Keynote Speaker 1 - Mr. Alfred Hartzenburg
Alfred Hartzenburg is the Technical Director at Green Industry Specialists (Pty) Ltd and a highly respected expert in energy management. He previously served as the National Project Manager for South Africa’s Industrial Energy Efficiency Programme, a flagship initiative supported by United Nations Industrial Development Organization. With over three decades of industry experience, he has led numerous large-scale energy optimisation and sustainability projects. His expertise spans energy systems optimisation, sustainability strategy, and industrial energy efficiency implementation.
Keynote Speaker 2 - Professor Matt Tucker
Prof. Matt has been carrying out workplace research for the past 20 years, working on the cusp of academia and industry. Matt is the Director of Knowledge and Insights for the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and Professor of Workplace and Facility Management at Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, UK. As a Fulbright Scholar with over 80 publications and 2,500 citations from seminal industry reports, peer-reviewed scientific journals, book chapters, and conference papers, Matt has helped transform the workplace and facility management industry. Matt is a regular keynote speaker and thrives on being in front of an audience, speaking at leading international conferences or advising organizations on new ways of working. Matt's company, Connective Thought, is a culmination of experiences and expertise he has acquired during his career, enabling organizations to capture workplace research and insights.
The Rise of the FM Analyst
Abstract
As facility management (FM) evolves in the era of digital transformation, data analytics is becoming an essential component that underpins strategic decision-making, operational efficiency, and value creation. This keynote address introduces the concept of the FM Analyst, not necessarily a formal job title, but a hybrid professional profile that blends data literacy with deep FM knowledge. Drawing on insights from a new global research study by IFMA, which includes interviews with 37 professionals across six world regions, the keynote address explores how FM teams are integrating data into everyday practice and how this shift is redefining roles, skills, and organizational culture. Participants will gain a better understanding of the increasing alignment between FM and data analytics, and the strategic importance of developing data capabilities within FM teams. The session will analyze the FM Analyst as an emerging mindset, one that bridges operational experience with analytical thinking, and examine how this profile can address current capability gaps in the industry. Finally, it will introduce a practical framework describing six key traits of the FM Analyst mindset, enabling attendees to reflect on how these qualities can be cultivated in their own roles and organizations.