10 QUESTIONS 10 QUESTIONS WITH...
In each issue we ask an FM professional the Tomorrow’s FM 10 Questions. This month we spoke to Di Latchford, Facilities Manager at The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc).
Q1
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
My first job was a kitchen hand at a pub near where I lived in Hertfordshire. It had a very good reputation and was often frequented by celebrities. One night, the sweet trolley needed replenishing, I came out of the kitchen, and I stopped suddenly as guests were walking through to the restaurant. Although I stopped, the dessert I was holding had enough momentum to slide off and land on the floor in front of two pairs of feet – I looked up to see Gazza and Glen Hoddle looking at me and laughing!
Q2 Q3 Q4
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE FACILITIES
MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY?
Quite by chance, I joined BICSc from a School Business Manager background that had given me lots of different skills, you might say a ‘Jack of all Trades’. I had a couple of different roles before I settled into my current one.
HOW DO YOU CHALLENGE THE
STATUS QUO?
I like to look at the bigger picture and see how things can be done differently. I’m never satisfied with the ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’ answer. I like the challenge of finding a different way.
SINCE YOU STARTED IN FM WHAT HAS
BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE THE INDUSTRY HAS SEEN/
YOU HAVE OBSERVED? It’s great to see that the industry specialists are checking that you’re keeping up with regulations – in the past 24 months I have had inspection visits from both the local fire service and water companies. Something I have never encountered before.
Q5
WHO, IN ANY OTHER INDUSTRY,
DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?
Sadly, no longer with us but I really admire Steve Jobs, the Co-founder of Apple. His quote “the only way to do great work is to love what you do” has resonated with me since I first heard it in the mid 2000s. It’s something I’ve lived by and was influential in my move to BICSc.
Q6 Q7
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM??
Without a shadow of a doubt it’s The Railway Children, I read the book as a child, saw the film and I cry happy tears every time at the ending. I would love to have been Bobbie and have the carefree life she had.
IF YOU COULD HOST A DINNER PARTY
WITH THREE GUESTS, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD
THEY BE AND WHY? Alan Rickman, he was such a versatile actor and incredibly funny, he’d be very entertaining and I’d never tire of listening to his voice, I would also have Agatha Christie, I’d love to discuss her books and plots in greater detail, and finally I would have Greyson Perry, he’s an artist that I very much admire, I’d jump at the chance to talk about what motivates him.
Q8
ANY ADVICE TO SOMEONE
JUST STARTING OUT IN THE INDUSTRY? Use the resources that are out there and don’t try to reinvent the wheel. The internet has a wealth of information, just remember to crosscheck.
Q9
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE FUTURE
OF THE FM INDUSTRY?
I think the future looks good – technology needs to be embraced across the board, SMEs need to work together to lower costs and I’m hoping that the swing towards sustainability and environmental continues to grow.
10WHICH AREA OF FM
BE BEST TRANSFORMED THROUGH TECHNOLOGY?
DO YOU THINK COULD
At this point in time, the cleaning side of FM is being transformed using robots, we have some at BICSc HQ who come out and vacuum for us each day, allowing our cleaning operative to focus on more specialist tasks. I think that this technology will continue to expand and grow with positive impact.
www.bics.org.uk
52 | TOMORROW’S FM
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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