The gefma women initiative, established in February 2024, has appointed a five-member Ladies Board. This body aims to network women in Facility Management (FM), strengthen their presence in the industry, and support them on their professional journey. What began as a platform for exchange has quickly developed into a relevant community for the sector.
The Ladies Board acts as a 'Think & Do Tank'. Its main task is to gather perspectives, ideas, and impulses from the gefma women community. These are then translated into concrete formats and offerings. The focus is on developing future-oriented events and formats that are intended to create direct added value for women in FM. The board members are also expected to actively foster the exchange among committed women, intensify inter-industry networking, and strengthen the community spirit of gefma women.
Strengthening professional development in FM
Under the slogan 'Create visibility. Foster potential. Shape the future.', the Ladies Board combines its core objectives. This includes strengthening women in their professional and personal development, as well as opening up new career prospects. The establishment of the Board comes at a time of profound changes within Facility Management. Topics such as digitalisation, sustainability, the need for skilled workers, and new working environments present companies with far-reaching challenges that also affect the demands on competencies and leadership.
gefma women addresses this by seeking to attract and qualify women for specialist and leadership roles in Facility Management. The new Ladies Board brings together five women from various companies in the Facility Management and real estate sectors. All members contribute equally to the further development of gefma women and bring their expertise to the table. Annelie Casper, Managing Director of gefma and co-founder of the gefma women initiative, emphasised that the Ladies Board is intended to integrate the experiences and perspectives of engaged participants even more strongly into the initiative, in order to create concrete offerings that advance women in FM. She highlighted that a future-proof industry requires diverse perspectives and people who are willing to take on responsibility and contribute their skills.
Focus on Female Leadership and Mentoring
The Ladies Board sees itself not only as an advisory body but as an active shaper of the gefma women initiative. Key areas of future work include promoting female leadership, developing mentoring programmes, increasing the visibility of female role models, and designing new networking and event formats. With these measures, gefma women aims to contribute to the recruitment and professional development of qualified specialists and managers, as well as to the future viability of the entire Facility Management industry.
- —Britta Noppen, Diakonie Michaelshoven Domus
- —Angelika Dankert, Apleona
- —Gilfe Tweer, Keßler Solutions
- —Laura Beck, M&P BEGIS
- —Stefanie Nickl, MEDIAN Facility Service
