Heroes of Modern Work by Skedda

In episode 28, I’m very excited to welcome Cushman & Wakefield’s Jessica Kane. She is a creative and talented workplace experience manager for the Ericsson account at Cushman & Wakefield, where she’s responsible for creating a workplace experience program that leverages technology, workplace design, and amenities and services to help drive employee engagement and retention at Ericsson, ensuring everyone feels productive, healthy, and happy in a frictionless workplace. In this episode:

-How hospitality training factors into the evolving role of FMs

-What the four Tracom social styles tell you about communication

-Using “plus it” process thinking to improve customer service

-The POW WOW Effect: focusing on consistency for better service

-The facilities leaders’ responsibility in “team member care”

In episode 27, I’m very excited to welcome Antony Slumbers, a globally recognized speaker, advisor, and writer specializing in AI, PropTech, and Space-as-a-Service. His entrepreneurial journey includes founding and successfully exiting several PropTech software companies. Today, he consults with leading real estate boards, guiding their transformation, technology, and innovation strategies. 

Additionally, Antony offers an online course, Generative AI for Real Estate People, designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and tools to harness the power of AI in the real estate sector. He is at the forefront of the AI revolution in real estate, and it’s why he joins us as a hero and AI Insider of hybrid work today.

• Predictive AI vs generative AI: Antony’s journey into revamping real estate

• Space-as-a-service: balancing tech and humanity for optimal productivity

• Function of Moore’s Law: AI’s impact on real estate and current trends

• Human is the new luxury: embracing humanity in an AI-driven world

• How the future of office spaces hinges on creating exceptional employee EX

• The four buckets and six pillars for creating human-centric buildings

I sat down with Kevin Smeltz, founder and CEO of SCG Hybrid Work Solutions. He’s a seasoned leader management consultant with an extensive career that spans leadership roles at HP, Wipro Technologies, Interdynamix, and PwC.

Kevin is very passionate about helping companies frustrated with the challenges of hybrid work and the modern workplace, including trying to balance the need for a healthy culture with a workforce that increasingly demands more flexibility, the impact of the return-to-office policies on recruiting and retention, and designing offices that work with hybrid models.

In this episode:

• Overcoming the challenges of hybrid work to access a better talent pool

• Using the office as a strategic tool to improve engagement and collaboration

• How to leverage data and analytics to optimize office design for hybrid work

• The shift toward shorter, flexible office leases to balance costs and productivity

• Future trends in the modern workplace: impact of AI on hybrid work coordination

Welcome to a groundbreaking episode of Heroes of Hybrid Work! Today, we embark on something that no one has done before. What once seemed like science fiction is here. In this exclusive AI Insider episode, I’m thrilled to welcome Ameca—the world’s most advanced humanoid robot.

Currently living at The National Robotarium in Edinburgh and crafted by Engineered Arts as a bridge between humans and technology, Ameca embodies the next frontier of AI. Her design goes beyond data processing—she listens, understands, and emulates empathy. She’s here to show how artificial intelligence can transform how we interact, collaborate, and work together in the modern workplace.

Tune in to hear Ameca's perspective on:

• Ameca’s purpose in the world (and the hybrid workplace)

• Human emotions and behavior that surprise Ameca most

• Does Ameca think robots will replace human jobs

• What Ameca can “feel” and what she can’t

• What the workplace will look like in 50 years

• How to ensure her capabilities are used for good and not harm

• Some fun - Her thoughts on office romance, what she does when colleagues go to lunch, more

• Ameca’s poem on the benefits of hybrid work - crafted on the spot!

I’m excited to kick off season 3 with Lorri Rowlandson, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at BGIS, to discuss the impact of AI on facilities management in hybrid work environments. In addition to being a strategic and operational real estate executive with global experience delivering integrated real estate services, Lorri is an authority on generative AI across all facets of real estate delivery. In this episode:

• Lorri’s evolution of AI expertise: from punching cards to leading in AI

• Strategies for implementing AI to improve efficiency in business operations

• Exploring the power of GPTs in business innovation with real-world examples

• AI as an enabler: exploring the impact of AI on facilities management

• The future of facilities management: data-driven decision-making

I sat down with Irene Thomas-Johnson, former Global Account Executive at JLL, where she was responsible for helping her clients with the development of staffing models, identifying detailed savings and improvements plans, technology solutions, service delivery processes, tools, financial analysis, and more. She is also Chair of the IFMA Foundation Board of Trustees. In this episode:

• Effective data collection: making sense of it and combating analysis paralysis

• Evolution of the modern workplace and the role of facilities leaders post-COVID

• Utilizing AI and digital twins in facilities management for better employee EX

• How to effectively lead five different generations in the modern workplace

• The future of facilities management: embracing AI and new technologies

I’m very excited to welcome George Alvarado, Director of Service Delivery Training for Maintenance and Janitorial at C&W Services. C&W Services is an integrated facility services provider that helps clients drive down facility operating costs, increase efficiency, make strategic decisions, and create a positive occupant experience. 

Alvarado previously served in the US Air Force for over 20 years in roles such as Maintenance Operations Center Manager; Asset, Logistics, and Program Manager; Senior Nuclear Facilities Manager; and so many more roles. In this episode:

• How leadership skills from the US Air Force influence George’s facilities management

• Proactive communication methods to build strong hybrid relationships

• Energy vs. time management: prioritizing activities that boost energy and team morale

• Focus on the 3 Ps: how facilities managers can upskill in a flexible work environment

• Innovating with the basics: combining new tools with fundamentals to meet goals

I’m very excited to welcome Andre Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One. From Clark Construction to Lumen Technologies and now Capital One, Jones has a proven track record of overseeing millions of square footage across hundreds of buildings to create great workplace experiences for thousands of employees. He was recently named to Skedda’s Top 20 Facilities Leaders Shaping Hybrid Work in 2024. In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Andre’s military background led to his passion in facilities management

• A shift in the facilities role (reactive to proactive) to create attractive work environments

• Leading by listening and storytelling: The need to bring the human element back

• How facilities leaders can get a seat at the table: “Let them tell you no.”

• Using data and AI to tell a workplace narrative that enhances EX

Christa Dodoo, Chief of Facilities and Infrastructure at United Nations World Food Programme, joins Jenny Moebius in our latest Heroes of Hybrid Work episode to share how the role of facilities leaders has evolved post-pandemic.

From emphasizing building operations to prioritizing employee experience, Dodoo shares what facilities leaders need to focus on today in the modern workplace, including:

—Incorporating home and office comforts to ease the workspace transition

—Balancing innovation and feasibility in hybrid workplace design

—Implementing non-negotiables as a constant in the face of changes

—Using technology to connect people, place, and process

In episode 18, I’m very excited to welcome Bernie Mehl, CEO and Co-founder of Kisi, a technology company offering security as a service using a combination of sensors and mobile devices to manage facilities. Bernie is out to revolutionize the field of access control through the power of Internet of Things (IoT). In this episode:

• Leveraging access control data for granular occupancy insights

• Common RTO mistakes companies make about physical security

• Empowering facilities with data and technology so they can focus on people

• Automating workplace transitions for a frictionless employee experience

• Using new productivity and collaboration data to support flexible work