Simon Aspinall invited to act as Support Judge at the BIFM Awards

Catch 22 Director, Simon Aspinall, has once again been invited to act as a Support Judge in the Manager of the Year category of the BIFM Awards, the industry’s most prestigious and sought after accolades. His passion for the development of the FM profession makes him a strong advocate for the promotion of the Awards and the benefits they can bring to both individuals and their organisations. Here are his thoughts.

A couple of years ago I wrote a piece entitled “What does it mean to be crowned FM of the Year?” As a past committee member and chair of the People Management Special Interest Group, I had been lucky enough to gain an insight into the emotions experienced by a majority of the past winners at the SIG’s annual DNA of a Successful Facilities Manager events. That flagship event celebrated the winner’s achievements and was also a great platform for them to share the success with their peers and talk about the opportunities presented as a result of the win.

Fast forward to 2017 and the categories are now grouped within the three themes of people, impact and innovation. As a recruiter, my chief interest is clearly the people category and I consider myself lucky to work in an industry filled with individuals passionate about the industry they work in and who place a huge emphasis on the importance of their work colleagues.

So, if you are proud of the profession, want to share knowledge and are keen to inspire the next generation of FM talent I would certainly encourage you to enter this year’s Awards. Equally, if you know of anyone who you think deserves recognition for their contribution to the industry please consider nominating them – the five “People” categories are:

• Newcomer of the Year
• Manager of the Year
• Leader of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement
• Team of the Year

As well as the obvious professional recognition, winners will have opportunities to promote ideas and initiatives within their organisation and the wider FM industry in the UK and beyond. The impact on their own personal and career development can be significant. And from an employer’s perspective, I think there is an acknowledgement that great people will attract top talent into their organisation, increase the retention rates and inspire the team.”

For further information and to enter or nominate go to www.bifmawards.org