Yael Meier, Co-Founder, ZEAM

Yaël Meier is a co-founder of ZEAM. Zeam is the leading Gen Z marketing agency and management consultancy in the DACH region and advises companies such as Porsche, Vodafone, and Allianz with a team of 30. In summer 2023, she co-founded the video-based job platform Jobshot. Yaël SPIEGEL is also the bestselling author of the book "Gen Z" and has twice been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice and Forbes 30 under 30.

Photo credit: Remo Neuhaus

Lorenzo Mattioli, President, EFCI

Lorenzo Mattioli (ANIP-Confindustria, IT) is the President of the EFCI for the period 2022-2024. Lorenzo Mattioli brings an experience of over 20 years in the facility services sector, as well as a commitment to social dialogue, the recognition of the service and its representation at political level. He is the President of ANIP-Confindustria, the Italian association of cleaning services companies part of Confindustria (Italy’s largest business association), and of Confindustria Servizi HCFS. He is also Member of several internal working groups and committees in Confidustria, and member of the Board of the local section of Confindustria Pescara. As a result of his involvement in industrial relations in Italy, he has been serving since 2022 as vice-President of ONBSI, the bilateral body jointly established by unions and employers in the industrial cleaning sector in Italy, and since 2017 as vice-Chairman of the bilateral healt fund ASIM. by In parallel to his association and representation duties, Lorenzo Mattioli is currently the Business Strategy Senior Advisor for Sicuritalia, one of Italy’s most important companies in the field of security and facility management.

Alessandro Oshiai, Communication and Policy Officer, EFCI

Alessandro Oshiai, a dual citizen of Italy and Brazil, was born and raised in Belgium. He attended the European School of Brussels II before pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Global Communication and Public Relations. His academic journey continued with a Master's in International Relations and European Union Studies. With a professional background that includes experience as Compliance and Communication manager at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world's largest bank by assets, Alessandro brings a unique perspective to his role as Communication and Policy Officer at EFCI. Passionate about bridging cultures and driving impactful communication, he is committed to representing the European cleaning and facility services industry with vigor and expertise.

Daniel A. Daggett, Ph.D.

Dr. Daniel Daggett has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin, where he received a fellowship from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Berman and Blieir Award for his research. Dr. Daggett started his career as a toxicologist with the Wisconsin Department of Health, where he was responsible for developing environmental regulations, conducting risk assessments, and protecting public health. Currently, he is the Vice President of Sustainability at Solenis where he is responsible developing and implementing sustainability strategies across the business. Over his 25+ year career, Dr. Daggett has published widely and is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics such as sustainability, life cycle assessment, carbon footprint, water stewardship, packaging reductions, and product safety.

Panelist: Julia Bär, Global Business Development, Planon Software

Julia is a strategic and commercial services expert within the Planon International team. She is a highly committed global business partner for a wide range of Integrated Facility Management (IFM) services firms. She is a trusted advisor helping IFM organizations to meet their strategic objectives and business needs through (disruptive) technology. Julia is a frequent host and participant at IFM industry roundtable events, panel discussions, webinars, and user group sessions. She discusses topics such as ESG, Sustainability, Hyperautomation, AI, and Total Experience in English, Dutch, and Spanish.

Panelist: Shannon Berry, Head of Sustainability, Principle Cleaning Services

Shannon Berry started her career in the travel sector, supporting them on their ESG strategy. A large focus was on educating and empowering local communities and young travellers to adopt more sustainable practices. Proudly being a part of initiatives such as Travellers Against Plastic and ReThink Orphanages. 

In 2021, she was brought onboard at Principle Cleaning Services to develop their ESG strategy and sustainability department. 

Aligning their goals with those of clients, partnership successes have included providing site specific sustainability roadmaps, training on key topics such as net zero and social value, and pushing the boundaries of inclusive recruitment through partnerships with the Down’s Syndrome association and supporting ex-offender charities.

Panelist: Jens Engstrom, Head of Center of Excellence Cleaning, Coor Sweden

Meet Jens, a sustainability-driven cleaning specialist that work for the IFM company COOR Service Management in Sweden, that are validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. 

With a long background in the cleaning industry, Jens specializes in operational development and sustainable cleaning innovations. Jens prioritizes environmental initiatives that embrace circularity and operational behavior changes within the cleaning sector. 
His dedication to circularity and eco-friendly solutions has resulted in operational changes that benefit both the environment and the company's bottom line.

Major General Andrew D. Sharpe, CBE, Ph.D.

During 34 years of military service, and nine operational tours, Andrew Sharpe commanded on operations in all ranks from second-lieutenant to brigadier. In addition to his service in the Field Army, he has held posts that have required the leading of operational and strategic planning, both nationally and in international coalitions, forming strategic concepts and turning them into effective practical, operational and tactical execution. He was the Deputy Commandant of the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College and the Director of the UK Higher Command and Staff Course. He left the British Army as a Major General, completing his military career as the Director of the UK MoD’s independent think-tank: the DCDC. For three years he ran the UK Chief of Defence Staff’s Strategic Advisory Panel.

Doctor Sharpe is the Director of the British Army’s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research and a Senior Mentor on the British Army’s generalship programme. In addition, as an independent consultant, he has partnered with governments, international organisations and businesses to provide strategic, operational and leadership advice, support and mentoring. He lectures widely on strategy, leadership, operational art, the history of warfare, and risk. He is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow of King’s College London; an Honorary Fellow of the Strategic Studies Institute of the University of Exeter; and an Expert Panel member of the Cambridge Governance Labs. He has an MA in International Studies from King’s College London, and a PhD in Politics and International Studies from Trinity College Cambridge.

Panelist: Dominic Drumm, Director, Westferry Property Services

Dominic started his career in banking and finance in New Zealand. He then moved into the pharmaceutical industry in sales and marketing roles before moving to London where he spent seven years working in finance and IT roles while also building an online brokerage business.

Returning to Auckland, Dominic entered the cleaning sector, establishing Westferry Property Services Limited in 2007. Westferry provides general and specialist cleaning services and staffing solutions to commercial and public sector clients throughout the greater Auckland Region and nationally through membership of the NZ Cleaning Co-op.

A leader in the industry, Dominic sits on the NZ Cleaning Co-op and BSCNZ board serving as National President from 2015 to 2017, leading the sector response to Covid19 and ongoing labour negotiations through unprecedented pressures on the NZ Cleaning Contractor sector. The sector continues to navigate legislated challenges not least the 40%+ minimum wage increase over a 5 year period, high inflation, strained industrial relations, restricted labour market and buyer price sensitivity.    

Panelist: Scott Salmirs, Chief Executive Officer, ABM Industries Inc.

Scott Salmirs is President and Chief Executive Officer at ABM, one of the world’s largest facility services and solutions providers.

A values-guided leader, Scott has served as CEO since 2015, leading multiple enterprise-wide transformations to drive long-term growth and elevate the experience and value ABM delivers to stakeholders, while developing ABM’s inclusive, people-centered culture. Under Scott’s leadership, ABM has grown revenue from $4.9B to $8.1B, and more than doubled adjusted EBITDA while increasing margins by more than 60 percent. 

For more than a decade prior, he served in executive management roles with increasing responsibilities that included strategic oversight of ABM’s rapidly growing international and aviation business, as well as regional leader for the U.S. Northeast where he tripled revenues and increased the client retention rate to 96 percent. Prior to ABM, Scott held leadership positions at Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and CBRE, where he managed each company’s extensive owned, managed and leased real estate portfolios.

With his commitment to giving back to the services industry and his community, Scott serves on several committees and philanthropic boards, including the Cleaning Coalition of America and the State University of New York College at Oneonta’s Business Advisory Council.  In addition to serving on ABM’s Board of Directors, Scott serves on the Board of ICF International, Inc., a leading global consulting and digital services provider. He also is on the Board of the Outreach Project, an organization dedicated to rehabilitating young adults with substance abuse problems, is a founding board member of Donate Eight, a non-profit organization committed to increasing organ donation awareness, and is on the Board of the Partnership for NYC. Scott has also been recognized as one of the Empower Top 10 Advocates creating a more diverse and inclusive business environment.  

Scott received his bachelor’s degree in in business economics from the State University of New York College at Oneonta, and an MBA in finance from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

Panelist: Patrick Seitz, VP & GM Institutional Solutions Europe, Diversey – A Solenis Company

Patrick Seitz (48) is the VP and General Manager of the Institutional solutions Division for Europe at Solenis, the new owner of the Diversey Inc. company.

An accomplished and diverse leader, with a broad background across multiple functions and roles within the cleaning industry, always driven by the conviction that driving value for our customers is the only way to be successful in a long run. Patrick studied Business Administration and Economics with a focus on finance and control at the University of applied science in Ludwigshafen and earned and obtained his bachelor degree in 2001. He started his career in finance within Unilever and became the finance leader for Diversey globally. Inspired by his broad involvement in customer support and negotiations, he made a U-turn in his career and stepped out of finance to become a commercial leader, first in Germany and the DACH region, then leading the strategy build and execution in Europe. Patrick then drove the commercial organization to excellence before finally being appointed to his current role as the VP & GM for the European Institutional business in 2023 after the merger within Solenis.

Tom Ryckaert, Co-Founder / Managing Partner 2nRich

With over two decades of expertise in the facility and real estate markets, Tom Ryckaert has dedicated his career to revolutionizing the way we perceive and interact with our work environments. His extensive experience spans national and international platforms, where he has collaborated with industry leaders to optimize facility and workplace environments, placing a premium on customer satisfaction and well-being.

Tom's passion for enhancing employee experiences led him to co-found 2nRich alongside Kathleen Louckx in March 2023. At 2nRich, their mission is simple yet profound: prioritizing the well-being of employees and creating environments where happiness and productivity flourish. With a focus on the intersection of workplace design and facility management.

Currently serving as the Marketing & Communications Director at PROCOS Group, Tom continues to champion the cause of better workplaces under the motto "For better days on the job." His leadership extends as a board member of IFMA Belgium (International Facility Management Association), where he spearheads innovation and technology initiatives, driving progress in the field of facility management.

For Tom Ryckaert, facility management is not merely a profession—it's a passion that fuels his relentless pursuit of excellence.

Panelist: Marco Cardinale, Chief Technology Officer, Karcher

Marco Cardinale (41) is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG. He studied Business Administration and Economics at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart; and after obtaining his degree in 2008, he joined our company as Consultant for Corporate Strategy and M&A. From 2012, he had been responsible for the Product Management Vacuums (B2B), and managed that department shortly afterwards. Three years later, the graduated economist took over as Head of Product Management Floor Care (B2B); in addition, he was appointed Vice President. In 2019, the appointment as Vice President Floor Care Solutions followed eventually; in 2023, he was given procuration. In 2024, Marco Cardinale was appointed as Chief Technology Officer to the Board of Management of Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG.

Panelist: Thomas Caspersen Nielsen, Disruptive Technologies VP, EMEA

Thomas Caspersen Nielsen is a seasoned professional passionate about technology, innovation, and leadership. With a background spanning multiple industries, he brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the IoT sphere. As Disruptive Technologies VP for EMEA, he is working to put wireless sensor technology into the hands of as many building owners and facilities managers as possible in a quest to make the real estate industry a smarter place. 

Panelist: Jos Duchamps, Chair, IFMA EMEA

Jos Duchamps holds a master degree in engineering and a bachelor degree in economics. He’s managing director of PROCOS Group, a pan European group of consultants improving the working environment and supporting facility managers in large corporates and governmental organisations. He’s lector in the post graduate program of Facility Management at PXL Next in Hasselt (Belgium) and at the faculty for engineering and architecture at University Ghent (Belgium). He’s the co-founding member of the IFMA Belgian Chapter, served in the IFMA Global Board of Directors for 3 years and is chair of IFMA EMEA.  Jos participated many years in the technical working groups of CEN and ISO creating standards in Facility Management. Jos’ background as a project manager in a construction company and being a Facility Manager in a local authority helps in his role as consultant and manager. With more than 30 years of experience he’s is an expert in Facility Management and a respected presenter at both local and international conferences. He is the co-author of the “Belgian Facility Management Trend report” that is published every two years in collaboration with BELFA (the Belgian FM organization) and is the co-author of the book “Facility Management for the public sector” (Vandenbroele).

Panelist: Phil Meinert, Ph,D., Head of CIDO Office & Digital Innovation, ISS A/S

Dr. Phil Meinert spearheads Digital Innovation at ISS A/S, emphasizing sustainability, innovation, and partnerships within the startup ecosystem. His prior roles at DB Schenker involved leading key digital initiatives.