Two years on from launch, we come together at the incredible Carisbrooke Hall, VSC, London, to reflect on how far we’ve come – and where we go next.
Be part of an evening celebrating two years of the IWFM Veterans in FM Network, bringing together meaningful conversation, a strong sense of community, canapés, a free welcome drink and a cash bar throughout the evening.
This is not just another industry event. It’s a room full of leaders, veterans, reservists, employers and changemakers who believe FM should be a first‑choice career destination for the military community, not a fallback.
We’ll hear lived experience from veterans now thriving in FM, senior industry insight from Martin Burholt, COO UK&I for ISS Facility Services, and keynote perspectives from Major General (Retd) Seumas Kerr CBE CEO, Defence Impact and Air Vice-Marshal Simon Edwards CB Director People and Air Secretary, Royal Air Force on the critical link between infrastructure, people, morale, retention and performance.
And yes… there may be tube strikes planned in London that week. But if there’s one thing both the military and FM sectors understand, it’s resilience, adaptability and showing up when it matters! Nothing stops this community.
If you care about talent, leadership, social value, retention, veteran transition, or the future of FM - you’ll want to be in this room.
Ticket costs
- Members: £10 + VAT
- Non-members: £15 + VAT
Agenda
17:30 – 18:00 | Arrival & Welcome Reception
There’ll be canapes, a free welcome drink and a cash bar
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Networking over refreshments
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Reconnect with the community and meet new faces from across the FM industry
18:00 – 18:10 | IWFM Veterans in FM Network – Welcome & two-year progress update
Louisa Clarke, Chair, IWFM Veterans in FM Network
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Key milestones and impact since launch
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Opportunities to get involved and support the network
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What’s next!
18:10 – 18:20 | Sponsor address – ISS
Martin Burholt, COO UK&I, sharing ISS's perspective on supporting the armed forces community and why this agenda matters to industry.
18:20 – 18:40 | JointForces@ISS: Lived experience & employer insight
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A JointForces@ISS graduate sharing their transition journey into FM
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A reservist from within the ISS business sharing their experience of balancing military service with a civilian career
18:40 – 18:50 | Comfort break
18:50 – 19:05 | Keynote speaker – Seumas Kerr CBE
From Fallback to First Choice: Raising the profile of facilities management as a career destination for the military community
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FM has long been a sector that ex-military personnel fall into rather than actively choose - the ambition is to change that narrative
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Positioning FM as a genuine career destination for the military community
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The employer angle: how the FM sector can better support its people to engage with the Reserves and the Cadet Force as volunteers
19:05 – 19:20 | Keynote speaker – Simon Edwards CB FCIPD
Infrastructure, People and Performance: The role of facilities in military morale, retention and attraction
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Facilities and infrastructure are not a back-office consideration but a direct contributor to the morale, retention and attraction of military personnel
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Simon will address the live state, speak to what good looks like, and where the gaps remain
19:20 – 19:30 | Charity Partner – Scotty’s
An opportunity to introduce Scotty’s, the military bereavement charity - a charity partner aligned to the network's mission.
19:30 onwards | Informal networking & drinks
Continue the conversation, build connections, explore opportunities, and strengthen the growing Veterans in FM community.
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Bar and venue open until 23:00
Event sponsored by ISS
ISS
Speakers
Martin Burholt
Martin brings over 30 years of leadership experience in customer service and outsourcing, with senior roles at Mitie, Interserve, and Ecovert FM before joining ISS in 2021. His career spans complex FM and support services contracts across central and local government, healthcare, education, and the Middle East. As COO of ISS UK&I he has operational leadership responsibility across one of the UK's largest FM businesses, with a particular focus on public sector performance and client engagement. He also serves as non-executive chairman of Freedom Leisure, a leading not-for-profit leisure trust.
As C-suite sponsor of both JointForces@ISS and ISS UK&I's Military Employee Resource Group, Martin leads from the front on the company's commitment to the Armed Forces community, championing veteran employment, reservist support, and the integration of military talent across the business.
Louisa Clarke
Louisa, a distinguished leader with a remarkable career spanning both military and civilian sectors, brings a decade of dedicated service in the Royal Air Force and over seventeen years as a Managing Director in Facilities Management (FM). She now serves as an Executive and Leadership Coach.
Her remarkable achievements include being honoured as the Ex-Forces Business Leader of the Year and recognised as one of the Top 50 Workplace Leaders. Notably, she was a finalist in the English Veteran Awards, Role Model of the Year category, further underlining her unwavering commitment to veterans' causes.
Louisa proudly serves as a valuable member of the prestigious Veterans Advisory Board to the Government, where she actively shapes policies and initiatives that support veterans. Her commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond her professional life, evident in her volunteer work as an Ambassador and Non-Executive Director (NED).
Simon Edwards, CB FCIPD
AVM Edwards joined the RAF in 1990 and is an Air Transport pilot with operational experience on the C-130K Hercules and C-17A Globemaster. He commanded the RAF's C-17 Squadron, led 904 Expeditionary Air Wing at Kandahar Airfield, and served as Station Commander at RAF Brize Norton. His staff career has spanned the Cabinet Office, MOD, and Air Command, including a period as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Strategy) before his appointment as Director People in August 2023.
As Director People and Air Secretary, AVM Edwards is accountable for the recruitment, career management, welfare, and senior appointments of the RAF's combined military and civilian workforce, working directly for the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff with a single focus: ensuring every person in the RAF has what they need to thrive.
Major General (Retd) Seumas Kerr, CBE
Seumas served in the British Army for 35 years, commissioning into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps before rising to Major General. His military career included command of 4th Division, appointment as Deputy Adjutant-General, and a senior logistics role at Permanent Joint Headquarters during the Iraq War. He was appointed CBE following operational service in Northern Ireland.
On leaving the Army, Seumas spent a year in Qatar as COO of the Doha Development Company before serving as Managing Director at Carillion for 12 years. He is currently CEO of Defence Impact, a not-for-profit company that brings defence companies and government closer together to ensure contracts generate true social value. He also serves as Strategic Adviser to Skanska and Achilles, is Chair of the Pakistan Society, a Visiting Fellow at Durham University, and an Ambassador for the Open University Disabled Veterans Scholarship Fund.