AGM Board welcomes new talent

News

Linda Alexander, CIWFM and Regi Taylor, CIWFM will join the IWFM’s Board as Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) it was announced today. They replace Marilyn Standley, FIWFM and David Carey, FIWFM who step down after six and three years’ service, respectively. 

Today she is Head of Facilities Management at the Commonwealth Secretariat but Linda Alexander’s experience spans a range of sectors including not for profit, health and higher education. Her career in workplace and facilities management spans three decades and her association with the Institute just as long.  She joins the Board with previous NED experience and a stated aim to be a voice and a role model for those underrepresented in workplace and facilities management at senior levels.

 

Regi Taylor joins the Board with twenty years' experience in the sector. Presently Associate Director at pharma company Kyowa Kirin, Regi is active in the EDI Focus Group and on the LGBT+ in FM Committee. She says she started in WFM ‘at the bottom of the ladder.’ Two decades, one business administration degree and several senior roles later, she regards herself as a living embodiment of ‘just how impactful this sector can be for lifelong career paths. I want to shout about that’.  

Following a formal nominations process, active members of IWFM Member grade or above voted for two NEDs from ten candidates. Making the announcement at the AGM in Leeds earlier today, Chair Mark Whittaker said:

“Regi and Linda each bring a wealth of talent and a unique experience to our governance, and that enriches our diversity in so many ways. Significantly, these new NEDs each represent what is brilliant about our profession: that whoever you are and however you enter it, you can progress far.

The Board also bade farewell to Marilyn Standley and David Carey. Acknowledging their significant contributions Mark Whittaker thanked them on behalf of the Board.

NEDs, who serve for three-year terms, are unremunerated but have the same statutory and legal duties, responsibilities, and potential liabilities as their executive counterparts.

Since 2021 the Institute has stepped up its work on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, including participating in a major piece of research in 2023 to address its diversity challenge, the sector’s talent gap and as standard setter for the profession to understand how it can make the biggest impact.

IWFM engaged with members on a number of key topics in a Q&A, which you can read here.