Regional Account Lead - APAC

Job Title

Regional Account Lead - APAC

Job Description Summary

A senior APAC IFM leadership role managing operations across 11 countries, with major hubs in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Manila. The position is responsible for regional facilities operations, client relationships, commercial performance, people leadership, vendors, transport, security, risk and compliance. We are looking for an experienced multi-country IFM/account leader with strong operational, commercial and stakeholder-management experience.

Job Description

Cushman & Wakefield is a global leader in commercial real estate services, helping clients transform the way people work, shop and live. The firm provides deep local and global insights that create significant value for occupiers and investors through its broad suite of real estate, facilities, project, advisory and investment services.

Role Purpose

The APAC Regional Account Lead is Cushman & Wakefield’s senior account leader for an integrated facilities management portfolio spanning 11 principal countries. Based at the client site in Bangalore, the role leads major hub operations in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Manila, 45 Cushman & Wakefield FTE and associated supply chain employees. The role also leads extensive transport operations across the three hubs and holds regional responsibility for the client Global Security Operations Centre in Bangalore. The position is accountable for safe, compliant, reliable and commercially effective service delivery, strong client partnership, operational excellence and a high-performing regional organization.

This role requires an experienced, commercially focused and results-oriented leader who can translate global account strategy into consistent regional execution while responding to local business, statutory and cultural requirements. The Regional Account Lead acts as a trusted adviser to the client, represents APAC within the global account leadership team and sustains an integrated operating model that supports retention, growth and continuous improvement.

Core Responsibilities

· Provide strategic direction for facilities management operations across the APAC portfolio, ensuring regional plans align with the client’s global strategy and Cushman & Wakefield standards.

· Own and develop senior client relationships, maintain a detailed understanding of the client’s business and ensure the regional organisation is structured and resourced to meet changing operational needs.

· Act as the Cushman & Wakefield account lead across APAC, setting clear direction for the regional team and ensuring consistent coordination across 11 principal countries.

· Lead 45 Cushman & Wakefield FTE, together with associated supply chain employees, ensuring effective organisation design, deployment, engagement, performance and development.

· Lead extensive transport operations in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Manila, ensuring safe, compliant, reliable and cost-effective service delivery aligned with client requirements.

· Hold regional responsibility for the client Global Security Operations Centre based in Bangalore, ensuring effective governance, operational integration, escalation and service performance.

· Oversee day-to-day delivery across offices, high-rise buildings, campuses and major hubs, including custodial services, life safety, engineering, planned and reactive maintenance and general facilities services.

· Ensure policy conformance and enforcement, safety performance, budget and cost control, quality control, maintenance process development, job planning and scheduling, and CMMS management.

· Coordinate maintenance activities throughout the client portfolio to achieve effective and efficient performance and support long-range planning aligned to client and company goals.

· Provide support before, during and after disaster events and ensure business continuity arrangements support critical client business functions.

· Ensure compliance with all company, client, statutory and legislative requirements, policies and procedures; initiate audit and control systems to evidence compliance.

· Provide formal and informal management information demonstrating performance against requirements, including operating, incident and status reports, monthly financial reports and business reviews.

· Manage service contracts cost effectively, including performance and financial review, RFP activity, contract pricing, invoicing and payment assurance.

· Assume overall accountability for operational risk management within the regional business and ensure timely escalation and resolution of material issues.

· Deliver agreed KPIs to ensure the annual corporate operating plan is achieved and, wherever possible, exceeded. Deliver commercial targets, savings commitments and cost-reduction initiatives without compromising required service levels.

· Identify opportunities to deploy the wider Cushman & Wakefield service offering, strengthen account integration and support retention and growth.

Operational and Commercial Leadership

· Lead regional operations across 11 principal countries, with particular focus on the major hub operations in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Manila.

· Develop an early and continuing understanding of the client business, providing advice on consistent facilities management and associated services across the APAC portfolio.

· Complete due diligence and gap analysis of the existing supply chain, statutory compliance and operational controls; develop prioritised corrective action plans.

· Evaluate the supply chain and develop recommendations that improve consistency, quality, resilience and value across the portfolio.

· Fully understand the Master Services Agreement, account governance and commercial mechanisms, including the ongoing review and management of out-of-scope works.

· Drive management and service improvement across the region using performance data, work-order metrics, audit findings and client feedback to identify gaps and recurring issues.

· Lead the facilities management team in supervising maintenance programmes for the interior and exterior condition, appearance and operation of facilities.

· Ensure prompt, professional responses to client, tenant and occupant requests and maintain ongoing contract review programmes to identify and resolve needs quickly.

· Prepare and present consolidated budgets, financial reports, contracts, expenditures and purchase orders; contribute to capital and operating budgets and a five-year plan for maintenance, facilities improvement and cost reduction.

· Coordinate the collection, analysis and reporting of accurate statistical data covering facilities objectives, work-order productivity, cost savings and service improvements.

· Maintain continuous communication with country and sub-regional facilities leaders so escalations are managed quickly and consistently.

· Ensure monthly management reports, Quarterly Business Reviews, Annual Business Reviews and forward account plans are completed and presented to the client.

· Establish clear ownership, governance and corrective action for regional KPIs. Use performance data to protect delivery of the annual corporate operating plan and identify opportunities to exceed agreed targets.

· Proactively work with IFM Procurement to manage, evaluate and, where appropriate, tender supplier contracts to improve service levels and commercial outcomes.

· Provide advice on risk, compliance, sustainability, environment, safety and business continuity, including requirements arising from new locations or acquisitions.

· Ensure tenants and vendors comply with insurance requirements and coordinate claims as required.

· Drive innovation by developing best practice, improving operational and service efficiency, and applying relevant industry trends, systems and tools.

· Bring meaningful subject-matter expertise and thought leadership to improve operational and business processes and procedures.

· Plan for future development in line with strategic business objectives and the evolving requirements of the client portfolio.

People Leadership and Stakeholder Management

· Approve positions and direct hiring, onboarding, training, motivation and development of the regional facilities management organisation.

· Lead and performance-manage direct and indirect reports, including objective setting, constructive feedback, performance improvement, career development, succession planning and support for compensation and benefit planning.

· Create an environment in which individuals and teams perform at their best, with clear expectations, fair performance standards and effective workload management.

· Build effective relationships with clients, colleagues, management, vendors, direct and indirect reports and the wider Global Occupier Services and IFM community.

· Actively seek stakeholder feedback, resolve issues before escalation and maintain open two-way communication that balances client needs and business outcomes.

· Adapt leadership and communication style for diverse cultures, audiences and situations; work constructively through ambiguity and conflict to achieve practical outcomes.

· Support and develop early talent, recognise capability and create opportunities that enhance colleagues’ skills and contribution.

· Engage as a member of the senior business leadership team within the GOS community and support wider business activities, initiatives, duties and projects as reasonably assigned.

Key Deliverables

· Achievement and, wherever possible, over-delivery of the annual corporate operating plan through consistent attainment of account KPIs and other agreed business targets.

· Consistent on-time, on-budget and to-standard delivery of assigned tasks, projects and programmes.

· Strong client satisfaction outcomes across operational, financial and risk-related aspects of the account.

· Evidence-based achievement of annual goals and objectives, reviewed routinely through the performance year.

· Continuous compliance with Cushman & Wakefield and client Business Conduct standards, policies, contractual commitments and statutory and legislative requirements.

· Consistent completion of required internal and external reporting, formal presentations and business reviews.

· A resilient and integrated APAC operating model that delivers measurable service improvement, strengthens client confidence and supports account retention and growth.

Key Performance Measures

The role’s critical performance indicators are weighted towards operational excellence and business leadership, supported by financial performance and client satisfaction. Measures include:

· Client satisfaction

· Financial performance and achievement of commercial and savings goals

· Leadership and people outcomes

· Operational outcomes and service reliability

· Governance, risk and compliance

· Safety, environment and sustainability performance

· Delivery of innovation, continuous improvement and Annual Operating Plan commitments

Qualities and Personal Attributes

Business Generation, Execution and Enablement

· Uses knowledge of the business, relevant systems and procedures to support others and achieve company and client financial, business and service goals.

· Uses internal resources, systems and tools to improve productivity, quality and consistency across a geographically dispersed organisation.

· Identifies and improves processes, systems and work products to continually exceed internal and external client expectations.

· Identifies solutions that reduce expense, improve value and differentiate Cushman & Wakefield services.

· Demonstrates initiative in identifying, recommending and pursuing opportunities, including appropriate wider Cushman & Wakefield services.

· Thinks commercially, understands cost management and return on revenue, and considers stakeholder and financial consequences when making decisions.

· Takes accountability for executing plans, delivering objectives and achieving results; addresses issues quickly and owns outcomes.

· Uses stakeholder and market insight to shape viable services and solutions, balancing quality, cost and timely remedial action.

· Evaluates the long-term impact of local issues and legislative and regulatory conditions on the broader regional and global account.

· Thinks strategically over a two-to-three-year horizon and leverages internal networks to identify opportunities for collaboration.

Leadership and Management

· Creates collaborative opportunities and communicates proactively across all relevant levels of the client and Cushman & Wakefield organisations.

· Values diversity and recognises the contribution of colleagues and clients across different countries, cultures and professional backgrounds.

· Listens actively to internal and external clients and provides timely, detailed and effective solutions.

· Enables performance through constructive feedback, workload management, coaching and transfer of knowledge.

· Embraces and implements change, re-evaluates existing processes and proactively manages barriers to successful outcomes.

· Acts as client and vendor relationship manager and builds sustained engagement based on trust, respect and delivery.

· Communicates expectations clearly, addresses performance issues promptly and fairly, and adapts leadership style to different motivations and circumstances.

· Role-models company values, maintains consistency between words and actions and demonstrates personal drive and resilience.

Trusted Adviser and Expert

· Addresses issues and queries quickly and accurately, makes informed decisions and takes responsibility for outcomes.

· Establishes credibility by remaining current in the facilities, engineering and property management field and sharing expertise across the account.

· Uses deep knowledge of the client and its objectives to provide timely and effective solutions, drawing on local and global expertise.

· Uses technology, CMMS data and operational insight to drive competitive advantage and better decision-making.

· Guides the client on industry and market challenges and engages other subject-matter experts when required.

· Develops relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, interprets objectives and success criteria, and responds to the operating environment.

· Demonstrates the strength and benefits of Cushman & Wakefield to support business retention and growth.

Qualifications and Experience

· A minimum of 10 years’ experience in real estate, facilities management or a comparable industry, ideally including Asia Pacific experience and senior management responsibility.

· A formal qualification in real estate, facilities management or a related business discipline, or equivalent relevant experience and career achievement.

· Professional qualifications such as AssocRICS/MRICS, BIFM/IWFM Level 6 or 7, or relevant corporate training developed by facilities management or hospitality organisations are desirable, but not essential.

· Proven experience as a people leader, manager and developer, with strong stakeholder-management capability as both leader and team member.

· Demonstrable technical and operational experience in facilities or property management, including the ability to interpret plans, drawings, specifications and technical manuals.

· Developed understanding of building and property systems, equipment, engineering delivery and associated real estate operations.

· Experience operating a large, multi-country regional account and working within a global account governance model.

· Advanced client-service, relationship-management and presentation capability.

· Ability and willingness to travel, including internationally, in support of the role.

· Ongoing legal right and practical ability to work in Bangalore, India, without restriction.

Knowledge and Capabilities

· Commercial awareness relating to Master Services Agreements, account governance, budget management, cost control and out-of-scope services.

· Facilities management processes and best practice, including planned and reactive maintenance, CMMS, work-order management and job planning and scheduling.

· Health, safety, life-safety and statutory compliance requirements relevant to facilities and property operations across multiple APAC jurisdictions.

· Supply-chain and contract management, procurement, RFP processes, vendor governance, insurance requirements and payment controls.

· Risk, compliance and governance, business continuity, disaster support, environment and sustainability.

· Financial reporting, capital and operating budget development, five-year maintenance planning, cost savings and performance analytics.

· Proficiency in commonly used business software and applications, with strong written, oral and presentation communication skills.

· Self-starting, self-managing and outcome-oriented, able to operate with limited supervision within an agreed governance and support framework.

· Comfortable dealing with ambiguity, solving complex problems and working across countries, time zones and diverse stakeholder groups.

Why join Cushman & Wakefield?

As one of the leading global real estate services firms transforming the way people work, shop and live working at Cushman & Wakefield means you will benefit from;

· Being part of a growing global company;

· Career development and a promote from within culture;

· An organisation committed to Diversity and Inclusion

We're committed to providing work-life balance for our people in an inclusive, rewarding environment.

We achieve this by providing a flexible and agile work environment by focusing on technology and autonomy to help our people achieve their career ambitions. We focus on career progression and foster a promotion from within culture, leveraging global opportunities to ensure we retain our top talent. We encourage continuous learning and development opportunities to develop personal, professional and technical capabilities, and we reward with a comprehensive employee benefits program.

We have a vision of the future, where people simply belong.

That's why we support and celebrate inclusive causes, not just on days of recognition throughout the year, but every day. We embrace diversity across race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or persons with disabilities or protected veteran status. We ensure DEI is part of our DNA as a global community - it means we go way beyond than just talking about it - we live it. If you want to live it too, join us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”