Different Generations and the changing face of FM

Peter Warner from Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) visited the team from de faciliair managers who take up residence in the Blushuis Building of Triple O Campus in Breda. As the name ‘Blushuis’ (Fire station) suggests, a repurposed building now housing multiple creative and technical companies.  

As stated on their website (https://defacilitairmanagers.nl/), members of De Facilitair Managers believe in a ‘people-oriented’ approach and that ‘personal development and job satisfaction are the basis of a (facility) company’s approach’, and this is confirmed during the hour we sat together. 

The Team 

Jöel de Brouwer, BUas alumnus of 2010 and Project and Facility Manager, leads the team alongside his brother, Eelke de Brouwer. Jöel spent many years freelancing and building up his knowledge base and skillset in facility management roles before joining his brother’s company. As with the rest of the team, the brothers enjoy a healthy working relationship by complementing each other (Eelke was not available for comment!). A fan of extreme sports, he now gets his thrills from the variety of challenging projects that come his way in his current roles and work with ASML. An interest in project management was ignited when organising the study trip in 3rd year to Lithuania for more than 100 students. 

Many students will leave an impression on staff at BUas after the time here, but few will have had the opportunity to leave a such a physical and permanent stamp like Nikie van Gils. She was heavily involved in the creation and design of the Horizon Building on BUas’ campus, ensuring the comfortable and effective work and collaboration space both students and lecturers enjoy today. It was clearly an enormous undertaking and time management skills were put to the test, with even former BUas Director, Nico van Os, helping move furniture the weekend before opening. 

Next up is Fay Donkersloot, Buas alumna of 2019, who after seeking more leadership experience, worked as a Team Leader of the Food Department at IKEA for two years. However, she missed the vibe of Facility Management and a smaller, more intimate team. She enjoys the hard services of the domain, and exercise this focus in her current role with the municipality in Rotterdam, setting up the service desk for Refugees from the Ukraine. The most recent intake, BUas alumna of 2022 Nena Kraai, prefers the soft side of FM services, partly stemming from her link to psychology in her Bachelor thesis during her final year at BUas and the focus on sustainability at BUas that has left its mark. She enjoys leading a variety of projects to find the necessary solutions. 

This variety of backgrounds, skillsets, and preferences ensures they can cover a wide variety of projects as can per seen from their impressive portfolio, and which is representative of the broad spectrum of possibilities available to a modern facility manager.  

Small company values 

As stated by Jöel, a smaller company can provide a more personal touch. Avoiding the big overheads of large companies frees up De Facilitair Managers team to be more agile and flexible to the benefit of their clients. This approach means that they might miss parts of the market, but it also allows them to consider each problem and treat it as an individual case – not working by the standard model of one size fits all, such as the trend towards Integrated Facility Management (IFM) nowadays. Working for a smaller company also allows each of them individually to choose their own projects, something that both Fay and Nena have appreciated in their time at the company. Not growing too large too quickly will allow them to retain their personal touch. Ironically, when asked about one of his proudest achievements, Jöel mentioned working with multiple SMEs who were growing too fast, helping them to move forward and grow further, but more professionally and successfully.  

Different Generations and the changing face of FM 

The different levels of experience within the team allow for valuable perspectives. According to Nikie, the most noticeable change in FM has become more professional and specialised. As a result, people come to find you rather than other way round. A clear example of this change is in evidence in her work at the Municipality (Gemeente) in Breda, where she has the budget for all departments and therefore the opportunity and oversight to impact all elements within the Gemeente. She remembers her time at Sibeliuslaan fondly, and mentioned the Tenue de Ville dresscode with laptops under arm - a feel for professionalism back then that has continued today.  

As alluded to by Nikie and Jöel, a facility manager’s profile has changed to a point when it would be almost unrecognisable 20 years ago. Whereas the facility managers then were the ‘invisible engine’ of the workplace (an unofficial slogan at NHTV), now they are a very visible force, helping to steer companies to a more professionalised future. 

Facility managers are no longer resigned to being behind the scenes but are tasked with tackling problems head on while working while working in collaboration with others. Nikie and the rest of the team enjoy the communication element of FM. Strong communication skills and a more human touch are essential to providing the best possible service and tailor-made solutions for clients, and this philosophy is at the heart of the team’s philosophy at De Facilitair Managers, regardless of project.  

Jöel is confident that the fears of a disappearing office post-pandemic are now a thing of the past, stating that whereas commuters travelled to their offices without questioning its necessity, the functionality of an office is now much clearer and perhaps better defined than ever, and facility managers can help companies clarify this. 

The Human Touch 

One project that came up at various moments in our conversation together was the work Fay and Nena are heavily involved: location management and the housing of refugees on behalf of the municipality of Rotterdam. As Fay and Nena both mentioned, the opportunity to have impact beyond the workplace is one that can be very rewarding.  

This human element and concept of hospitality featured prominently in our discussion, perhaps linking back to their time at BUas. That blend of experiences and crossover with Hotel Management might well have left its mark on a desire to remain open, give back, and build connections with people in their work.  

Come and connect 

Whether due to the BUas link, or purely down to a consistent recruitment of like-minded people, they are seemingly all on the same page when it comes to the focus and drive of their daily work at De Facilitair Managers and diverse roles. Most companies would work better if individuals within them shared the same vision.  

They will all be back at BUas on March 7 on the Industry Day, so come and say hello and connect with them.