Background
Established more than 140 years ago, The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) is one of the UK's most respected providers of financial education and professional qualifications. Offering programmes ranging from secondary education and undergraduate degrees to postgraduate qualifications, executive education and continuing professional development (CPD), LIBF has built a reputation for academic quality and close links with the financial services industry.
Operating across multiple locations, including its City of London campus and administrative centre in Canterbury, LIBF required an experienced Head of Facilities Management to lead its Property and Facilities function. Recognising our specialist expertise within Facilities Management recruitment, LIBF appointed Maxwell Stephens exclusively to manage the search and selection process.
The Challenge
The Head of Facilities Management would assume responsibility for the complete operational management of LIBF's estate, ensuring its offices, teaching environments and commercial event facilities operated efficiently while delivering a consistently high experience for staff, students, members and visitors.
The successful candidate would oversee Facilities Management across three sites, balancing the differing operational requirements of educational facilities, corporate offices and commercial event spaces. An estate that earns income from its event spaces adds a commercial dimension that most education facilities roles lack: the same rooms have to serve a teaching timetable, a membership body and paying corporate clients, and the facilities lead is accountable for all three. Key responsibilities included:
- Leading all Facilities Management operations across the estate.
- Managing venue operations and commercial facilities.
- Optimising space utilisation across multiple locations.
- Managing Facilities and venue budgets totalling approximately £865,000 in all.
- Delivering strong customer service for students, staff, visitors and corporate clients.
- Managing contractors, suppliers and service partners.
- Overseeing Health & Safety and statutory compliance.
- Leading procurement and tender exercises.
- Delivering workplace improvement and capital projects.
- Supporting operational planning and organisational growth.
The role required someone capable of balancing commercial objectives with operational standards while supporting the varied needs of an educational institution, professional membership organisation and commercial events venue.
Our Approach
As LIBF's exclusive recruitment partner, Maxwell Stephens conducted a comprehensive executive search focused on experienced senior Facilities Management professionals with backgrounds spanning education, commercial property and venue management. The organisation required an individual capable of combining strategic leadership with a practical, customer-focused approach to managing a diverse estate.
Our search concentrated on candidates with:
- Senior multi-site Facilities Management experience.
- Commercial venue and event management expertise.
- Strong operational leadership capability.
- Budget management and financial planning experience.
- Procurement and tender management expertise.
- Project management experience.
- Knowledge of AV systems and workplace technology.
- Health & Safety and statutory compliance leadership.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
Alongside technical competence, LIBF wanted someone who demonstrated sound commercial judgement, strong organisational skills and the ability to make balanced decisions within a complex operational environment. Throughout the recruitment process, every candidate was assessed against both the technical requirements of the role and the collaborative culture of the organisation.
The Outcome
Following a targeted executive search, Maxwell Stephens appointed a Head of Facilities Management who closely matched LIBF's operational, commercial and cultural requirements. The successful candidate brought extensive experience managing multi-site estates together with strong expertise in venue management, operational leadership and Facilities Management strategy.
Since joining LIBF, they have played a significant role in:
- Leading Facilities Management across all three sites.
- Enhancing operational efficiency and workplace standards.
- Managing Facilities and venue budgets effectively.
- Improving contractor and supplier performance.
- Supporting commercial venue operations and income generation.
- Delivering workplace improvement and capital projects.
- Maintaining high standards of Health & Safety and statutory compliance.
- Creating well-run environments for staff, students, members and visitors.
Their commercial awareness, leadership capability and customer-focused approach have helped support LIBF's continued reputation as one of the UK's leading financial education institutions.
Candidate Testimonial
"Since first contacting Maxwell Stephens, I have found the team to be professional, supportive and genuinely encouraging throughout the recruitment process. They always took the time to answer my questions and clearly understand the Facilities Management market. Interestingly, I initially declined the opportunity, but after a few thoughtful conversations they encouraged me to reconsider. I'm incredibly pleased I did, as within a week of my interview I was offered the role. If you're looking for a Facilities Management position, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Maxwell Stephens."
Why This Placement Worked
Senior Facilities Management appointments require an understanding of far more than buildings. They require an appreciation of organisational culture, operational priorities and long-term strategy. As the testimonial above shows, they can also depend on a recruiter's willingness to keep talking to the right candidate after an initial no, which is only possible when the consultant understands the role well enough to explain why it fits.
Through our specialist Facilities Management recruitment expertise and retained executive search methodology, Maxwell Stephens delivered a senior leader capable of supporting LIBF's operational and commercial objectives across its multi-site estate.
If you are recruiting a senior facilities lead for a multi-site or commercially operated estate, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach candidates with the right blend of operational and commercial experience. Get in touch with our team.