Steve Gladwin

Job title

Managing director, UK and Ireland

Organisation

Hochtief Facility Management

Brief description of the job and key responsibilities

I am accountable for the UK and Ireland subsidiaries of Hochtief Facility Management, a group with over 5,000 staff in Europe.

A brief run-down of your previous roles

I started as a building services engineer in London almost 25 years ago. In my early 20s I went to Australia for a holiday, and I liked it so much I stayed. I returned to the UK last year.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

The commoditisation of FM through the online auctioning. It has no bearing on service levels, risk or innovation.

Why and when did you join the BIFM?

I have been a member since the mid-1990s. Even in Australia I wanted to be networked into the UK industry.

Are you involved in any BIFM central or local events?

I sit on the board of Global FM, and BIFM are members. However, I still represent FMA Australia. I have been to BIFM events in London and the North. I was so impressed that I signed up Hochtief as corporate supporter of the North region.

Do you have any qualifications in FM?

My qualifications are in building services engineering. When I transferred into FM in the early 1990s I did an MBA.

What’s been your career high-point to date?

Being elected by my peers to represent the FM industry at national level as the chairman of FMA Australia. Then, in this position, working with the Australian federal government to gain recognition of the FM industry.

Who is/was your mentor?

One is my first manager, Gary Faux, at Matthew Hall in London. I learnt so much about contracting, project management and developing people to their full. My second was my boss in Australia, John Keegan at Haden Facilities Management. He always had time to develop people. To me he’s a marketing genius.