Women in FM: 5 mins with… Hilary Collins Posted on November 18, 2021April 5, 2022 by adrian What is your role at Churchill and what does it involve day to day? I am the account lead for the ASOS contract at its flagship sites in Camden, London, and Leavesden, Hertfordshire. The main purposes of my role are to support, manage and lead our Churchill team members and build the relationship between the team and our client. I focus on delivering a five-star service and on introducing innovations to our client. How did you find your way into FM? (Tell us a bit about your background) Before moving to the UK from Ireland in 2008, I worked in hospitality. I then took a site supervisor position with Office Concierge on four Land Securities sites in London. While working there, a member of Land Securities suggested I apply for an FM position in a company they previously worked with. I got the job and worked there for eight years, which provided me with training and a range of opportunities. Since then I have worked on both the FM and contractor side. Both come with their own challenges and rewards and I have loved every minute of it. What is your favourite thing about your job/the industry? Everything! I am very lucky to say I love what I do. Every day is a new day, with new requests and challenges, and I get to work to resolve them. Our industry is fast paced and ever-changing and I find it exciting to hear about the newest innovation that’s going to be the next must-have for our clients’ buildings. As a woman in FM, what are your biggest frustrations? I don’t feel as if there are any frustrations. Every industry has barriers they are now breaking down. In my first week in Churchill’s London office, I was pleased to see the number of women in senior positions as, generally, the FM/cleaning industry has had mostly male leaders. What are your key predictions for/the biggest issues facing the FM market over the next year? I feel Covid is going to continue to have an impact on companies as they encourage people to return to the office and work on ways of reassuring them that it is safe to do so. Technology is making a massive difference to the cleaning industry and to how we clean. We can now provide a range of technology-based data which helps companies demonstrate how safe it is to be in the office. And, increasingly, we are using chemical-free products, which are better for the environment and for both our colleagues who are using them and companies’ employees who may be in contact with them. I’m also looking forward to continually learning from my peers and the seeing what future innovations the FM industry will introduce. Are you interested in reading more from the Women in FM series? Bianca Angelico Rebecca Bridgement Naomi Childe Louisa Clarke Simone Dewell Daniela Eigner Mabel Fourie Charlene Gachette Kat Hart Karen Magor Sarah McLoed Lizzie Neave Ana Nikolova Charlotte Parr Jodie Phillips-Turner Louise Rogers Cheryl-Anne Sanderson Isabella Williams Nadia Williams Share via: 0 Shares Facebook 0 Twitter LinkedIn