At any one time I will be involved in a range of projects taking in all operational areas. The advantage of working within the cutting edge PFI/PPP arena is having the opportunity to transfer innovation from the private sector into more traditional procurement routes. There are many benefits to this approach, particularly the whole-life approach to facilities management, where the importance of life-cycle modelling is key. In these sort of projects, adherence to output specifications is measured using detailed performance mechanisms ensuring quality of delivery. This area alone has seen significant changes and I am pleasantly surprised by the service industry's willingness to accept these innovations.
Describe your typical day
My typical day begins at 6.45am with a one hour and twenty minute drive to our office in Edinburgh. With our extensive customer base in the UK and Ireland, travel can be involved and if this is the case the start of the day can be earlier. Once my daily drive is over, I meet with clients and colleagues and deal with a plethora of PC and paper-based activities. Lunch lasts an hour then it's back to the grindstone until 6pm.
What did you qualify in?
I have a background in engineering with an early start in electrical engineering where my qualifications lie.
What did you do before you took up your current position?
Prior to Gardiner & Theobald I worked in the client arena with the Direct Line Group of companies. My role involved the procurement, implementation and monitoring of all hard and soft facilities management elements within modern office environments. This also involved project management.
What is the toughest part of your job?
The toughest part of the job is the importance of deadlines. As the pace of business life continues to increase, lead times get shorter and deadlines become stricter. 'Drop dead' dates are familiar words in our vocabulary and this can lead to early mornings and late nights.
What do you like best about your role?
The best part is the diversity, the calibre of the clients and the opportunity to deliver cutting edge consultancy through the innovations of the sectors within which we operate. I have the great pleasure to work with consultants who have serious professional goals but who also enjoy their work and meeting their objectives.
Source
The Facilities Business
