Background
Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), a global media agency, asked Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager to oversee its UK & Global Head Office in the heart of London. The building is the group's flagship headquarters, and the appointment carried a broad remit: leading the facilities team, maintaining service standards and keeping the building compliant.
The Challenge
DAN needed a Facilities Manager with a particular blend of skills and experience. The role was pivotal to the running of the headquarters and called for:
- Strong leadership. The appointee would lead the facilities team at a flagship site, with all the visibility and expectation that brings.
- Comprehensive health & safety knowledge. A thorough understanding of health & safety regulations, not simply a familiarity with them.
- Consistent service and compliance standards. The ability to maintain high standards of service delivery and compliance across the building, day in and day out.
A creative agency environment also raises the bar on the softer side of the role. Facilities in that setting is judged by how the workplace feels to the people using it as much as by the compliance record, so the candidate had to be credible with a demanding occupier as well as competent on the technical side.
Our Approach
- Understanding the role and the culture. Maxwell Stephens held in-depth consultations with DAN to understand the specific requirements of the role and the organisation's culture. That gave us a clear picture of the dynamic, creative environment at DAN, and of the kind of person who would thrive in it rather than simply tolerate it.
- Candidate identification. Using our industry network, we identified candidates with significant facilities management experience, particularly in large corporate settings, and focused on those with a proven record of managing diverse teams, budgets and health & safety compliance.
- Screening and assessment. Shortlisted candidates went through technical assessments of their facilities management expertise, followed by behavioural interviews and comprehensive reference checks to confirm alignment with DAN's operational needs and cultural fit.
Keeping the technical and the behavioural assessments distinct matters in a search like this. A candidate who is strong on compliance and contracts but cannot carry a room of creative stakeholders will struggle in a headquarters role, and the reverse is equally true.
The Outcome
Following a thorough selection process, Maxwell Stephens placed a highly qualified Facilities Manager who brought:
- Leadership. Proven experience managing large, multi-skilled facilities teams.
- Operational capability. Expertise in overseeing facilities services, supplier management and budget control.
- Health & safety compliance. Strong knowledge of health & safety regulations, including experience with ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.
- Project management. A demonstrated ability to manage complex projects, including office moves and capital improvements.
The newly appointed Facilities Manager quickly established themselves as a key leader within the organisation. Under their guidance, DAN saw:
- Improved operational efficiency and service delivery standards.
- Stronger compliance with health & safety regulations, contributing to a safer working environment.
- Better management of third-party suppliers, supporting service quality and cost savings.
- A successful transition to the new headquarters, with a smooth and efficient move.
The Facilities Manager's proactive, strategic approach has contributed significantly to maintaining DAN's reputation for service delivery and operational management.
Why This Placement Worked
Experience of working within formal, audited management systems for safety and environmental performance signals a facilities manager who has treated compliance as a discipline rather than a checklist, which is a different thing from knowing the regulations alone. Combined with a track record of office moves, that background was directly relevant to the headquarters transition that followed.
If you are recruiting a facilities leader for a flagship head office — particularly one facing a move or a change programme — Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach candidates who combine technical compliance with the leadership the building demands. Get in touch with our team.