10 QUESTIONS WITH... 10 QUESTIONS WITH…
In each issue we ask an FM professional the Tomorrow’s FM 10 Questions. This month we spoke to Peter Vernon, MD of ESE World Ltd, to fi nd out what has changed in the 30 years since he began working in the industry.
Q1
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
When starting out in the world of work, I was a trainee legal executive in a solicitors’ offi ce. I studied Law at MidKent College and originally thought that was the sector that I wanted to pursue a career in.
Q2 Q3
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE FACILITIES
MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY?
As with many of the best things in life, it just sort of happened by chance. I’ve now been in the industry for over 30 years, after starting out as a sales representative at ESE World Ltd – then Otto UK Ltd.
HOW DO YOU CHALLENGE THE
STATUS QUO?
At ESE, quality and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to champion the circular economy through our closed-loop manufacturing process, and this sees us hold the highly acclaimed ‘Blue Angel’ ecolabel – meaning the majority of our plastic bins and containers are made from a high percentage of recycled material and are certifi ed according to EuCertPlast criteria.
For us, we’re not only passionate about reducing carbon emissions and the sector’s reliance upon virgin plastic material, but showing how sustainable manufacturing and procurement can not only have positive long-lasting effects on our environment, but on FM businesses’ bottom lines too.
Q4
SINCE YOU STARTED IN FM WHAT HAS
BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE 58 | TOMORROW’S FM THE INDUSTRY HAS SEEN/
YOU HAVE OBSERVED? There have been many changes, challenges, and opportunities over the years, but one of the biggest in more recent times has been the rising price of oil and subsequent raw material shortages. This has been very challenging for businesses and local authorities’ FM teams, whose suppliers haven’t been able to fulfi l their orders, or have drastically infl ated their prices, as a result.
Due to our sustainability-fi rst approach, we’re not as reliant upon virgin polymers as many other companies, so have managed to be largely unaffected by the fl uctuating market. However, there’s no doubt we’ve had a lot of pieces to pick up, to help and support organisations through this diffi cult period.
Q5
WHO, IN
ANY OTHER INDUSTRY, DO YOU MOST
ADMIRE? Richard Branson. I fi nd his entrepreneurial spirit and determination truly admirable.
Q6 Q7
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM?
It has to be the iconic war fi lm, The Great Escape – it’s a classic.
IF YOU COULD HOST A DINNER PARTY
WITH THREE GUESTS, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD
THEY BE AND WHY? David Attenborough and Stephen Fry – because their dinner-table
conversations would be fascinating – and Winston Churchill, because he’s a historical fi gure I really admire. I think it would make for a very interesting evening.
Q8
ANY ADVICE TO SOMEONE
JUST STARTING OUT IN
THE INDUSTRY? Recognise that a commitment to sustainability and quality – in procurement and operations – is important not only for the health of our planet, but for the fi nancial health of a business. By being eco- conscious when purchasing solutions – for example, waste management systems – it can save companies signifi cant amounts of money in the long term, as they are more robust in their design and don’t have to be replaced as often.
Q9 Q10
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS
THE FUTURE OF THE FM INDUSTRY?
I think there will be an even greater drive towards
sustainability-driven procurement and operational strategies.
WHICH AREA OF FM DO YOU
THINK COULD BE BEST TRANSFORMED THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY? Waste management – improving FM fi rms’ recycling rates. For instance, if waste collectors were to use intelligent bin-weighing systems, this would help FM organisations to bring their contamination rates down, as they’d be able to fi nd out exactly what is being recycled and what’s going to landfi ll.
www.eseworld.uk.com/
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
