Rising stars of FM 2012-2022: Daniel Hawkins

Ten years ago, in a time before the then BIFM awards routinely recognised the achievements of up and coming FMs, we at what was FM World magazine set out to identify a group of 40 individuals representative of the future face of workplace and facilities management. The limit was on experience rather than age, in this case no more than 10 years’ of working in the sector; we wanted to find people demonstrating significant achievement in a relatively short space of time. 

One such Rising Star of FM was Daniel Hawkins, then head of the Logica contract, overseeing FM service delivery across its UK estate for Eurest Services, and now EMEA account director of facilities operations and real estate at [email protected] A decade later, we ask Hawkins about their personal progress and the evolution of the profession.

What do you remember about 2012 – and if you could, what would you warn your 2012 self about?

I remember being extremely proud of being a Londoner because of the Olympics. I think that period was full of hope, expectation and possibilities.

In regards to what I’d warn my 2012 self about, would be to brace myself for a period of extreme difficulty, disruption and challenge in my personal life, but that I’d be OK as the industry and company I worked for would take good care of me and I’d come out the other side stronger than ever.

What makes you excited about the profession? How has this changed from when you began your career?

We’ve shifted from being task-focused to being experience-focused across the spectrum of the entire industry. We are advocating that people bring their entire selves to work and to their roles, allowing them to unleash their entire potential into everything they do.  

The evolution of our industry in promoting inclusivity to bring diversity into our teams has been a big shift in the last 10 years and something I am extremely passionate and vocal about. I can slowly see the face of our industry changing to be more representative of the communities in which we operate.

How have your expectations of workplace and FM evolved? And what do you think the profession needs to do next?

For me personally, I want us to ensure that in everything we do, we not only focus on the task at hand, but how we create a legacy. By this I mean:

• How do we ensure our teams have access to the development they want?
• How do we identify future leaders are identified from diverse and different talent pools?
• How do we bring new perspectives and fresh ideas to the table?

I used to think that to be successful, I had to have all the answers – we’ve all heard the expression “fake it ‘til you make it”, but I have discovered the power of saying: ‘I don’t know.' This brings in ideas and suggestions from those around me, giving others a platform. I don’t need the spotlight anymore and it’s time for others to shine.

What is the most pressing challenge facing the industry?

Geopolitical and global events in the last 10 years have been pretty wild and our most recent crisis in Eastern Europe is heartbreaking. Our Industry, no matter what, is always there to ride these waves and provide an element of certainty in business operations but I still get frustrated that we don’t engage enough at strategy level.  

Organisations are moving into new ground with employees demanding a bigger focus on sustainability, wellness, community and new working practices – these are all areas that we can directly control, impact and influence. We need to be bolder to get a seat at the top table to help organisations plan for long term impact and not just be seen as providing steady business operations.

What are your top three focus points currently and why?

I’d like to answer this with a personal, professional and industry lens:

1. Personal – I’m 10 years older now and so can’t throw my body around as well as I used to, but I’m trying to maintain a good enough level of fitness to be able to complete obstacle course races, as this helps me manage my wellbeing and mental health;
2. Professional – I’d like to continue my career development and eventually take on a global role within the next two years; and
3. Industry – Continue to mentor and identify diverse talent to be the future leaders of our industry so we continue to move away from operating in an echo chamber.

After more than a decade in the business, what do you think the profession is doing right?

I believe we are one of the most adaptable professions that there is at a Macro, Micro and Individual level and the last few years have really demonstrated that.  We adapt quickest to regulatory changes, economic challenges, global events to say the least and each and every one of us that make up the ecosystem of our profession and industry contributes to it’s ongoing success. We need to continue to adapt and as I said above, demonstrate at the most senior levels that we can actually be the power behind an enterprise, not just an enabler.

Reacquaint yourself with our other Rising Stars of FM

• Martin Bell
• Annette Best
• Ryan Botta
• Dean Botten
• Will Bowen
• Peter Burnell-Jones
• Helen Cooper
• Martin Frohock
• Jason Gurd
• Adrian Harris
• Herbie Hawes
• Andrew Hulbert
• Ryan Jarman
• Annie Karastoyanova
• Stephanie Kendall
• Ben Luvaglio
• Kate Morris-Bates
• Darren Raczkowski
• Tom Robinson
• Rishi Sharma
• Tristam Slater
• Kate Smith
• Will Tyler
• Clifford Yeend