Although he’s worked in the facilities arena for his entire career, Jachimowicz makes a point of saying he’s not a facilities person, but a business person with a technical background. For him, it’s more than a difference of semantics. “Everything I do in the facilities space,” he says, “has got to be sanctioned with some kind of business result, otherwise why are we doing it?” To get a project funded is one thing, but what the money people really want to hear, he says, is the facility manager saying: “And it will drive this business result....”
That’s an essential perspective for facility managers. “You’re here for a reason: If you’re in an office building, they’re renting this space to make money,” Jachimowicz says. “You’re a small part of something bigger going on here; so how do you support that?”
Facility managers cannot afford to think narrowly and present poorly. “Many of those I meet,” he says, “do not do a good enough job of presenting themselves in a situation where they’re talking to somebody they’re asking for money. Hone up on your presentation skills, your body language, the way you use words in certain contexts.”
To anyone who says executives don’t care about facilities, Jachimowicz has a direct answer: “They’re not going to care, unless you give them a reason to pay attention.
“It’s common sense, isn’t it? You want to make sure you are looked at as a professional and you are a person who can go beyond the boundaries of your core competencies and discipline. You are a person who takes an interest in the world outside of facilities and engineering.”
Jachimowicz’s broad perspective has led to a broad range of accomplishments. His colleagues say he built the structure of engineering at the company, emphasized training, and has been a strong leader and mentor. While not alone in his efforts, Jachimowicz says he played key roles in building a global platform for asset management and preventive maintenance, spearheading a three-year technology roadmap for facilities, and implementing a global structure for energy reporting and other energy programs.
His achievements aren’t limited to what might be considered traditional facility management areas. He is especially proud of brokering a deal with RedVector to establish an ambitious global training program called eCampus, which offers his staff self-training and advancement through the use of hundreds of online modules. He also led this year’s licensing agreement giving guests at select Marriott hotels direct access to Netflix.
Big-Picture Guy at Marriott: A Profile of Lenny Jachimowicz
For Jachimowicz, a Business Result Must Drive Projects
