IFMA names 2026-27 Global Board of Directors

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has announced the member-elected executive committee and appointees to the global board of directors for the 2026-27 fiscal year (1 July 2026 – 30 June 2027).

Luis R. Viña (pictured right) begins his term as Board Chair with immediate effect. He is joined by First Vice Chair Wayne Whitzell, CFM, FMP, SFP, LEED®AP, BEP, GBO, IFMA Fellow and Second Vice Chair Nick Heibein, MCR, FMP, SFP. Members of the executive committee serve one-year terms.

Commenting on Viña’s appointment,  IFMA President and CEO Michael V. Geary, CAE said: “Luis has spent years influencing the FM industry in Latin America, raising awareness, growth and collaboration. His global experiences will help IFMA continue to connect professionals and further our ability to guide our members to be positive forces for the organizations and people they serve.”

Viña, a native of Madrid, has lived in Mexico City since 2013. He has an MBA, as well as degrees in philosophy and theology. He has built his career around real estate, integrated facility management and workplace services for global portfolios. Viña has served on IFMA’s Global Board of Directors since 2022 and was the second vice chair in 2024-25 before becoming first vice chair in 2025-26. Since 2019, he has participated in IFMA’s development in Latin America through a variety of initiatives.

Viña said: “I am very grateful to IFMA’s membership and Global Board of Directors for entrusting me with the leadership of the association for the 2026-27 term. IFMA has come a long way since 1980. We want our association to continue being that North Star pointing the way for leaders and professionals in the built environment across the globe for the next 45 years. How do we lead in a fast-paced, AI-enhanced world? How do we serve as a global organisation? These are questions I intend to address during this term with the support of our membership and board of directors.”

IFMA thanked outgoing Chair Christa Dodoo CFM, FMP, CIWFM, CMQ/OE for her steady leadership over the last 12 months. Dodoo has been a visible and vocal advocate for FM and IFMA, speaking to industry and aligned buildings professionals around the world. She is a frequent contributor to IFMA’s Connected FM Podcast, bringing her vast expertise on critical FM topics such as sustainability, circular economy, climate challenges, technology adoption and expanding workforce skills to a global audience.

During Dodoo’s term, IFMA:

• increased its membership to more than 26,000 global members, including a 10 percent increase in EMEA
• expanded IFMA’s job board to include global FM career and internship opportunities
• unveiled IFMA’s Top Global FM Influencers, a list of visionaries driving change and innovation across the built environment
• reactivated IFMA’s Young Professionals network
• launched chapters in Indonesia, Uganda and Rwanda and reorganized the formation of the Caribbean Chapter
• published the Strategic Playbook for Scalable FM Training
• updated IFMA’s Self-Assessment tool to assess skills and take a more strategic approach to professional growth
• introduced IFMA’s inaugural FM Index/Pulse Report, delivering data-driven insights on global FM workload trends, budgets, staffing and risk
• published regional white papers on circular economy (North America, Africa & Europe), along with groundbreaking reports such as The Rise of the FM Analyst
• secured participation in the United Nations Commission on Indoor Air Quality, provided FM recommendations and testimonials to U.K. Parliament, and joined the Renovate Europe campaign

Dodoo said: “IFMA and its diverse, global membership worked as one unit to accomplish so much this year. We set new benchmarks for what stewardship and advocacy can achieve in the facilities management profession and strengthened IFMA’s position as a true global partner across various sectors within the built environment. Thank you, IFMA, for a wonderful year. I’m excited to see Luis’ positive influence in the year to come.”

IFMA 2026-27 Global Board of Directors

Chair
Luis R. Viña
Senior Director, Global Operations, Ciudad de México, Mexico

First Vice Chair
Wayne Whitzell, CFM, FMP, SFP, LEED®AP, BEP, GBO, IFMA Fellow
Senior Vice President, SOLID Surface Care, San Francisco, California, USA

Second Vice Chair
Nick Heibein, MCR, FMP, SFP
Executive Director, Integrated Facilities Management, JLL Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ex-Officio
Michael V. Geary, CAE
President & CEO IFMA,  Savanna, Georgia, USA
 
Past Chair
Christa Dodoo, CFM, FMP, CIWFM, CMQ-OE
Head, Global Workplace Strategy and Safety United Nations World Food Programme, Rome, Italy

Board of Directors