Making a difference… Maria Cane

Welcome back to another edition of our ‘I Make a Difference’ blog series. In this series, we feature insights and stories from individuals within our group of specialist businesses, highlighting the unique and valuable contributions they make in their respective roles.

Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from Maria Cane, one of our Client Relationship Managers working within the National Accounts team. Maria joined Churchill Group in July 2022, bringing with her 32 years of experience in the cleaning industry.

Maria’s story…

Maria started her career as a cleaning operative, working evenings to support her young family. Over the years, she progressed holding positions such as supervisor, area manager, and site manager. Developing further, she reached the role of Deputy Operations Director which came with great responsibility and involved a lot of travel and time away from her family. However, due to circumstances beyond her control, Maria decided to step back from this position, redirecting her focus towards a more personally rewarding role which led her to Churchill Group and where she is now.

Throughout her journey, Maria has gained valuable insights into the facilities management sector, as well as various leadership and management roles. With over three decades of experience, Maria continues to leverage her wealth of knowledge to deeply understand the intricate roles and responsibilities of her colleagues.

The essence of her role is unmistakably reflected in her title, as a significant aspect of her current responsibilities revolves around building relationships and actively acknowledging all the positive contributions made by team members. Maria spends a great deal of her time working with our cleaning operatives recognising their dedication and hard work. In her words: “People don’t often realise that the customer isn’t just our clients, it is also the operations teams who deliver the fantastic service.”

For Maria, ensuring that colleagues feel valued and integral to the team is paramount. Despite her independent position, situated separately from individual line managers, Maria is readily available to provide support and guidance when needed. She recounted an instance where it became apparent that an individual was experiencing difficulties in their personal life, and this person confided in her. Maria collaborated with the line manager to establish processes that would support the individual’s welfare and help them manage their role. This instance is one of many that demonstrates her commitment to providing support in challenging situations.

Discussing her day-to-day activities, she explained how they vary depending on different situations that arise and what’s needed at the time. There are instances when she must be reactive, addressing situations like a flood in a client’s building or staffing challenges. On other occasions, the work may involve more administrative tasks and be less hands-on, but both are equally as important. It’s clear that as a team National Accounts work closely with our operations teams, but also rely heavily on finance and business support to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Looking ahead, Maria expressed her eagerness to stretch beyond her comfort zone, recognising the potential for her role to evolve. She highlighted her passion for helping clients make positive impacts in their communities and supporting them on their social value journeys. Maria believes that forming genuine relationships with clients, built on trust and respect, is essential for achieving this. She consistently poses the question to clients, “How can I help you achieve your goals, and what part can I play?” This demonstrates her commitment to going above and beyond to ensure she contributes everything possible to help others succeed.

We know Maria is going to continue to offer invaluable support not only to our clients but to colleagues as well. Watch this space! Look out for the next blog in our series of ‘making a difference’ and find out more about our colleagues and their roles within the Churchill team.

If you missed our previous blogs, make sure you have a read of Elizbeth, Kelly and Eric’s stories.