Michael has built and scaled businesses that make smart buildings simpler, with a clear focus on outcomes that matter: healthier spaces, reduced costs, and measurable ROI. His mantra, “start with objectives, end with outcomes,” cuts through the jargon and helps FMs make technology deliver real value. 

We dig into what smart buildings really mean in practice, how to turn the data you already have into actionable insights, and why indoor air quality and wellbeing are climbing fast on the FM agenda. Michael also shares practical advice on linking technology adoption to financial outcomes, future skills every FM will need, and how AI and automation are reshaping the built environment. 

Michael is offering FM Fix listeners 10% off any Smart Building Bootcamp course. Which offers practical, self-paced training designed to make smart buildings simpler and more actionable. Use code EXPANSFM at checkout.

In this episode of The FM Fix, we’re joined by Grant Burrows, a senior property and FM leader with extensive experience managing complex estates, driving performance improvement and leading multi-discipline teams across the private sector.

Grant brings a rare mix of strategic vision and operational depth, having delivered national FM programmes, developed compliance frameworks and implemented data driven systems that improve efficiency, safety, and service quality. He has also lead new restaurant opening and refurbishment programmes for well know brands. Known for his calm, people-first leadership style, he’s built high-performing teams that thrive under pressure and deliver measurable results. 

We dive into what great FM looks like in practice: how to balance cost and compliance, measure what really matters, and empower teams to perform at their best. Grant also shares his perspective on leadership, technology, and sustainability and what needs to change to give FM the visibility and recognition it deserves. 

For FMs navigating the realities of modern estates management or aspiring to lead with both strategy and empathy, this episode is full of practical lessons and human insight.

If you’re good at FM, why isn’t that translating into job offers? In this episode of The FM Fix, we sit down with Chris Sycamore, Associate Director at Cobalt Recruitment, to pull back the curtain on how FM hiring really works in 2025.

With over a decade recruiting across facilities management, Chris shares what recruiters and hiring managers are actually scanning for in those first few seconds, from CV red flags and interview deal-breakers to the soft skills that now matter just as much as technical credentials.

We talk salary expectations, why experience and qualifications are both under scrutiny again, and why many FMs struggle to articulate their value in a way senior leaders understand. Chris also breaks down why hiring feels slower, riskier and more competitive than ever, and what candidates can do to stand out without overselling themselves.

If you’re applying for roles, aiming for a step up, or wondering why the market feels stacked against you right now, this episode offers a rare, honest look at FM hiring from the other side of the table.

Ever wondered why FM keeps talking about sustainability, AI and EDI… but still avoids the hard conversations?

In this episode of The FM Fix, we sit down with Andrew Hulbert, Founder of Pareto FM and one of the industry’s most outspoken challengers of the status quo.

We get into the real state of FM right now: budget pressure, greenwash, AI hype, the talent time bomb, and why SMEs might be better placed than big corporates to lead meaningful change. From brutally honest takes on net zero and EDI, to why FM needs to get better at telling its own story, this is a candid, thoughtful conversation about where the industry’s heading… and what we’re still not talking about. 

How do you keep good FM people… when everyone else is trying to poach them?

In this episode of The FM Fix, we’re joined by Adam Mason, Deputy Director of Estates & Campus Services at the University of Portsmouth, to dig into one of the biggest challenges facing FM leaders right now: building a workforce that actually wants to stay.

Adam brings a refreshingly practical perspective from running large, complex estates and leading teams through change, pressure and growing expectations. We talk about what really matters to people on the ground, from flexible working and pay realities to wellbeing, development and career progression that doesn’t feel like lip service.

This episode is all about creating FM environments where teams don’t just get by, but genuinely thrive. Honest takes, smart leadership lessons, and plenty of nods you’ll recognise if you’re responsible for people as well as buildings.

What happens when downtime isn’t just inconvenient, but hits the business immediately?

In this episode of The FM Fix, we’re joined by Kevin Short, Global Head of Facilities at Ultimate Performance, the man quietly keeping some of the world’s busiest gyms open, compliant and performing at their best.

With a background in engineering and years spent scaling FM at PureGym, Kevin brings a no-nonsense view of what works on the ground. We talk planned maintenance, minimising disruption, rolling out CAFM across international sites, and why “results, not promises” matters just as much in FM as it does on the gym floor.

From asset data and lifecycle planning to managing suppliers across time zones (and the occasional pigeon in the gym), this episode is packed with practical insight into running FM in a fast-paced, customer-critical environment.

What does it really mean to professionalise facilities management, beyond policies, buzzwords and best intentions?

In this episode of The FM Fix, we’re joined by Mark Whittaker, Chair of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM), General Manager at Thomson FM, and founder of APSAS, a bold new initiative raising the bar for asset surveying standards across the industry.

With over 20 years in FM, Mark has helped shape the profession from the inside out. We talk about why poor asset data is still holding organisations back, how APSAS aims to fix a long-overlooked gap in FM, and why career pathways, competencies and collaboration matter now more than ever.

The conversation spans professional standards, digital maturity, mentoring the next generation, and the growing importance of wellbeing and leadership in FM. It’s thoughtful, honest and quietly challenging — exactly what you’d expect from one of the industry’s most respected voices.