Closing Panel: What’s Next for the Cleaning, Hygiene and FM Sectors?
As we draw this year’s Manchester Cleaning Show Conference to a close, this expert panel will discuss future challenges, opportunities and technologies that they predict will impact the sectors, both in the short and long term.
Session Speakers
With a background in trade and national newspaper journalism, Neil has been involved in the events sector for almost 40 years in industries as diverse as marine transportation, utilities, retail, automotive, cleaning and facilities management, and broadcast. Neil has produced many international conferences and has also been an organiser and judge across a number of award programmes, working with global brands on international events. In addition to his role with C&M and the Cleaning Show, Neil is currently co-owner and director of Red Lemon Events Ltd and co-producer of the Corporate Star Awards.
Annette Houston is the Managing Director of FM Services Group, one of Ireland’s leading commercial cleaning and FM companies, employing over 200 people across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
With more than 30 years in the industry, Annette has led the company from a small local cleaning business to a multimillion-euro operation known for its innovation, quality and people-first culture. She is a board member of the Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce and she is also a board member and Director of the Irish Contract Cleaning Association.
Currently completing her Doctorate in Business Administration with Atlantic Technological University, Annette’s research explores resilient leadership and Psychological Capital (PsyCap) in the commercial cleaning sector. The research focuses on how to develop confident, capable supervisors and future leaders in an industry under increasing pressure to adapt and evolve.
A passionate advocate for leadership development, Annette founded Bright Academy in 2018 to deliver accessible training and support for their cleaning teams.
Drawing on her own journey from cleaner to CEO, Annette brings a refreshingly real perspective on leadership, resilience and the future of the cleaning industry in an age of automation and change.
Matt Dean, Product Design Manager at ISS Facility Services, has extensive industry experience and is a strong advocate for safety, high standards and sustainability. He is a Chartered Practitioner of Environmental Cleaners, Fellow of BICSc and a CSSA Board Member. This year, Matt served as a Dragon for the CSSA Innovation Showcase.
Joining Carlisle Support Services in 2015 as Managing Director and promoted to CEO in January 2019, Paul Evans oversees the transformation of the business.
With a career spanning the last two decades in the FM sector, and having worked his way up from the front-line, he is passionate about making sure his company’s business strategy remains aligned to its employee-led and customer-centric values.
Paul is also the Chair of the S12 Security Guarding Leadership Group, Vice Chair of the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA) and was previously Co-Chair of the Living Wage Foundation’s Recognised Service Provider’s Leadership Group, and an Executive Officer of the National Association of Healthcare Security (NAHS) from 2020-23.
Wes Smith, Sales & Marketing Director at The Clean Space, brings 21 years of experience in soft services across the UK and South Africa.
A customer-centric leader, he fosters collaborative partnerships and drives exceptional service delivery, ensuring tailored solutions that align with clients’ unique needs in the facilities sector.
