July 30, 2008—The European FM Awards 2008, presented in Manchester, England, in June, were given in four categories one more than last year. The award for European FM of the Year joined the existing award categories of European Student of the Year, European Researcher of the Year and Partners Across Borders established at the first presentation in Zurich in 2007.
Each award category was judged by a panel representing experienced professionals in FM education, FM academia and FM practice from across Europe. The judging took place during March and April this year and involved interviews with candidates, and in the case of the Partners across Borders category, the judges visited the entrants’ sites in Cyprus, Poland and the UK.
The winners are:
- European FM Researcher of the Year: Herman Jan Van Ree, who is combining his PhD research at University College London with his role as Head of Research & Development at IPD Occupiers, where he is developing new performance tools for use across the FM and real estate sectors
- Partners Across Borders: Microsoft with Business and Facilities Corporate FM. Microsoft aims to provide consistent and effective FM provision across the company’s property portfolio in Europe from one service supplier in each country
- European FM of the Year: Peter Backstrom, the Johnson Controls’ Customer Business Director for EMEA region for a global telecommunications supplier, and joint Regional Executive for its operations in Sweden and Finland. In Sweden and Finland he is responsible for coordination of the business and utilization of resources, and acts as a central point of contact for Johnson Controls clients and staff.
- European FM Student of the Year: Marcel Broumels, 23, who obtained a first degree in Hotel Management in the Netherlands before working on a second degree in Facility Management. During his third year of study he undertook a work placement at the Scottish Parliament for six months
For more information, see the Web site of the European Facility Management Network.
