Previous IWFM Newcomer of the Year Maddie Hayes reflects on her career since winning the award in 2019.
After winning the IWFM Newcomer of the Year award in 2019, I had the opportunity to meet like-minded people and make many connections in the industry. In my role of soft services lead for an international client at Mace’s Operate business, I was able to use this platform to interact with new contacts and bring innovations to my client.
However, a couple of months after the awards, the Covid-19 pandemic struck. I went through a steep learning experience, as Mace’s Operate business shifted focus towards workplace experience management, replicating office cultures at home for clients in all sectors.
Our whole industry has had to completely change the way it operates. Moving away from an FM focus, I’m now leading clients in the office revolution with workplace experience strategies that fit their specific cultures and organisational structure.
“Our whole industry has had to completely change the way it operates”
With Covid-19 accelerating businesses to consider the future of offices, I have taken the position of workplace experience lead at Mace for my international client, ensuring that employees maintain high levels of productivity wherever their location, but also transforming the office space to create a safe and engaging environment.
To implement a workplace experience strategy, I have to consider what homeworking looks like in the long run. I work with clients to optimise workplaces and bridge them with a home working environment, supporting employees’ wellbeing during this transition.
Since being awarded ‘Newcomer of the Year’ my role at Mace has evolved. I’ve gone on a journey of change with the company’s Operate business, leading clients in a workplace transformation. I look forward to helping them develop workplace experience strategies and new ways of working.
Maddie Hayes is workplace experience lead at Mace
