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RECOGNISED FOR DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL IMPACT VIEW
MICHAEL AMOS,
MANAGING DIRECTOR, WASTE TO WONDER WORLDWIDE
I was delighted to be named one of IFMA’s Top Global Influencers. It is an industry that I’m super passionate about because of the potential opportunities to deliver social good and environmental positive impact through ethical reuse. The places we live and work in have an enormous impact on the planet.
Being named by IFMA as one of the Top Global FM Influencers is both an honour and a responsibility. In publishing this inaugural list, IFMA is recognising individuals whose influence extends beyond technical expertise, celebrating leadership, innovation, measurable impact, and the ability to inspire positive change. These are professionals who are not only managing facilities but also reimagining the role of FM as a strategic driver of organisational, environmental, and social value.
From my perspective, this accolade signifies a growing recognition that facilities management has a central role to play in addressing some of society’s greatest challenges, from climate change to social equity. The profession is no longer defined purely by operational excellence but by its capacity to shape resilient, inclusive and sustainable futures. For me personally, it recognises the work we have been doing to advocate for a more circular and socially impactful approach to the built environment.
The built environment accounts for a significant proportion of global emissions, resource consumption and waste. This gives FM professionals an extraordinary opportunity and responsibility to lead. At Waste to Wonder Worldwide, we’ve built our mission on the belief that sustainability must be embedded at every stage of the asset lifecycle. Through ethical reuse, surplus furniture and equipment that might otherwise be discarded is redirected to support schools and communities worldwide, while at the same time delivering substantial carbon savings.
The results highlight what’s possible when FM embraces a more circular approach. In just the past year our projects have diverted tens of thousands of items from landfill, prevented several thousand tonnes of carbon emissions, and provided resources valued in the millions to underfunded schools and charities. These achievements are not accidental, they reflect the proactive choices made by FM professionals who have recognised the value of reuse over disposal. Their decisions deserve to be celebrated, because they show how facilities management can deliver far more than operational efficiency. They can advance progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and make a tangible contribution to net zero commitments.
Beyond these environmental gains, sustainability is also about creating opportunity. That’s why we’re launching our Sustainability Cookery School in The Gambia, working with local partners and international chefs to teach sustainable agriculture, hospitality, and tourism. The school is designed to break cycles of poverty by equipping young people with skills that create opportunity while building resilience against climate change. For me, projects like this epitomise what FM can achieve when we look beyond buildings to the wider systems they are part of, supporting communities, fostering innovation, and delivering measurable impact.
This recognition is also a chance to bring people together. In November, we are hosting our first charity fundraising dinner in London, not only to raise vital funds for the Cookery School, but to create a space for colleagues across the built environment to connect, share ideas, and commit to collective impact. For me, that is what influence should be used for, building momentum that inspires real change.
As a profession, we now have the chance to lead with purpose, measure our impact transparently, and show how the built environment can serve both people and planet. That, ultimately, is what this recognition represents, a call to step forward and prove the true potential of facilities management.
