Then and now... Joe Lyon

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Then and now series, Joe Lyon, chief executive at Salford-based facilities management firm Thermatic Group, reflects on his career, from his first role to the present day, highlighting the lessons he has learned from his personal and professional evolution.

You’re chief executive at Thermatic Group. What does your role entail?

We provide technical and critical facilities management services to specialist commercial spaces – that space could be anything from a commercial office block, retail premises, student accommodation, a healthcare setting or a local authority building. 

It’s a broad field and we’re a business that’s split between a team of remote engineers and the operational team based at our headquarters. 

My job is to make sure everyone is heading in the same direction, to make the buildings we work on and the environments we work in better.

Did you always want to work in facilities management? Or did you have other ambitions when you were growing up?

You often hear about people falling into facilities management, rather than choosing it as a career.

I didn’t follow a linear path to get here. 

When I left school, I joined the RAF and spent 13 years in the military as a weapons engineer, aircraft engineer, air traffic controller and battlespace manager. 

Then I got a civilian job as a project manager, progressing to become a project director, operations director and now chief executive.

What was your first job – and did you enjoy it?

My first job was at a local car wash. 

I took it to bridge the gap between leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force; it was great fun, even if it was only six months. 

My first ‘proper’ job was as a weapons engineer in the RAF, more commonly referred to as an armourer. 

I loved it. It was a challenging job that really did have you at the tip of the blade when it came to the RAF ground crew. 

It helped me travel the world, visiting a range of countries and environments from deserts to jungles, staying in everything from tents to hotels. 

Were there any mentors or individuals that helped shape your career? And are you still applying lessons you learned then to your workforce of today? 

I have had many mentors, and they’ve all played a huge part in helping me define who I am as a person and a leader. 

I’m an advocate of mentors, and it’s also vital to recognise when you need to switch because you are at a new stage in your life and career. 

Good mentors recognise they are invaluable at that moment in time – a skill I try to impart in the workplace today. 

What attracted you to the facilities management sector?

Facilities management is all about making buildings and their environments better. 

It’s about anticipating and solving problems before they happen and that requires strategic thinking – a skill I worked hard to develop in the military.

I’m used to thinking about the wider impact of plans, situations and actions, so it felt like a good fit. 

When problems do crop up, you’ve got to be able to stay level-headed.

How do you feel you’ve changed as a person over the years? Have career roles brought new dimensions to your personality?

Leaving the RAF and transitioning into a civilian role was a big challenge and has definitely shaped who I am today. 

There’s no resettlement or transition programme that really prepares you for life outside the military and, at first, I had little to no support outside of my family.

It’s meant I’ve carved a career path for myself, organically creating and then growing functions within a business.

As I’ve moved through more senior leadership roles, I’ve always made sure to lead by example and try to balance creativity with clarity.

You’ve seen many changes to the employment world across your career – how do you see the workplace evolving in years to come?

The workplace is evolving faster than ever with the integration of artificial intelligence, automation and changes in legislation and governance. 

With that in mind, leaders need to be more empathetic than ever before. 

The only way to drive high performance is to prioritise human interaction and make sure we are compassionate when it comes to the changes impacting everyone around us.

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