All Roads Lead to Facility Management

How does someone even get into facilities management as a career? You never hear a kid say, “I want to be a facilities manager when I grow up?!” Why is that, and how can we encourage more people to enter the field? Traditionally known as a career that you “fall into” by luck or by being in the right place at the right time, facilities management has evolved into a lucrative and rewarding career that now features formal education with accredited degrees from major colleges and universities.

Dean Stanberry, Dean Stanberry, Chairman, IFMA Global Board of Directors, has a storied career starting in IT and tech when his company needed someone to oversee facilities that housed intellectual property. As IFMA’s newest Chairman, he aims to spread FM education as far as he can to a new generation of career seekers.

Dean chats with us about the many options that facilities management offers. He also talks about IFMA and the advantages membership brings. Dean explains what digital transformation means to FM and the real estate community and how to get the digital skills current professionals may not upskill themselves. Cyber security is a big area, as is AI. Dean explains how to learn what separates the hype from the reality. We also discuss the work-from-home trend and where knowledge workers will ultimately decide to work.

Timestamp Breakdown of Topics

• 2:34 – IFMA and its goals
• 4:00 – FM as the accidental profession
• 9:00 – Degree programs, certifications, and getting into FM; jobs and functions in FM
• 14:30 – Trends in the industry, including digital transformation
• 20:49 – Hybrid and flex working and the impact on buildings

Lean more about IFMA at www.ifma.org Find out more about Dean at https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanstanberry

‍Follow OpenWorks and Trista on social media and check out the website:

Website: https://www.openworksweb.com‍

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@openworksfm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/openworks‍

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/openworksaz‍

Trista: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristasobeck

For more stories and deep dives into facilities management profession and all that it entails subscribe to The Clean Slate on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.