David has over 23 years of experience at Ark, starting in local authority building control and overseeing major construction sites like the Channel Tunnel Terminal Site. As Senior Director of Regulatory, Technical and Technology Solutions, he leads our Research and Development team. David is highly respected in the property sector, assisting numerous clients with risk management in the built environment. He chaired a Government Sponsored/RICS committee that influenced the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and has advised various organisations on building safety. Additionally, David is a Company Director of Ark Sustainability Ltd and serves on the Homes England panel for FRAEWs. 

Sofie Hooper leads on the IWFM’s wider policy and public affairs work, helping to raise the voice of the Institute, its members and the wider workplace and facilities management sector. She engages with stakeholders to ensure best practice is taken on board and concerns affecting workplace and facilities professionals are mitigated.

Covering a wide range of activities and areas, sustainability, workplace and building safety form the core agenda. Sofie has been leading on IWFM’s Building Safety Manager work programme, feeding into the legislative process towards the Building Safety Bill.  She provided the Secretariat for the Competence Steering Group’s Working Group 8, which developed the Building Safety Managers competence framework. 

In addition to being the co-author of the Group’s report, Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management, she is a regular contributor to Facilitate. Building on WG8’s recommendations, Sofie is a part of the Interim Executive of the Building Safety Alliance, a cross sector collaboration which is working to improve holistic building safety competence across the occupation phase. She is also a part of the Steering Committee for the DLUCH sponsored PAS 8673, which is setting the competence specification for Building Safety Managers.

A property specialist with 24 years’ experience at senior level. Originally training as a building surveyor, Wayne was heavily involved in the refurbishment of properties during the stock transfer era, including the refurbishment of 17 residential blocks and 3,000 non-traditional housing. With roles spanning small and large scale consultancy for architects, engineers, public sector, specialist consultancy, building research establishment and currently housing association, Wayne has experience in the majority of aspects in construction consultancy. He has also been professionally engaged in the CIC response to the Hackitt Review, participating in working groups on site supervision and project management, and is a member of the IWFM Life Safety Working Group.