CBNME reveals their inaugural FM Power 30 List in our March edition in which we celebrate the top 30 FM Leaders in the Middle East. Read the full version here: https://bit.ly/3bqf6ea
Ranking 5: Markus Oberlin, CEO at Farnek
Farnek has a comprehensive offering across both hard and soft FM disciplines, including bespoke technological initiatives and sustainability audits. In terms of security services, Farnek acquired Certis, one of the top ten companies in the UAE’s security services sector earlier this year, including 1,800 staff. This now positions Farnek as one of only a few TFM companies in the UAE to hold a security licence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates.
However, 2020 will forever be remembered for COVID-19 and during the early days of the pandemic, Farnek was one of the first FM companies to pilot a sanitisation gateway which disinfects all staff, upon leaving and returning to their accommodation centres. Its teams were protected and can’t inadvertently spread the virus should they become exposed.
Subsequently to further enhance safety, Farnek implemented a new contactless face recognition system to measure the temperature and monitor the attendance of its employees, in line with Dubai Municipality regulations.
In terms of quality, Farnek, was the first FM company in the region to successfully comply with the world’s first standard dedicated to FM systems ISO 41001:2018. It is also a member of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc).
Moreover, in August, Farnek achieved GBAC STAR™ accreditation for its head office facility in Dubai, the first FM facility to be accredited by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, the global cleaning industry trade association, in the Middle East.
In terms of sustainability, Farnek is a pioneer in this region. Not only is Farnek accredited as an approved Energy Services Company (ESCO) by Dubai’s Regulatory Supervisory Bureau (RSB), it is a member of the Emirates Green Building Council and certified by the Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS GB).
Farnek has also been the preferred partner of Green Globe in the Middle East for the past decade, supporting sustainable tourism by certifying over 100 hotels and significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the region’s hotel and hospitality industry and Farnek is the only FM company to win the Emirates Energy Award.
In June, Farnek also carried out a research study which discovered that Dubai hotels may have missed out on an opportunity to save thousands of dirhams in energy consumption. The findings were presented to key hospitality figures, during an industry webinar, hosted by experts from Farnek and the Swiss Business Council, amongst others.
Farnek was also recognised at an advanced CSR level, by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, drawing particular praise for its employee retention strategy, staff development and leadership program.
Farnek has also progressed ahead of schedule with its new purpose-built staff accommodation centre in Dubai South – Farnek Village. The state-of-the-art facility will be home to 5,000 employees and ready by the year end. Underscoring its green credentials, Farnek recently signed a contract with Dutch green-tech projects specialist developer Urban Ponics, to design and help create a 240sqm vertical rooftop garden.
Markus Oberlin told CBNME: “Farnek’s real success this year has been the way in which Farnek has kept its staff and its customers safe, adjusted to the challenges brought on by the coronavirus outbreak and how it has adapted to the ‘new normal’.