Egon Zehnder is one of the world's leading leadership advisory and executive search firms, supporting organisations across a wide range of sectors with executive recruitment, leadership assessment and succession planning. The firm operates from a Grade A office in Victoria, London, and expects its workplace and facilities services to match its reputation for professionalism, discretion and service.
To support the continued performance of that London headquarters, Egon Zehnder engaged Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager. The appointee would oversee facilities operations, workplace services and compliance within a highly professional corporate environment, supporting both day-to-day business operations and the firm's long-term workplace strategy.
The role called for someone who could balance operational facilities management with strategic workplace oversight in a high-specification office. The successful candidate would manage approximately 24,000 sq ft of premium accommodation while maintaining an exceptional experience for employees, senior stakeholders and visiting clients. Key areas of responsibility included:
Three things made this harder than a standard Facilities Manager search. First, the role sits alone: the appointee had to operate independently while maintaining close relationships with senior stakeholders and service providers. Second, the position is highly visible within the business, so attention to detail, professionalism and customer service were essential rather than desirable. Third, in a professional services firm whose own business is leadership advice, the Facilities Manager is judged by partners and visiting clients every day — a service lapse is noticed immediately.
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with Egon Zehnder to build a detailed understanding of both the operational requirements and the workplace culture around the role. The firm needed a facilities professional who could deliver high-quality workplace services day to day while retaining the flexibility to support strategic initiatives as they arose.
Drawing on our facilities management network, we ran a targeted search focused on candidates with experience across corporate facilities management, premium workplace environments, professional services organisations, health, safety and compliance, contractor and supplier management, workplace experience, budget and cost management, and property and workplace services. Particular emphasis went on candidates who combined strong technical facilities expertise with excellent communication skills and a customer-focused approach, because in a single-site corporate role the second half of that combination is what stakeholders actually see.
Shortlisted candidates were assessed against technical, operational and behavioural competencies:
The aim was to identify an individual who could deliver operationally while representing the organisation's values and service standards to everyone who walked through the door.
Maxwell Stephens appointed an experienced Facilities Manager with a strong background in corporate facilities operations and workplace management. The successful candidate combined technical expertise, commercial awareness and a strong customer service ethic, and quickly established themselves as a trusted member of the organisation. Key strengths included:
Following their appointment, the Facilities Manager took responsibility for the operational performance of the London headquarters, working closely with internal stakeholders and external service providers to maintain the quality of the workplace while supporting the firm's long-term facilities strategy. The appointment delivered benefits across the headquarters, including:
Egon Zehnder now has a Facilities Manager able to combine strategic workplace leadership with practical operational delivery at its London headquarters.
Single-site Facilities Manager roles in professional services firms are often under-specified. The job description reads as operational, but the person is expected to be a credible face of the firm to partners and clients, to own compliance on their own initiative, and to think ahead about the workplace rather than simply keep it running. Assessing for all of that from the start, rather than for technical competence alone, is what produced a shortlist the client could choose from with confidence.
Maxwell Stephens supports professional services firms, corporate occupiers and commercial organisations with specialist recruitment across facilities management, workplace management, corporate services, health & safety, property & workplace services, contractor management, workplace experience and strategic facilities leadership. If you are recruiting a facilities or workplace role in a high-specification corporate environment, get in touch with our team.
If you are recruiting for a similar role, our team can help you define the brief, reach the right candidates and manage the process through to appointment.
