Hands up if you came to FM by an unexpected route – like David.
He was managing a catering portfolio of branded coffee shops for a major DIY chain when he was asked to get involved in their store cleaning services nationally. 11 years of experience later, he’s taken charge of Samsic’s FM contract for one of the UK’s largest housing associations.
His objective: to keep 25 offices across London and Bedfordshire hygienically clean and safe, so that staff and visitors have the confidence to freely come and go, especially as Covid restrictions ease.
With just 2 weeks on the job, David’s most important challenge is to build a relationship of trust between him and our client.
“As the new face of Samsic, our client’s looking to me to prove myself. They need to know that I’m keeping the lines of communication open, and that we’re making good on our promises as a team.”
So for David, great communication is personal, and it’s also about transparency. Our ‘open book’ reporting systems allow our client to track our progress at every stage of the game – so we’re accountable for our actions.
David wants to act as the human face of Samsic not only for the client, but for his teams, engaging with them at the personal level. He’s a great believer in managing not from a distance, but from the front lines.
“It comes back to trust,” says David. “I’ve always placed a high value on a ‘family’ ethos among the people I work with. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning above all. That, and a determination to get out what we put in, and more. We’ve got all that here at Samsic.”
And speaking of family, David’s biggest challenge on the home front is keeping up with his two computer-building teenagers. All of which calls for some relaxation: David loves a run, a leisurely Sunday roast, a stroll round nearby Blenheim Palace, and a good 1930s novel.
David, welcome aboard!
