Head of Facilities Recruitment for McCann London

Background

McCann London, a leading advertising agency known for its creativity and innovation, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Head of Facilities for its Herbrand Street office.

The role carried responsibility for the day-to-day performance of a 62,500 sq ft workplace, covering mechanical and electrical systems, hard and soft FM services, health and safety, business continuity, security and risk management. Operating within a fast-paced creative environment, McCann needed a senior facilities management professional who could combine technical knowledge with commercial awareness, leadership and the ability to maintain consistently high standards across the building.

The Challenge

McCann London needed a Head of Facilities capable of taking full ownership of a complex corporate workplace while supporting the operational demands of a busy agency environment. The successful candidate had to show extensive experience across both technical and workplace services, together with the confidence to manage significant budgets, lead a facilities team and respond effectively to incidents or disruption. Key requirements included:

• Operational facilities leadership. Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the Herbrand Street office and ensuring facilities services supported the needs of employees, clients and visitors.
• Hard and soft FM management. Managing the full range of building services, including mechanical and electrical systems alongside soft facilities services.
• Budget and commercial management. Taking responsibility for facilities budgets of up to £5 million, maintaining financial control while protecting service quality and value for money.
• Health and safety management. Maintaining robust health and safety standards and ensuring appropriate procedures, controls and risk-management measures remained in place.
• Business continuity and incident response. Developing and maintaining effective business continuity arrangements so that the organisation was prepared to respond to operational incidents.
• Environmental management. Supporting environmental-management requirements, including activity aligned with ISO 14001 standards.
• Team leadership. Leading and developing a facilities team of more than five professionals, with clear accountability and a strong service culture.
• Security and risk management. Overseeing building security and implementing appropriate measures to protect employees, visitors, property and business assets.

Agency workplaces add a further dimension. Client pitches, late working and constant churn in how space is used mean the facilities lead is highly visible, and the tolerance for a building that gets in the way of the creative work is low.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens conducted a targeted search for senior facilities management professionals with experience managing large corporate workplaces and complex hard and soft FM operations. Given the breadth and seniority of the role, our assessment focused on candidates who combined technical expertise, commercial judgement and leadership capability.

Particular emphasis was placed on professionals with experience in:

• Managing large and complex office environments.
• Mechanical and electrical building services.
• Hard and soft FM delivery.
• Health and safety and risk management.
• Business continuity and incident response.
• Significant budget responsibility.
• Environmental management and ISO 14001 standards.
• Building security.
• Team leadership and development.

Cultural fit was also critical. McCann needed someone capable of introducing structure and operational discipline without losing sight of the fast-moving, collaborative nature of a creative business. Following a rigorous search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens placed an experienced Head of Facilities with McCann London.

The Outcome

The appointment strengthened the management of McCann London's Herbrand Street office across several operational areas. The Head of Facilities:

• Took ownership of daily operations across the 62,500 sq ft workplace, ensuring mechanical and electrical systems and wider facilities services were effectively managed and the working environment remained reliable and professional.
• Improved hard and soft FM delivery through closer oversight of both technical and workplace services, producing more consistent standards and better coordination across the facilities function.
• Managed facilities budgets of up to £5 million, keeping close control of expenditure while balancing cost efficiency with service requirements.
• Strengthened health and safety through robust processes and risk-management measures, improving the organisation's approach to workplace safety and operational compliance.
• Built business resilience, drawing on experience in business continuity and incident response to prepare for potential disruption and protect operational continuity.
• Supported environmental management aligned with ISO 14001, bringing a more structured approach to environmental performance.
• Led the facilities team in a way that strengthened accountability, collaboration and service delivery across the department.
• Improved building security through enhanced oversight of security arrangements, protecting McCann London's people, premises and assets.

Why This Placement Worked

The search was scoped as a senior appointment from the outset. Technical operations, workplace services, financial management, safety, security and business continuity were treated as a single remit rather than a list of desirable extras, and candidates were assessed against all of them. That is what produced a facilities leader who could manage a complex workplace while contributing to wider operational resilience, commercial performance and employee experience.

If you are recruiting a Head of Facilities to lead a complex corporate workplace, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach senior candidates with genuine hard and soft FM, budget and leadership experience. Get in touch with our team.