10 Questions with... Suzanne Howe


Each month we ask a cleaning industry professional the Tomorrow’s Cleaning 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Suzanne Howe, Managing Director at Suzanne Howe Communications (SHC).


1


What was your first job? My first job was working as a


home economist for the Potato Marketing Board, within the PR and Marketing department. My responsibilities were to promote the British potato to the consumer, including recipe development and giving cookery demonstrations across the country for up to 400 people, as well as exhibiting at many of the food exhibitions and county shows. I loved it and stayed six years.


2


How did you get into the cleaning industry?


My break into the cleaning industry came in 2008, when SHC pitched for the PR business for Kimberly-Clark Professional, as well as to run the 2009 Golden Service Awards. We were thrilled to win the business and I am very proud that they remain our client to this day.


3 4


Which three words describe your personality?


Outgoing, driven and diligent.


If you could visit one place in the world, where would you go


and why?


I would go back to Hong Kong, where I grew up. I haven’t been back since I was 21 and I am intrigued to see how it has changed. I would also love to visit some of my favourite places from when I was a child, such as Repulse Bay, Fanling and The Peak, where we lived.


5


How would you improve the cleaning industry?


Ensure the industry works together. Everyone has a role to play – from contract cleaners, in house cleaning


68 | 10 QUESTIONS


teams, suppliers and support agencies to the trade associations. Collaboration and sharing expertise will help improve the industry. I would also give the younger generations a chance by putting them into key roles. And finally, keep standards high by supporting industry awards and promoting success.


6


If an intern were to start tomorrow, what’s the one


piece of advice you would give them?


Work hard, network from the start, use LinkedIn, move around departments or companies to gain experience. Reach for the sky. There are no limitations when you are young. And don’t work anywhere that makes you unhappy.


7


If you won the lottery tomorrow, how would you


spend your fortune?


I would buy my three children houses, buy a second home in Provence, donate to a children’s charity and take my family on an amazing holiday. I would also give everyone at Suzanne Howe Communications – all 17 – a well-deserved bonus.


8


If you could host a dinner party and invite any three


people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?


I would invite food writer Elizabeth David, the actor Tom Hanks, and ceramic manufacturer Emma Bridgewater. Elizabeth was way ahead of her time cooking and promoting Mediterranean-style food, Tom is a brilliant actor, and Emma is a very good businesswoman who has made everyday items collectable.


twitter.com/TomoCleaning


9 What, do you think, is the future of the cleaning industry?


I believe there is a real chance for the smaller, specialist cleaning company which values its clients and its workforce. Both need to be taken very seriously indeed. I hope that we steer away from companies becoming too big and cumbersome such as Carillion, and start to see an opportunity for the smaller companies to rise up.


Paul Ridden, CEO of Skillweb, asks:


10


How will artificial intelligence impact the


cleaning industry in the future?


I believe we should see AI as a positive. I am sure it will mean jobs are lost over time but it might also see the creation of jobs as cleaning companies innovate and diversify by adding more and more services to their portfolios.


www.suzannehowe.com


Check out next month’s issue to see what Suzanne asked our next industry professional...


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