i-FM: The online resource for facilities professionals

Nick has spent the last 20 years advising Fortune 500 and FT 100 companies, including Seagram, HSBC, Microsoft and the BBC, on aligning their real estate and facilities strategies with their business plans. His approach to the workplace emphasises employee involvement and improving productivity of employees, property and facilities, using risk management techniques to flush out what really matters to the business.

Currently Nick works for Facilitate GB Ltd, his CRE & FM consultancy, helping clients (Nick only works client-side) with FM and Rral estate strategy, focused on 'value for money' programmes, innovation and supporting business strategy. Nick is on assignment at the BBC until end November 2007 leading the development of their W12 Programme - setting up a £1.1bn project, commencing with moving 5000 people in five months while introducing 'Green & Agile Working', supporting Creative Digital futures. 

Nick has held a number of other senior client side roles, most recently as Head of CRE & FM EMEA for Microsoft - where introducing Microsoft's flexible working programme 'workplace advantage' to EMEA was instrumental in significantly reducing their space budget and in turn saved over $24m in first year - coupled with building on the existing JLL global partnership to improve RE & project service delivery in time, quality and cost across 170 locations in 56 countries. 

Prior to this Nick was Head of FM EMEA at the world's No 3 bank, HSBC, where he successfully outsourced both FM and capital projects - £550m over five years. Nick led the way at HSBC in transforming the bank's environmental record, specifically via a global FM & CRE group that provided clearly measurable results in a very short space of time. These included designing, developing and launching the eco-branch, a truly sustainable retail outlet. 

Prior to HSBC, Nick held the position of VP Global Real Estate & Facilities at Seagram Spirit & Wine Group, a role that expanded across 37 countries with 350 buildings. When not travelling or working from home, he was located in The Ark, then Seagram’s landmark building in Hammersmith. The first facilities appointment at executive level in this £12.7bn company, Nick reported directly to the CFO Group, which consists of the CIO and regional finance directors. His responsibilities included strategic leadership of all facilities and real estate issues, recruitment, retention and development of senior facilities personnel globally for Seagram and service provider partners. Nick also led Seagram’s e-business, designing and developing the company's global property web database, along with a number of business-to-employee programmes including the implementation of a flexible working programme across Europe and the US. 

Before Seagram, Nick worked as Head of European Facilities for Franklin Mint. Highlights included managing the disaster recovery after the Docklands IRA terrorist bomb in February 1996 and relocating 500 staff to a new building within 72 hours.

Outside of the business, Nick is voluntary Deputy Chairman of Network Housing Group, which provides over 15,000 homes across London through a range of Registered Social Landlords (http://www.networkhg.org.uk/). Nick would love to see more of the property and FM professions supporting and working in the world of RSLs, as in general people with corporate experience can both contribute to and learn from housing associations.

In November 2007, Nick plans to take 18 months off work to sail around the world in the World Arc Race with his partner Rosie. Never one to turn down a challenge, and a fanatical sailor, he will be racing on an Oyster 72 (http://www.kealoha8.com/).

Nick sees this as proof that goals can be personal as well as professional. 

(He also says he has too many letters after his name: MRICS IEng ACIBSE MCRh CFM.)