Matt's Q&A

How did you get into what you do?

After a four-year apprenticeship, I qualified as an electrical engineer at the age of 21. Looking back, it was scary, but I managed teams of electrical engineers and surveyors early on and really enjoyed working on complex projects.

In 1999 I had the opportunity to move into facilities management and I took on a project manager role with Balfour Beatty at BBC Television Centre. Then in 2003 I started my FM consultancy journey at Gardiner & Theobald, before joining the Mace Operate FM Consultancy team in 2005 and becoming a part of the founding Macro Group team in 2023.

What do you enjoy about your current role?

The thrill of helping clients resolve their problems and issues, developing their business or just working alongside fellow professionals in a design team makes me happy. There’s always both something to learn and yet always something to teach our clients or peers from our experience. With regards to my team and the wider consultancy team within the group, it’s the best team I have worked with, in terms of communication and team ethic.

How do you look to deliver a better way for our clients?

I put forward the best that we can provide to external clients and supporting teams, to ensure that we continuously deliver distinctive value. My team and I are regularly challenged to deliver more diverse and complex projects, and no matter what we are faced with, we find a solution that delivers for our client. Within the business we focus on how we can grow and develop by showcasing a facilities management offering – one that is realistic, collaborative, and reliable.

What's been your proudest achievement so far?

I’ve worked in many sectors during my journey toward being part of Macro Group, including providing direct client support within the healthcare sector. And it’s working in sectors like healthcare that can give you an understanding of the impact of our work. It puts additional focus into what we do because there are patients and people at risk, all of whom can suffer the fallout if you underperform in any aspects of support or advice. So the FM services we have provided for our healthcare clients, including Johnson & Johnson and the NHS, have been some of the most challenging but rewarding projects I’ve been involved in.

Why Macro?

I remember my interview in 2005 when we were part of Mace. It was a great experience, and I was put at ease from the first moment, which continued throughout. I had friends that worked here and they described a great atmosphere and environment, so I really wanted to join the team.

I was encouraged by the business’s reputation in the industry and a company vision that was modern and dynamic, driven and different to most construction or FM brands in the UK. It was clear that there is a joined-up vision and that was inspiring. I wanted to work with like-minded people, a non-traditional approach and preferred to work for a brand that would lead and inspire.

What motivates you every day?

I really enjoy meeting new clients, finding solutions and exploring new ways of working. Our FM consultancy offer can transform how our clients deliver their services and in turn this supports efficiency, increased flexibility and growth. With the right strategy, the operational efficiency and practicality of a client’s facilities and workplace can feed directly into the success of their business.

What skills do you need to be good at your job?

FM consultancy requires a mix of project management, stakeholder management and creativity. Communication is key, but the ability to plan and schedule, agree key deliverables and describe things professionally and accurately is crucial. You need to be able to understand the client and their needs and manage their vision and their expectations. The work we carry out supports businesses to achieve their ambitions, so understanding the wider impact and the bigger picture allows us to deliver those results.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into what you do?

Listen, take note and work closely with clients and your team. Understand what people want and do not be scared to ask questions. Learn to always think commercially to ensure the most appropriate and successful ways of working are considered and implemented when discussing new works or rolling out a new project. Plus ‘think team’ - share and learn with one another, do not feel like you are on your own.

If you hadn’t got into this line of work what do you think you might be doing?

I like to think I might have worked in television broadcasting and production. This was a childhood ambition and dream -I used to be fascinated with technical equipment, sound production and video.  This originates to when my parents had a Super 8 video camera (old school, before digital or VHS) and we used to send the film away to be developed and then play it on a large projector screen in the front room.