Spire Europe Regional Corporate Services Manager (EMEA)

Background

Spire Europe, an organisation operating within the financial services sector, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Regional Corporate Services Manager (EMEA) to lead and develop Corporate Services across its European, Middle Eastern and African locations.

The Corporate Services function supported the wider business across Facilities Management & Real Estate, Office Management, Travel & Administration, and Procurement & Logistics. As the organisation continued to grow internationally, the role became increasingly important in ensuring consistency, operational efficiency and strategic oversight across the region.

The successful candidate needed to combine senior facilities management experience with expertise in real estate, procurement, workplace operations and project delivery, while leading a growing regional team.

The Challenge

Spire Europe required a Regional Corporate Services Manager capable of managing a broad and geographically dispersed portfolio of corporate services. The role demanded someone who could operate strategically at regional level while remaining sufficiently hands-on to manage day-to-day operational priorities. Regular travel to satellite offices in Dubai, Amsterdam and Prague formed an important part of the position.

Roles of this shape are hard to fill because the candidate pool splits along a familiar line: facilities managers who have never carried a lease negotiation, and real estate specialists who have never run an office day to day. Key requirements included:

• Regional facilities management. Overseeing facilities management and office services across all EMEA locations, ensuring workplaces remained safe, compliant and operationally effective.
• Real estate & lease management. Managing regional property matters, including lease negotiations, financial obligations and the effective use of office space.
• Project management. Leading projects ranging from workplace improvements and refurbishments through to the development and fit-out of new offices.
• Procurement & vendor management. Coordinating regional procurement activity, selecting suppliers and ensuring vendors delivered strong service levels and value for money.
• Health & safety compliance. Maintaining appropriate health and safety standards across the regional office portfolio and ensuring local operations met relevant requirements.
• Business continuity. Working with facilities management, IT and regional leadership to review, test and strengthen business continuity arrangements.
• Workspace planning. Managing seating plans, internal moves and future space requirements to ensure offices could accommodate continued business growth.
• Team leadership. Providing direction across the Corporate Services team, including recruitment, performance management, development and budget oversight.
• Employee experience. Working closely with HR on events, hospitality and workplace services that supported the wider employee experience.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens conducted a targeted search for senior corporate services and facilities management professionals with experience operating across international and multi-site environments. Because the role extended significantly beyond traditional facilities management, our assessment focused on candidates with a broad combination of expertise across:

• regional facilities and workplace operations
• corporate real estate and lease management
• procurement and supplier management
• office relocations, fit-outs and capital projects
• budget and financial control
• business continuity planning
• team leadership and development
• international stakeholder management

We placed particular emphasis on strong project-management skills, commercially informed decision-making within a fast-paced and evolving organisation, and the flexibility to travel regularly and maintain relationships with teams across multiple international locations.

Following a detailed search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens placed an experienced Regional Corporate Services Manager (EMEA) with Spire Europe.

The Outcome

The appointment strengthened Corporate Services across the EMEA region and gave Spire Europe a senior leader capable of combining operational delivery with longer-term strategic development. In post, the new Regional Corporate Services Manager delivered:

• Stronger regional operations. Clear leadership across the Corporate Services function, covering staffing, recruitment, performance management and budgets, with greater consistency and coordination across the region.
• Improved facilities & compliance management. Facilities maintenance and health and safety managed across EMEA locations, keeping offices safe, functional and aligned with required standards.
• More strategic real estate management. Responsibility for regional real estate, including lease negotiations and associated financial commitments, supporting greater cost efficiency and better use of office space.
• Office projects delivered. Leadership of projects from smaller workplace improvements to the development and build-out of new offices, with a single project lead providing stronger governance and accountability.
• Enhanced procurement & vendor management. Strengthened procurement and supplier management, improving service quality and supplier selection with a clear focus on value for money, and more consistent procurement and logistics practices across the region.
• Stronger business continuity. Continuity arrangements reviewed and tested alongside facilities management, IT and regional management, strengthening resilience across EMEA locations.
• Improved workspace planning. Seating changes and space requirements managed across the portfolio, making better use of available space while accommodating continued growth.
• Stronger team leadership. A collaborative approach that motivated and developed the Corporate Services team, improving communication and service standards.
• Enhanced employee experience. Close collaboration with HR on events, hospitality and workplace services, together with oversight of essential office services including catering and pantry provision, cleaning, horticulture, mail and courier services, meeting rooms and administrative support.
• Improved regional travel support. Travel-related services managed to give employees more consistent support when travelling across the region.

Why This Placement Worked

The placement gave Spire Europe a senior Corporate Services leader capable of integrating facilities management, real estate, procurement, workplace services, business continuity and team leadership across an international portfolio. It shows what Maxwell Stephens can do for regional roles where facilities management is part of a much broader corporate services remit: the search was scoped to the whole remit from the outset, and candidates were assessed on real estate, procurement and projects as rigorously as on facilities.

If you are looking for a senior Corporate Services or facilities management professional to lead operations across an international portfolio, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach candidates with the breadth to cover it. Get in touch with our team.