing the customer experience.”

Alison Currell,

Senior Aspire Service Delivery Manager.

Alison CurrellSenior Aspire Service Delivery Manager.

driven

A soft spot for you

The AspireAssist part of the Aspire team at ACE is responsible for soft services, including the operation of the highly successful AspireAssist 24/7 HelpDesk.

“The AspireAssist HelpDesk service moved from the premises of Service Partner, NJC, into the Aspire Centre of Excellence in April 2022,” explains Alison Currell, Senior Aspire Service Delivery Manager. “Then a year later, in April 2023, we decided to bring the HelpDesk service in house as part of Landsec | Aspire. In the two years since moving to One New Change, the HelpDesk team has doubled in size from five to ten people.”

The expansion of the team has been most rapid in recent months, since its scope of work increased in September 2023. At this time, the AspireAssist HelpDesk and Landsec Property Administration functions were merged into an evolved AspireAssist team.

“Now the members of the AspireAssist team not only raise and administer HelpDesk support tickets,” says Alison Currell. “They also handle all incoming calls to the Landsec main switchboard, and process Purchase Order requests, Contract Purchase Orders and Contract Variation Orders for the Workplace team across the London portfolio.”

Expanded AspireAssist

HelpDesk team

Heading up the team is Shamora Dalhouse, Aspire Service Delivery Manager. Recent months have been exceptionally busy for Shamora; in addition to implementing the new processes and the switchboard service, she has been onboarding a completely new team since September, due to colleagues either being promoted or moving on. She is very happy with how the team has shaped up in this short

space of time: “We’ve only been together for a few months,” she says, “but it feels like I’ve had the team for a year. The various personalities click much better than I expected. They genuinely work well together as a team, so I have to give myself and Alex (AspireAssist Supervisor) a pat on the back for hiring them all!”

Now that the team members are dealing with more than requests for HelpDesk support, they each have a new job title: Aspire Agent. Purchase Orders (POs) are handled through the AspireAssist portal now, whilst Contract Variation Orders (CVOs) will be requested via the portal at the start of the new financial year. Contract Purchase Orders are administered by the AspireAssist team. There was some restructuring involved to find the most efficient processes for the new services. Shamora explains: “We did a lot of brainstorming with the team to find out what works well and

what doesn’t, which led to us creating two administrative roles – one for processing POs and one for handling Contract Purchase Orders and CVOs.”

Grace Adefila took the role of Contract Admin Agent, while Aaliyah Begum was appointed as PO Admin Agent.

“Grace is the point of contact for suppliers for any budget-related queries,” explains Shamora. “Her role involves contracts and also anything Aspire-related. While any team member can log POs on the system, it is Aaliyah who manages them through to payment. She seeks approval from management to pay for the goods or services delivered and, once approved, notifies the relevant department that the invoice can be paid.”

Shamora is pleased with how the additional services have been embedded. “There were some challenges with the workflow initially,” she admits, “but I have to compliment everyone

on the team because they remained flexible and open-minded, which made the changes quite easy.” She is very positive about the changes that have been implemented. “It has been a good change,” she says. “We were all looking forward to being able to see a fault come in, log it, confirm attendance and issue a PO for the repair to be completed. Seeing the workflow from beginning to end and being able to monitor it is amazing. It gives you more visibility and you are in control, so communication with customers will improve and their experience can be enhanced.”

The work of the HelpDesk team is very demanding, according to Shamora. “It is very involved and fast-paced,” she says. “More fast-paced than we anticipated. But it’s gone as well as can be expected; as it was only about a six-week period from talking about the changes to implementation, I think we’ve coped very well.”

Lines of communication among members of the AspireAssist HelpDesk team are kept open in a variety of ways. “Each morning, we run through the priorities for the day,” says Shamora, “and assign tasks based on urgency and volume. Then we have a weekly meeting, as well as catch-up calls on Teams. We change roles according to demand.” There is also a monthly team lunch. “We vote on a restaurant,” explains Shamora, “and one person goes to collect the food, which we then eat together. If a team member is working from home – because they are on the shift starting at 7am, for example – we accommodate them with a home delivery to be inclusive. The only problem,” continues Shamora, “is that we are a helpdesk, so we have to be available even then. I’m working on ways to make it more fun.”

No further big changes are planned at the moment. “Our main focus,” says

“Just taking a moment to say ‘thank you’ to you and your team; I rarely get the chance to pause and say thanks! You have a tremendous group of people who are always wanting to help us out and go the extra mile. The whole team is fantastic but a special shout-out to Alex, Raymond, Jayden, Michael, Jermel (JJ #2) and Grace.”

2024.

Jordon Joseph, Landsec Workplace Manager

Jermel Johnson joined the HelpDesk team in January

“I just love Shamora!”

Jenny Harper, Landsec Workplace Manager

Both parts of the Aspire team have grown, and this growth reflects the success of the Aspire community and the levels of collaboration it achieves.

David Wickens

Head of Workplace Operations & Chair of Landsec | Aspire

Aspire ONE TEAM / ONE

Jayden Tracey joined the team in October as an Aspire Agent.

Meet

the

Shamora, “is to ensure we are always meeting the Landsec standard but also fulfilling customer needs as they evolve.” The team does want to work from Landsec properties more, however – something that is possible due to the use of laptops and the ability to make use of sites that are hubs, such as 16 Palace Street. “We want to work more closely with the building management teams,” explains Shamora, “with each Aspire Agent being in a cluster with a Senior Workplace Manager, two Workplace Managers and, generally, an Assistant Workplace Manager. In this way, Aspire Agents can get more familiar with the building’s customers and suppliers, providing one point of contact. The aim is to lighten the administrative load for the Workplace management teams.”

Bags of personality

The AspireAssist HelpDesk team are described by Shamora as “quite an eclectic group”. Raymond Kayima, Jayden Tracey and Jermel Johnson have come from a sales background. “They are the entertainers in the group,” says Shamora. “No matter how challenging a situation we face, we can rely on them to find the funny side and squeeze in a laugh.” Others in the group are seen to be driving efficiency. “They maintain standards by reminding everyone what the process should be,” says Shamora. They include Alex Tan, Grace Adefila and Aaliyah Begum, along with Raymond. As AspireAssist Supervisor, Alex has helped Shamora a lot with training and onboarding. “I can leave the team in his capable hands,” says Shamora. Michael Rufai likes to analyse and brings many good ideas to the table, according to Shamora. “He’s very methodical and will identify ways to make things better.” On the day of our visit, Karolina Grigaite had only been a member of the team for two weeks but had already made an impression. “She’s a fantastic addition to the team,” says Shamora, “and always cheers you up.”

The final member of the team is Janet Ogunsanya, who joined on 12 February. “The work and life experiences of the team are so varied,” says Shamora, “that they bring a lot of skill sets to the table. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they progress.”

Grace Adefila joined the HelpDesk team in September 2023. Previously part of the Property Administration team, Grace has taken on the role of Contract Admin Agent. Of her new role, Grace says: “It’s good. It was challenging at first but we made it through, working as a team and looking out for each other.” Outside of work, Grace enjoys Pilates, music (her favourite artist is Brent Faiyaz) and travelling.

Aaliyah Begum joined the team in September and also came from the Property Administration team. Of her role as PO Admin Agent, she says: “I enjoy working with my team; my colleagues are a great support system with the busy workload and we are able to rely on each other.” In her spare time, Aaliyah enjoys spending time with her family and loved ones, with a homecooked meal.

September also saw Michael Rufai join the team as Aspire Agent. “I’m enjoying it,” he says. “It’s nice to keep busy and I can easily track my progress.” Outside of work, he loves creating music, taking walks in the park and reading. “I’m currently on a journey to become a bookworm,” he says, “with ‘A Little Life’ By Hanya Yanagihara at the top of my list.”

Raymond Kayima joined as an Aspire Agent in October 2023. “I’m enjoying it,” he says. “It’s going really well. I feel like I’ve settled into the role and I’ve got a good understanding of everything. We’re all pulling in the same direction – it’s a great team effort to get the work done.” When he’s not working, Raymond spends time with his sons aged 12 and 3, goes to the gym and enjoys watching football – he supports Manchester United.

Known by his nickname, JJ, Jermel Johnson joined the HelpDesk team in January 2024. Of his new job, he says: “It’s very good. It’s a lot to take in but it’s exciting.” Previously working in account management within gold brokerage, Jermel likes dealing with people. “I do like to speak to customers and resolve complaints,” he says. “It’s also good to understand how buildings work – it’s fascinating.” When he’s not working, Jermel is an avid reader of books of all genres.

Karoline Grigaite also joined the team in January. She says she finds her work very interesting. “It’s completely different,” she says. “I’ve never been in this industry before. I worked in customer service for retail previously. It’s very fast-paced and we have such a lovely team.” Outside of work Karoline is busy looking after her three children, aged 3, 5 and 9.

Janet Ogunsanya is the newest member of the AspireAssist HelpDesk team, only starting her role this month. “I am enjoying my new role,” she says. “There is a lot to learn but in a proactive way. I am intrigued to see how I can utilise my previous skills within this role, as I already know I will excel.” Outside of work, Janet enjoys going to the gym, travelling the world and fashion.

Alex Tan joined as AspireAssist Supervisor in September last year. Outside of work, Alex enjoys going to see musicals in the West End, cooking and eating Southeast Asian food and travelling. Originally from Malaysia, Alex has two dogs and lots of plants to look after.

Shamora Dalhouse has worked as part of the AspireAssist HelpDesk since December 2019. For most of this time she was employed by NJC as HelpDesk Manager, but she became Aspire Service Delivery Manager when the service moved in-house with Landsec in April 2023. When she’s not working, Shamora enjoys live music, theatre, hiking, reading and boxing. “I like food from all around the world,” she says, “especially

a barbeque. I’m currently addicted to South Korean food. I also enjoy a good chat with a few bottles of wine in the company of my good friends.”

Beyond the HelpDesk service, the work of the AspireAssist team covers onboarding customers to the HelpDesk, performance management, process development and customer experience.

“The whole AspireAssist team is committed to streamlining processes,” explains Alison Currell, “with the aim of freeing up time for Workplace Managers to spend with customers, thereby enhancing the customer experience.”

Besides Alison Currell and the HelpDesk team, the AspireAssist team includes Umair Sohail (Aspire Data Analyst) and Ross Wiles (Aspire

Systems and Quality Manager).

Umair Sohail was appointed as Aspire Data Analyst in April 2023. Based at the Aspire Centre of Excellence and 16 Palace Street, he has a bachelor’s degree in Economics & Politics from De Montfort University, as well as a certificate in Business Economics from the University of Hertfordshire. He has previously worked in data analytics across a variety of sectors, from healthcare to construction and global payments. Umair’s role entails working closely with both the AspireAssist and AspireAnalytics teams, mining data and analysing it to form valuable management information. This includes gathering data from all the various data streams across Workplace Operations including HelpDesk performance,

Meet the team

“I want to mention Alex Tan and Michael Rufai in particular – they helped me a lot towards the end of last year. Whilst highlighting both of them, the entire team are engaging and keen to assist. With Purchase Orders, I’ve seen a massive improvement; I didn’t think using the Aspire dashboard to raise POs would be a swifter process but I’m happy to be proved completely wrong! I can raise a PO in seconds, and the team usually have it out before the end of the day.”

Brad Cordrey, Landsec Workplace Manager

Alex Tan joined as Aspire Assist Supervisor in September 2023.

footfall and energy intensity, as well as creating user-friendly reports and dashboards. “It’s a matter of making sense of data and working out the best way to present insights to stakeholders,” he explains. “In this way, I can help improve efficiency, reduce costs or even increase profitable returns.” Outside of work, Umair enjoys playing football, solving puzzles and reading.

Previously Aspire Systems Manager, Ross Wiles is now also responsible for quality, with the new job title of Aspire Systems and Quality Manager. In addition to the setting up and maintenance of systems and processes, the quality aspect of his expanded role brings responsibility for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Reward & Recognition (R&R) payments. “As well as managing system rollouts,” says Ross, “my role involves using data and systems to provide insight and streamline working processes, while also ensuring quality standards are met through monitoring and auditing. If the Service Partners have any queries, they can come to me. I also get involved in ad hoc projects, supporting where I can.”

KPI scoring of Service Partner performance in each service stream used to be handled by the Property Administration team. “At the moment,

it’s quite labour intensive,” admits Ross, “with KPIs measured manually on score cards by Workplace Managers. However, from April most of the KPIs will be data-driven and collated automatically by our systems. This will remove much of the subjective element from the process, making it fairer for everyone. The KPIs that will still be assessed manually include health & safety, cyber security and sustainability.”

Having worked at Landsec for almost 21 years, Ross knows a lot of people and often provides friendly advice to colleagues about whom to ask about a particular topic. “It’s nice to be able to help,” he says. With so much data being gathered and analysed these days, Ross thinks making priorities is important. “The most challenging thing is making the best use of your time,” he says. His current projects include assisting in the collation of an up-to-date list of systems used across the portfolio. Soon he will start making regular site visits, speaking to Service Partners and Workplace Managers to carry out quality audits and pinpoint any issues. “There are a lot of properties to monitor,” he says, “but I’m enjoying the job. It’s a good and ever-growing team.”

Ross WilesAspire Systems and Quality Manager.

Umair Sohail - Aspire Data Analyst at One New Change, St Paul’s.

Umair Sohail was appointed as Aspire Data Analyst in April 2023.

Aspire ONE TEAM / ONE PURPOSE

“I’ve never been in this industry before. I worked in customer service for retail previously. It’s very fast-paced and we have such a lovely team.”

Karoline Grigaite, AspireAssist

“I’m keen to challenge the status quo and set new ways of working, as well as revitalising some of our processes to be more streamlined.”

Glenn Darlison, Senior Aspire Service Delivery Manager.

Glenn DarlisonSenior Aspire Service Delivery Manager.

driven

The hard facts

The AspireAnalytics part of the Aspire team is responsible for hard services and is headed up by Glenn Darlison, Senior Aspire Service Delivery Manager.

As well as Glenn, the AspireAnalytics team, based in the Technical Operations Centre, includes five Landsec Workplace Engineering Managers (Andrew Brocklehurst, David Beckett, Andrew Ballard, Mark Gard and Adam Donoghue); Salman Hasnat, Aspire Energy Analyst; Caroline Rodgers, Workplace Implementation Manager; and the currently vacant posts of Aspire Service Delivery Manager (Analytics), Aspire Engineering Co-ordinator and Aspire Assistant Energy Analyst.

Meet Glenn Darlison

Glenn Darlison joined Landsec as Senior Aspire Service Delivery Manager in September 2023 but his face will be familiar to many people in the Aspire family because he previously worked for NG Bailey on the Landsec contract for 10 years. “I joined NG Bailey as Lead Engineer in 2013,” says Glenn, “and helped mobilise buildings in Victoria –123 Victoria Street, 62 Buckingham Gate and the New Ludgate estate.”

Prior to this, Glenn completed an apprenticeship, training as a Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician, before becoming selfemployed for the next decade, when he installed and maintained refrigeration and AC systems. “When I joined NG Bailey, I gained some further trade certifications,” continues Glenn, “including high voltage qualifications. During that time, I became Senior Authorised Person for NG Bailey across London.”

Glenn’s new role gives him responsibility for maintenance & engineering, analytics and performance management across the London portfolio, as well as project management for specific programmes, including decarbonisation. “My position as the lead for M&E, Aspire Senior Champion and technical subject matter expert,” explains Glenn, “means I’m the point of contact for Service Partners handling hard services. I’m also leading the Workplace Operations team on decarbonisation, with projects to install air source heat pumps and adjust our buildings to work in more efficient ways.”

Glenn is also leading the mobilisation of the Future of Facilities programme. “This means managing the onboarding of our new Service Partners,” he explains, “which is going well so far, although it’s still early days. Our biggest asset is our personnel, so the challenge

is making sure that we transition colleagues to the new Service Partners smoothly, as well as taking care of the commercial elements of the contract.” Although he is technically based at 80100 Victoria Street, Glenn works across all sites, depending on his schedule for the day. “Engagement with the teams on the ground is massively important,” he says. He is supported in performance management and the drive for energy efficiency by Salman Hasnat, Aspire Energy Analyst. Having recently had a TUPE transfer over from NG Bailey, Salman gathers and analyses energy data from all Landsec properties in the capital to see how they are operating and where improvements can be made. Reflecting on how his new role has been so far, Glenn says, “It’s been very good. It’s a lot of learning, which is great. I’m exposed to many more things than I was in my previous role – understanding

the business and learning new systems and processes is keeping me on my toes. It’s a different challenge from working for a Service Partner; being the client is a different mindset. The most difficult thing so far has been picking up on the historical elements that I’ve not been involved in. I’m keen to challenge the status quo and set new ways of working, as well as revitalising some of our processes to be more streamlined.” Outside of work, Glenn’s primary focus is his family – his wife, Rebecca, and children, Albert (aged 9) and Evie (aged 2). He enjoys watching football, both when his son plays and West Ham games. His other hobbies include shooting (he is a member of Cambridge Gun Club) and scuba diving, which he has done around the UK and worldwide since he was nine.

Glenn

Introducing the team at d

Lucent W1

Despite being located in the heart of bustling Piccadilly Circus, Lucent W1 is an oasis of calm. Let’s meet the Aspire members who are preparing to greet tenants in the latest addition to Landsec’s London portfolio.

Office Space

by Landsec

Nestled directly behind London’s iconic Piccadilly Lights, Lucent W1 is an impressive development that combines cutting-edge design with a connection to nature. As Landsec’s newest building in the capital, it offers a unique mix of office, retail and residential space.

With its name meaning ‘giving off light’, Lucent is designed around an open-air, central atrium that floods all floors with natural daylight. The building offers a total of 110,000 sq ft of space, with retail taking 30,000 sq ft and a further 3,000 sq ft used for seven exclusive apartments. Lucent also features a rooftop restaurant with panoramic views across London, which promises

to become a sought-after, fine-dining destination.

Looking after the new building for Landsec is Brad Cordrey, Workplace Manager. “Lucent has a fantastic location,” he says. “It’s on the doorstep of Piccadilly Circus Underground Station and close to many of the attractions in this part of London –West End theatres, art galleries, the flagship stores in Regent Street and Berwick Street food market.”

Lucent – which offers Landsec’s Blank Canvas and Customised offices, as well as flexible Myo office space on the first and second floors – is now fully let, with tenants expected to move in around Easter this year. Currently, the tenanted

LUCENT W1 is a cutting-edge design built with nature at its heart, 110,000 sq ft of offices unfolding around a central atrium that floods all five floors with natural light.

Alex Clayton-Payne.

MEETING OF WORLDS.

From the grandeur of St James’s to the hospitality of Soho, the flagships of Regent Street to the galleries of Mayfair – Lucent W1 is where culture and commerce come together.

floors of the building are being fitted out by various contractors. With the development comprising several historic buildings, specialist contractors have helped with the preservation of heritage assets and their integration into the modern architectural design. Brad Cordrey has been hugely impressed by the members of the Landsec | Aspire team who have taken up residence at Lucent. “They’ve adapted very quickly to the site, given just how busy the surrounding area is,” he says. “They are already working collaboratively and they’re just a fantastic team, which makes my life easier. With everything so busy within Landsec right now, it’s great to have people you can trust on the ground.” The Service Partner teams based at Lucent since the building’s handover in early September are Rapport (front of house), Bidvest Noonan (security), Jaguar Building Services (engineering)

and Principle (cleaning). The remaining service streams are being handled by Otis (lifts & escalators), OryxAlign (IT & data services) and Bywaters (waste management).

Front-of-house services at Lucent are in the capable hands of Marco Cuenca, FOH Supervisor for Rapport. Marco has worked with Landsec for two years, firstly as Dedicated Cover and then spending 18 months at 62 Buckingham Gate. Originally from southern Spain, he came to the UK nine years ago after university, where he completed a degree in Tourism. Prior to joining Rapport, Marco worked in restaurants and as a front-of-house coordinator and trainer for a 5-star hotel. Now he’s enjoying his new home in Lucent’s impressive reception area, which includes a sculptural staircase. He particularly likes the fact that he’s not located behind a counter, but can step out easily from his desk to welcome people. From

Easter, he will be assisted by another colleague and he’s already making plans for when the new tenants move in. “I’m looking at opportunities for pop-up events for when the building is fully open,” he says. “I organised a couple of pop-ups at 62 Buckingham Gate and the response was really good.”

Heading up security at Lucent is a familiar face: Serafino Masella, Building Security Manager for Bidvest Noonan. Universally known as Fino, he has worked at the site for 12 years, well before the plans for Lucent were even formed. He used to be based in a small office in the loading bay at the back of Boots – which has had a retail store at Piccadilly Lights since 1925 – looking after the light display and associated buildings. When the project to develop Lucent began in 2019, Fino was seconded to Landsec’s development team, to take care of community liaison. His role was to build relationships with

Serafino Masella, Building Security Manager.

Office Space

Luz Salasa Garcia and Jean Carlos Morillo.

Space

Office

Marco Cuenca, FOH Supervisor for Rapport.

all internal and external stakeholders – including neighbours, Westminster City Council and the Heart of London Business Alliance – and keep the lines of communication open. He says he has learned a lot about demolition and construction over the past four years.

“I’ve seen it built from scratch,” he says. In October, he moved back to the Bidvest Noonan team, where he’s been assisting senior management in getting a 16-strong security team in place and overseeing training.

Fino’s team are enjoying their new roles at Lucent. Ken Woolner, Security Controller, has worked for Bidvest Noonan for 18 months but has spent 11 years in the security industry. “The London Olympics was my first gig,” he says. “It was fun and very interesting.” He thinks Lucent is superb. “You can’t work in a more iconic building,” he says. “It’s a privilege to look after something that’s known the world over. It’s a great team – everyone gets on with each other and Fino is a great guy to work for.”

Mohamed Abdi, Security Officer, has only been with Bidvest Noonan since August but has 16 years’ experience in security. “Lucent is amazing,” he says. “So far, so good, and we can’t wait for the tenants.” Muhammad Raza, Security Officer, is also enjoying his work. “We’re mostly dealing with contractors right now but every day there is something going on here,” he says. Security Officer, Bernard Amponsah is new to the industry but is enjoying his role in the loading bay. “It’s a good area of London to work in,” he says. “There’s so much here.” Hidayatullah Khalil, Security Officer, has worked in security since 2010. Asked if he likes Lucent, he says, “Absolutely, the building, the staff and the teamwork. Especially working with Fino – he’s a great man.”

Jaguar has two engineers at Lucent, Andy Willmen (Supervisor) and Alex Clayton-Payne, with Jay Nel in the role of Account Manager. Alex is a new Jaguar employee, although he’s worked with the company as a contractor previously. After completing his

apprenticeship, he has spent 13 years working as an on-site engineer. He’s been based at Lucent since completion a few months ago. “It’s gone very well,” he says. “We’re still getting acquainted with the building and learning how it all works. Having brand-new plant and equipment is a lot more reliable and also very energy-efficient.” He is happy in his new home: “It’s a lovely place to work – always busy, with lots of places to eat around here. This is a landmark building, with Piccadilly Lights; it’s a point of pride for London. You don’t get many buildings that are new yet still have a history. The façade on the Shaftesbury Avenue side is all original.” Cleaning at the new building is carried out by the team from Principle: Jean Carlos Morillo and Luz Salasa Garcia While Jean Carlos is new to Principle, Luz has been with the company for more than five years, although she has not worked at a Landsec property before. From Easter, the team will expand to cover the additional cleaning required once tenants move in.

Ken Woolner, Security Controller.

Muhammad Raza, Security Officer.

Lucent definitely shines bright – not only does it have a great location in the heart of the West End, it also scores highly when it comes to wellbeing Targeting Gold standard from WELL, the globally recognised organisation for human health building standards, Lucent’s design is based on the view that being close to nature helps boost creativity and productivity. The building features a huge Magnifica tree in its central atrium, a green wall reaching three storeys and no less than 20 outdoor terraces. There is abundant greenery, including a sedum roof to boost biodiversity further. Lucent also has extensive cycle storage, a

dedicated cyclist entrance and excellent showering and changing facilities. In addition, tenants will be able to enjoy great shared space for events, socialising or even yoga classes.

Sustainability is another strong point for the development. Lucent achieved BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ in its design stage, and a NABERS score of 4.5 stars. The building is powered by 100% renewable electricity and uses air source heat pumps to achieve an EPC B rating.

Lucent has also achieved WiredScore Platinum, the highest award, proving it meets exceptional standards in terms of its wireless network, wired infrastructure and overall resilience.

Hidayatullah Khalil, Security Officer.

Lucent W1

Bernard Amponsah, loading bay.

Mohamed Abdi, Security Officer.

AN URBAN OASIS IN THE CENTRE OF LONDON. Step off the streets and discover a world of calm and contemplation, with expansive green zones and flexible work spaces designed to foster a strong sense of community.

Lucent W1

5 minutes with…

Sylwia De Sousa

Portfolio Director, Principle Cleaning Services

What do you like to do outside of work?

I go to the gym before work four days a week, although it does mean getting up just after 3am! When I get the chance, I go hiking at the weekend. I really enjoy eating out – my favourite food is Thai. I like to try different foods, especially when I travel, to fully experience the country I’m in.

What’s on your bucket list?

Visiting New York – I’m planning to go this year with my partner. And seeing the Northern Lights. I don’t enjoy cold weather, despite being from Poland, but will make an exception for the Northern Lights. I’d also love to run a marathon one day – I’m just trying to get into running at the moment.

Are you a fan of anything or anyone?

I love David Attenborough – his voice and his shows. I find his programmes really interesting and find I can switch off from everything else.

Do you have any mantras in business or in life?

One is related to travel: ‘I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list!’

The other is more serious, in a way –do something today that your future self will thank you for.

What would you say is your greatest achievement?

I came to the UK twenty years ago, knowing very little English, and started work as a Cleaning Operative. Hard work and dedication have led me to where I am now. I wasn’t afraid of failure and grabbed opportunities with both hands. I hadn’t been a cleaner before, but I’ve created a professional life out of difficult beginnings and I’m proud of it. Someone gave me a chance to progress and I’ve been paying it back ever since – if I see someone with potential, I give them a chance, because I know it can transform their life.

Have you been inspired by anything you’ve seen, read or experienced lately?

Well, it’s some years ago but when I started working as a manager, one of my first clients was someone I looked up to. I wanted to manage like him, in a calm and knowledgeable way. He’s my role model. We lost touch but I hope he would be proud of me.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?

I’ve come to realise that it’s less important to have many friends and more important to have real friends. It’s not about quantity, but the quality of people in my life.

Do you have any regrets?

When I was studying Marketing and Management at university, I had a part-time job as a Court Secretary and I realised I was very interested in Law. I considered switching courses but I didn’t and I often wonder whether I should have done.

Do you have any pets?

No, but I’d like to have a dog one day. I had one when I was growing up and I’m definitely a dog person.

What’s your all-time favourite movie?

I don’t have a favourite movie but I do have go-to TV shows that I like to relax to – Friends and Schitt’s Creek.

What was your first ever job?

As a teenager, I had summer jobs delivering leaflets and picking strawberries, which I did with a friend. We ate a lot of strawberries, to be honest!

What would you say is your best skill in business?

I feel I’m very good at communicating with people on different levels. I think it’s important that our cleaning teams feel appreciated. I’ve done it and I know it’s hard work. My team cannot be successful without their efforts.

What’s your favourite part of your working day or week?

Every day is different in operations! You can have a plan for the day but things change and you need to be open to that. I would say my favourite thing is spending time with people –the team and clients. I like to involve my team in decision making – it’s then that they show what they are capable of.

And your least favourite?

If I have a busy day and I don’t get a chance to catch up on e-mails, then seeing a number of unread emails at the end of the day that need responding to.

Landsec | Aspire Recognition Awards.

Sylwia at the Landsec | Aspire Recognition Awards.

Bloomin’ marvellous!

Well done to Quentin Meliz, Cluster Supervisor and Front-of-House Experience Coordinator for Rapport, for organising a pop-up floristry service for Valentine’s Day.

Quentin liaised with Fredericks of London, the new supplier that Rapport will be managing for front-of-house flowers and displays from April, to bring a Valentine bouquet-ordering service to both 80 Victoria Street and Nova South. Customers were able to see a sample bouquet and place an order for a dozen red roses in the reception of the buildings.

“The pop-up service went well,” says Melissa Harvey, Guest Services Manager for Rapport. “The feedback from customers has been good and, importantly, the flowers lasted well.” Fredericks of London is a third-

generation family floral design business that supplies corporate and private clients. The firm won the Gold award in last year’s Chelsea in Bloom competition. In addition to flowers in Landsec reception areas, Fredericks of London will be providing the Christmas trees and festive displays across the London portfolio this year. “There are some very exciting and ambitious plans in progress for the Christmas decorations,” adds Melissa.

Many thanks to Quentin and the Rapport team for spreading the Valentine’s Day love!

Intern welcomed at New Street Square

Welcome to Sam Hereld, who has joined the Rapport team at New Street Square as a Trainee Receptionist on an internship arranged with West Lea School.

West Lea School, located in Enfield, offers an inclusive environment for young people with special educational needs, helping them to progress into further education and the world of work. Rapport has had a partnership with the school since 2019, providing supported

internships to its students, with the aim of leading to paid employment. Sam is the first of Rapport’s interns to work on the Landsec contract.

“We’re delighted to welcome Sam to Landsec and the Aspire family,” comments Alison Currell, Senior Aspire Service Delivery Manager. “Internships such as this form part of the Live Well aspect of our sustainability framework, under which we aim to create opportunities and inclusive places that change lives, supporting our communities to thrive.”

Sam is 21 and her interests include art and learning new skills. “I enjoy drawing, especially nature,” she says. “This is to help build up my portfolio, as I hope to become a tattoo artist one day. I am currently in the West Lea Supported Internship to help me get into paid employment. That is my long-term goal.”

Sam is working five hours a day on three days a week, fitting her shifts around her studies. She started on 5 February and will be at New Street Square until the end of July. “She’s doing really well,” says Melissa. “She’s picked things up

quickly, gets on well with the rest of the team and is polite.”

Sam started at 5 NSS as the building is a little quieter but the Rapport team plan for her to spend some time at 6 NSS as well, where the busier environment should help to build her confidence.

“In a short space of time,” says Sam, “I feel as if I am learning lots of new skills and am becoming more confident as each day goes by, with all the different protocols. I am meeting lots of different types of people from various walks of life, which I find very interesting.”

You heard it through the Grapevine

In this section of One magazine, we share snippets of news from across the Aspire family. It’s where we welcome new faces, bid fond farewells and celebrate promotions and other achievements. Please send your news to aspire@landsec.com

There have been changes to the Jaguar Building Services team at Nova. Luke Beard joined as Technical Service Manager on 12 February, while James Kirkpatrick has been promoted to the role of Account Manager at Nova, effective from 1 March.

to Sonia

Receptionist

80 Victoria Street, who has been appointed to the role of Cluster Supervisor for Cardinal Place and The Zig Zag Building from March. Also hats off to Jessica Pilakis, who will be stepping up from the post of Deputy Guest Services Manager to Guest Services Manager from 2 April. This is because Melissa Harvey, currently Guest Services Manager, will be moving away from the Landsec contract, as she has been promoted to Head of Operations for Rapport. Many congratulations to Sonia, Jess and Melissa!

A new face on the Rapport team is Sam Hereld, 21, who has joined the team at New Street Square as Trainee Receptionist. Sam is a student at West Lea School and is working three days a week at NSS as an internship until the end of July. “I really enjoy doing art and anything that involves me getting creative,” says Sam. “I also like learning new skills.” Welcome, Sam!

Spot the robot!

Bidvest Noonan held an event at Nova and One New Change on 7 February to showcase Spot®, a mobile robot from Boston Dynamics.

The robot is an extremely agile mobile sensing and inspection device, which could be a useful addition to security teams across the London portfolio in the future. Representatives of Landsec, Bidvest Noonan and other Service Partners were invited to attend, with Spot® also attracting a lot of interest from customers and visitors. “Spot® was well received,” says Jason Abella, Key Account Director for Bidvest Noonan. “To see the robot in action intrigued our colleagues and customers alike. It was also great to interact with the public and get their feedback.”

The intelligent robot is able to avoid obstacles as it navigates its surroundings. It features dynamic stabilization and is self-righting if it does fall. Resistant to both water and dust, Spot® can be self-charging if fitted with a docking station, so it can work autonomously for long periods.

“In addition to helping with site security patrols, the solution would be ideal for situations in which colleagues need to be protected from hazardous situations,” says Jason. Spot® can also be fitted with accessories such as a camera and an articulated arm that enables it to physically manipulate objects –for example, opening a door with a handle.

Beyond security, Spot® can be used to automate inspection tasks for critical equipment and perform predictive maintenance. It can also can be used for detection of noise anomalies, gas leaks or radiation. Taking care of these types of task allows labour to be redistributed to other activities.

“There are no plans to use Spot® on our managed contracts just yet,” says Jason. “We are using these showcase days to receive feedback from our customers, but it’s great to visualise co-working with Spot® in the future.”

Congratulations

Freire (above),

at

Ask JESS

If you have any questions or wellbeing topics that you would like us to cover, email aspire@landsec.com in confidence. Your privacy will be respected.

Wellness

with Jessica Pilakis

In this regular feature, we are sharing wellness tips from Jess Pilakis, Deputy Guest Services Manager for Rapport. A qualified beauty therapist with over a decade’s experience in spa and resort management, Jess loves everything to do with fitness, health and wellbeing.

Daily Habits for Success

This month, we’re looking at some daily habits that you can adopt to help you keep focused, positive and successful.

— Have consistent morning and evening routines

— Make a to-do list each morning

— Focus on what you are grateful for

— Get out of your comfort zone

— Meditate to control your mind

— Visualise your dream life

“When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control how you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is.”

AUTHOR UNKNOWN

AspireAnalytics

TECHNICAL OPERATIONS CENTRE

January 2023

Leveraging the power of data to provide insights is a critical component of the Aspire strategy. With Landsec creating more dynamic ways of capturing data, we have been able to crunch large and diverse volumes of data that relate to our properties, assets, customers and the Aspire team. Some of this analysis has brought visibility to grey areas

in our operations, supporting the workplace team in making datadriven decisions. Most importantly, it also showcases the good work every member of the Aspire team does in our respective areas to improve the customer experience and, obviously, reveals the opportunities that are available for improvement. Below are some interesting highlights.

Last month

(Unless stated otherwise)

Need specific data?

With Landsec constantly striving for innovative ways to improve our customer service, data is the key. If you would like more information on a more specific set of analytics, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Umair Sohail Landsec | Aspire Data Analyst aspireanalytics@landsec.com

TO MAINTAIN MORALE

We recognise & reward

Landsec | Aspire is always looking for your feedback to help us give praise where it’s due. Whether you’re a team member or a Landsec customer, let us have your Player of the Month votes and winners will be featured in One Magazine.

For

What are the Aspire Staff Recognition Awards?

Every month a ‘Player / Team of the Month’ is selected from nominations by you, other Aspire team members and Landsec customers. Winners receive a certificate and some well-deserved prizes. It is a credit to everyone that each month lots of nominations are received, illustrating just how good the Aspire team is and how team members are held in such high regard by the people they work with.

How do your workmates excel in the Aspire values?

— Bold

— Inclusive

— Driven

— United

Aspire Recognition Awards.

in this magazine contact aspire@landsec.com

Landsec, 100 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL +44 (0) 20 7413 9000 aspire@landsec.com

Aspire PLAYER OF THE MONTH

January ‘24

Each month we salute the people recognised by you for exceptional performance or for simply being a great team member. Nominations can now be made by emailing aspire@landsec.com or directly via WhatsApp on 07834 431208

Engineers to the rescue

WWell done to the NG Bailey team at Dashwood for winning a Team of the Month award.

Engineers Daniel Kotze and Nioka Dyer rushed to assist an NG Bailey colleague, when they became unwell at work in early January. Fortunately, the Aspire

member managed to call colleagues in the site team at Dashwood. They rushed to call an ambulance and got the person off to hospital for examination. We’re delighted to report that the team member is now fine and back at work. Many thanks to the engineers at Dashwood for acting quickly and taking no risks.

1st April 2024 - Contracts Go Live

During 2024, we’re looking to drive the FUTURE of FACILITIES to infinity and beyond.

After a long and detailed tendering process, we have selected the Service Partners to innovate, dedicate and blast our way to 2030.

For more info see One Magazine