Client Overview
HQ Theatres & Hospitality is one of the UK's leading theatre and entertainment operators, managing an extensive portfolio of theatres, concert venues and cultural destinations across the country. Their venues welcome millions of visitors each year, hosting everything from West End productions and live music to conferences, exhibitions, comedy, corporate events and community performances.
As part of its prestigious portfolio, G Live in Guildford is one of the South East's premier entertainment and conference venues. With a busy year-round programme and thousands of visitors each week, the venue requires exceptional operational management to ensure the highest standards of safety, presentation and customer experience.
To support the continued success of G Live, HQ Theatres & Hospitality partnered with Maxwell Stephens to recruit a highly capable Facilities & Buildings Manager.
The Challenge
This was a broad and demanding leadership appointment requiring an experienced Facilities professional capable of managing every aspect of the venue's buildings, engineering services, maintenance programmes and operational infrastructure.
The successful candidate would be responsible for ensuring the venue remained safe, compliant and operationally outstanding while supporting commercial performance and delivering an exceptional visitor experience.
The role combined technical facilities management with strategic leadership, financial management and customer service excellence.
Key responsibilities included:
- Leading all building operations across the G Live venue.
- Managing planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and reactive maintenance programmes.
- Ensuring full compliance with Health & Safety and statutory legislation.
- Managing building services, plant, machinery and engineering infrastructure.
- Developing and managing annual operational and maintenance budgets.
- Procuring and managing specialist contractors and service providers.
- Leading capital maintenance and refurbishment projects.
- Supporting business continuity and emergency planning.
- Managing relationships with regulatory bodies and external stakeholders.
- Leading and developing a multidisciplinary operational team, including Technical, Front of House and Maintenance staff.
- Driving operational efficiencies while maintaining exceptional customer service standards.
The successful candidate also needed the flexibility to support a seven-day entertainment venue, including evenings, weekends and major live events.
Our Approach
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with HQ Theatres & Hospitality to build a detailed understanding of the operational challenges unique to managing a major live entertainment venue.
This assignment demanded more than technical competence—it required a leader capable of balancing commercial objectives, operational excellence and customer experience within a fast-paced public environment.
Using our specialist Facilities Management recruitment expertise, we conducted a targeted executive search focusing on professionals from:
- Entertainment and theatre venues
- Stadia and visitor attractions
- Conference and exhibition centres
- Hospitality
- Commercial property
- Large public venues
Every shortlisted candidate underwent a comprehensive assessment covering:
- Technical building services knowledge
- Health & Safety leadership
- Budget management
- Contractor management
- Capital project delivery
- Leadership capability
- Customer service ethos
- Cultural fit
Our search focused on identifying professionals capable of leading high-performing operational teams while maintaining the standards expected of one of the UK's leading entertainment operators.
The Outcome
Following a comprehensive executive search, Maxwell Stephens successfully appointed an exceptional Facilities & Buildings Manager with extensive experience managing complex public-facing buildings and operational estates.
The successful candidate quickly established themselves within the senior management team, providing strong leadership across engineering, maintenance, compliance and operational services.
Results Delivered
Operational Excellence
The appointment strengthened day-to-day building operations, ensuring the venue continued to operate safely, efficiently and reliably throughout an intensive programme of live events.
Enhanced Compliance
Health & Safety governance, statutory compliance and maintenance planning were strengthened, ensuring the venue consistently met regulatory requirements while protecting visitors, performers and employees.
Strong Financial Management
The successful candidate introduced disciplined budget management and maintenance planning, helping maximise value while protecting the long-term condition of the estate.
Improved Contractor Performance
Supplier relationships were strengthened through improved contract management, clearer performance expectations and proactive service monitoring.
High-Performing Leadership
By providing clear direction to the Technical, Front of House and Maintenance teams, the new Facilities & Buildings Manager created a collaborative culture focused on operational excellence and outstanding customer service.
Supporting an Exceptional Visitor Experience
Behind every successful live performance is an efficiently managed venue. Through proactive maintenance, operational planning and continuous improvement, the appointment helped ensure G Live continued delivering the exceptional experience expected by performers, audiences and commercial partners alike.
The Impact
The successful appointment provided HQ Theatres & Hospitality with an experienced Facilities leader capable of managing one of its flagship venues while balancing operational resilience, technical excellence and customer experience.
The role has strengthened building performance, improved compliance, enhanced contractor management and ensured G Live continues to operate as one of the South East's premier entertainment venues.
This assignment demonstrates Maxwell Stephens' expertise in recruiting senior Facilities and Estates professionals for complex, customer-facing environments where operational excellence, safety and service quality are critical to organisational success.