Exane Group Facilities Manager Recruitment

Background

Exane Group, a prominent independent participant in the European financial markets, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager for its central London offices.

Operating across equities broking, listed equity derivatives and fund management, Exane had a substantial international presence and a high-performance culture built around research, execution and client service.

The Facilities Manager role was critical to supporting that environment. The successful candidate needed to ensure the workplace remained safe, technically resilient, well maintained and operationally efficient, while also leading the Facilities team, managing suppliers and supporting business continuity requirements.

The Challenge

Exane Group required a Facilities Manager with the experience and technical confidence to manage a demanding corporate workplace within the financial services sector. The successful candidate needed to combine day-to-day Facilities Management with a strong focus on maintenance planning, business continuity, compliance, supplier performance and internal customer service.

Key requirements included:

• Technical Facilities Management. Maintaining the technical availability of building systems and ensuring core facilities remained reliable and fit for purpose.
• Planned preventive maintenance. Planning and coordinating preventive maintenance across equipment and building systems to reduce disruption and support long-term asset performance.
• Business continuity support. Implementing technical recommendations linked to the Business Continuity Policy and ensuring Facilities Management contributed effectively to organisational resilience.
• Technical documentation. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date technical records relating to the premises, systems and maintenance activity.
• Facilities Helpdesk management. Overseeing the Facilities Helpdesk and ensuring issues were logged, prioritised and resolved in a timely and professional manner.
• General maintenance. Coordinating planned and reactive maintenance, liaising with service providers and arranging repairs where required.
• Office moves and fit-outs. Managing office moves, reconfigurations and fit-out works, including projects delivered outside normal business hours to minimise disruption.
• Health and safety compliance. Maintaining high standards of health and safety and ensuring Facilities activity remained aligned with relevant requirements.
• Procurement and cost control. Procuring Facilities supplies, monitoring invoices and identifying opportunities to improve cost efficiency.
• Supplier and contract management. Managing third-party Facilities providers and service contracts, ensuring agreed standards and obligations were met.
• Team leadership. Managing and developing the Facilities Assistant and apprentice, providing clear direction and operational support.

Trading environments raise the bar on the technical side of this list. A building system failure that would be an inconvenience in most offices can stop a dealing floor, so the emphasis on preventive maintenance, documentation and business continuity is not a formality. It shapes the kind of candidate the role needs.

The candidate profile

Exane required a professional with previous Facilities Management experience in a professional services or financial services environment. The ideal candidate also needed strong client-service and communication skills, a good understanding of health and safety requirements with relevant IOSH or NEBOSH training or qualifications, confidence using Microsoft Office, project and maintenance-management capability, strong supplier-management experience and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced corporate environment. A technical background and knowledge of French were also considered advantageous.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens conducted a targeted search for Facilities Management professionals with proven experience in high-performing corporate and financial environments. Our assessment process focused on both technical capability and cultural fit.

Candidates were evaluated on their experience in:

• Technical building operations, including PPM and reactive maintenance.
• Business continuity support and health and safety.
• Facilities Helpdesk management and stakeholder communication.
• Office moves and fit-outs.
• Supplier and contract management, procurement and cost control.
• Team supervision.

Particular emphasis was placed on identifying a candidate who could combine strong operational discipline with a responsive and professional service style. Following a detailed search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens placed an experienced Facilities Manager with Exane Group.

The Outcome

The successful candidate brought extensive Facilities Management experience, strong leadership capability and a sound understanding of health and safety requirements. Their appointment strengthened the Facilities function in several areas:

• Technical reliability. Improved oversight of building systems and maintenance activity helped support the continued technical availability of the workplace.
• Maintenance planning. A structured approach to preventive maintenance helped reduce operational risk and supported the long-term reliability of building assets.
• Business continuity. Facilities activity became more closely aligned with business continuity requirements, strengthening Exane's preparedness for disruption.
• Helpdesk performance. Effective management of the Facilities Helpdesk supported faster issue resolution and a more responsive service for internal stakeholders.
• Supplier oversight and cost control. Closer management of third-party vendors and maintenance providers strengthened accountability and service consistency, while effective procurement and invoice monitoring supported greater financial discipline.
• Workplace projects. The candidate coordinated office moves and fit-out activity, including out-of-hours works designed to minimise disruption to the business.
• Team leadership. Management of the Facilities Assistant and apprentice improved coordination and provided clearer operational support across the Facilities function.

The placement gave Exane Group a Facilities Manager capable of balancing technical operations, maintenance, compliance, business continuity, supplier management and customer service within a demanding financial services environment.

Why This Placement Worked

The search took the technical requirements at face value rather than treating them as background to a generalist role. Candidates were assessed on their record with building systems, PPM and continuity planning as well as on service style, which is what allowed the appointment to hold up in an environment where reliability is measured in minutes.

The appointment reflects Maxwell Stephens' experience in recruiting Facilities Management professionals for complex corporate workplaces where reliability, responsiveness and technical competence are essential. If you are looking for a Facilities Manager to strengthen a corporate or financial services workplace, get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.