Pleun van Deurssen - Incentive FM - winner
Charlotte Miller - Sodexo - highly commended
10 November 2016
2016 was the third year of a newcomer category in the BIFM Awards and, according to lead judge Sarah Hodge, the calibre was such this year that any of the four finalists could have won. Ultimately it was Pleun van Deurssen's exposure to a variety of FM that helped her over the line.
Said Hodge: "Pleun specifically chose FM at university. She had a definite view of where she wanted to go with it, had exposure of a lot of different elements of FM - hard service, soft service, managing a team - and she has very much been a profession ambassador."
All four finalists were able to provide evidence for their achievements to date, each articulating a clear understanding of the gaps in their knowledge.
"They understand that if they have a gap in their knowledge, they proactively find where they can learn and then progress to the next stage in their career. Finalists need to show that they go over and above what their job should be."
Those inspired by this year's finalists should start their preparation for next year's awards now, says Hodge.
"Begin to gather your story. Throughout the year you'll be doing things to add to it - think about how what you're doing is having an impact, and add it to your story."
We spoke to each of this year's finalists - click through to read about how they have reached this stage of their career, their next steps, and their views on the FM profession.
