It takes a team of dedicated and passionate people to help us bring vacant properties to life. We spoke to Andre, our Senior Property Manager, about his career journey, why he enjoys working for LOWE, and how we’re helping the youth club he attended as a boy…
Q. Where did you grow up?
A. I was born in Jamaica, and moved to the UK when I was ten. I grew up in south London, around Lewisham and Brixton. I’ve been here for 20 years now.
Q. What did you want to do when you were younger?
A. I actually didn’t study anything to do with Facilities – my degree is in Criminology, and I have a masters in Criminal Psychology. I originally wanted to be an academic, researching how developing countries deal with crime and the approaches they take. But, to be honest, I fell out of love with psychology. I decided to look at other options, and initially got job at Kings College Hospital in property maintenance, then in facility management at Charing Cross Hospital, and latterly as facilities manager for TFL.
Q. How did you hear about LOWE?
A. I wasn’t enjoying my job at TFL as much as I had been – they’d had to furlough a lot of people and I was the only one left. I spoke to a recruiter, who told me about an opportunity at LOWE. I had heard of guardian companies before, and thought it sounded interesting. I went for the interview nearly two years ago and haven’t looked back.
Q. Why do you enjoy working for LOWE?
A. LOWE has given me the opportunity to progress, and I’ve moved up quickly. I started off as a help desk manager, and now I’m running a department with 10 people in the team. I also like the diversity – I come from a traditional property facilities management background, but at LOWE every property is different; from old police stations and office blocks to former hospitals and care homes. I enjoy managing such varied properties, and getting out and about, meeting people and visiting our buildings.
Q. What gives you job satisfaction?
A. Overall, it’s working with the team that I manage. I’ve hand-picked nearly everyone in the team, and we have a great rapport.
Q. What might people not know about you?
A. When I was a kid, I used to go to a youth club called the Young Lewisham Project. They helped me a lot. Later, I got a job there as a junior youth worker – working part time alongside undertaking my studies. Now, Tim and Poppy [LOWE’s founders] are about to assist the Project with a donation towards its funding, which for me is really special.
