Emma Armstrong
Emma Armstrong is the Founder and Managing Director of Empro.
Emma’s exceptional leadership skills at the helm of Empro have been instrumental in the company’s remarkable growth. Under her guidance, Empro has become synonymous with excellence, transparency, and integrity in the corporate world, delivering noteworthy projects for global household names.
Tell us a little bit about your business… / or the organisation you work for.
We’re a vibrant, female-led, positive social impact consultancy specialising in project management and change in the workplace.
We put our lovely clients at the heart of everything we do; and firmly believe our clients success is shared success. We’re dedicated to empowering our clients to achieve their strategic goals through our range of services. From outsourcing strategy and tendering to estate rationalisations, workplace transformations, and recruiting the best talent, we are committed to providing the support and guidance needed to drive transformational change with favourable outcomes.
How did you get into the industry?
I fell in to the FM industry completely by accident, but the more I learned, the more that it unlocked a passion that I wasn’t aware I had. I worked in the FM industry for around 6 years, and through determination, hard work, and dedication, worked my way up very quickly. Eventually, I got to a point in my career where I had grown and progressed so far, that I reached the ceiling and had nowhere else to go.
One thing that I was always passionate about was developing people, and businesses and doing things well and to a high standard. I noticed a gap in the market where I could use my potential to add a different value-added spin and use my extensive business knowledge to offer a high-quality service where I could challenge the norm and do something that wasn’t currently being done.
I left and set up Empro with the vision to provide niche consultancy in the FM sector, using all of the knowledge that I had. My priority was doing things in a positive way, at a high quality, and doing things quickly, whilst putting my own spin on things.
What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry?
Several prominent challenges within the industry extend into the future, such as emerging technologies. With so many new technologies coming out, it increases cybersecurity risks and businesses need to be ready to tackle these risks whilst staying up to date with these technologies. Demographic shifts, and the evolving generational dynamics within the professional sphere can also be a challenge as the different generations have different needs and often value different things within the workplace, an example of this would be that older generations tend to work for security, structure and fulfilment, whereas the younger generations are looking more for work life balance, social impact and flexibility. As a business, it’s really important to anticipate the ramifications of these different factors on the workplace, both presently and in the coming years, and strategise accordingly to adapt and meet the evolving needs of the workforce.
There is also a lot of thought leadership that needs to be done in line with these challenges. For example, now that remote and hybrid working is more common than ever, we need to consider the mental health implications that this could have on individuals and how we can find new ways to collaborate in a digital society.
There are so many factors that present opportunities for business. As well as being a challenge, having a multi-generation workforce means that we can combine the knowledge and expertise of the older generations, with the technological skills of the younger generations which can enhance service offerings. Emerging technologies such as AI can help to improve business operations if done correctly and can be used as a tool to enhance productivity and creativity. Leveraging the use of AI can help businesses to stay ahead of the competition and meet the needs of their clients.
How would you describe your leadership style? (if not in a leadership role talk about your working style)
When it comes to leadership, I want to be a leader that supports, inspires and encourages personal growth.
I enjoy staying in the loop with industry trends, new technologies, and global happenings. It’s a personal commitment to keep learning, so that I can stay ahead of changes that might affect our business. I’m always up for adapting to new situations, so that my leadership style can evolve as needed.
I make it a mission to get to know all of my employees on a personal level, and understand each of their personal targets and needs so that I can best support them not only professionally but personally.
How do you get the most out of the people who work for you? (or work with you)
I’m really passionate about recognising and valuing diverse perspectives and backgrounds within our team. Creating an inclusive work environment is a personal goal of mine, where everyone’s ideas and experiences contribute to an adaptable and innovative leadership approach.
This goes hand in hand with open and transparent communication. Actively seeking feedback and being receptive to new ideas is my way of fostering a culture of collaboration and adaptability.
We have a fantastic team of professionals, and I am passionate about providing the necessary resources so that my whole team can grow and progress in their careers. Currently, the majority of our team are enrolled in further education or apprenticeships, that align with their role or their goals. I think it’s so important to make sure that we are always learning and always growing and that everybody is provided with the opportunities to progress.
What are the most crucial elements to your business running smoothly and being successful?
Our clients are at the heart of what we do and investing time in understanding the unique goals and objectives of our partners helps us to align these ambitions to create a solution that supports their strategy. I strongly believe that building strong connections beyond professional interactions contributes to the strengthening of partnerships and helps to maintain a positive and long-term relationships that are built on trust and transparency.
How has the past 12 months been for you?
The past 12 months have been incredible for Empro, and we have had quite a journey. I returned to work in early 2023 after a lengthy hospital stay, and recovery. Despite this, 2023 got off to a flying start as business started picking up, and we were lucky enough to start expanding the team to keep up with the increasing demand. Business picked up at a really fast rate, and within a few months, we had made several new hires.
The past 6 months have been a whirlwind for Empro, as we split the Empro business into 3. Empro Buisness Group, Empro Recruitment, and Empro Consultants. This gave us more capacity to work on some incredibly exciting projects and make our mark within the different industries.
The most exciting change in the past 12 months, was securing our first office and having a new base where we could host all of our incredible clients! This was such a key moment in our journey as we wanted to have a hub where we could come together, and collaborate in a creative, inspiring environment.
What will the next 12 months look like for you or your business?
The next 12 months actually looks to be a fantastic year for us. We have a really strong pipeline already and we are seeing that materialise.
Although, we are not just looking at this year, we are also looking at next year and all the way into 2030. We have things in our pipeline that we want to apply for, deliver and achieve all the way into the next few years.
We are always looking at the market, what opportunities we want to go for, what products we want to develop, hires we want to make, how we want the team to grow and how we can support people physically, personally and professionally.
We also look at what we want to achieve as a business and how we can support our industry and the markets that we work in. Particularly, also using forward thinking, planning and strategic viewpoints of what the world looks like, and ask ourselves what challenges are employers going to face within the next 5-10 years?
I think that where we are today, and what the problems will be in 5-10 years will be very different and we want to be ready for that and be able to give our clients the best advice regarding these challenges.
We have lots planned in 2024, lots of growth, lots of thinking, lots of products to develop, and deliver, and we have a great roadmap with the right people behind us to do that.
What are the highlights of your career so far?
There are a few highlights in my career, but I have two that stand out the most for me.
The initial moment that stands out was during our first Empro Christmas party, surrounded by some of the most incredible team of committed people that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. It was so gratifying to be able to host this event for my team, and it’s a moment that I felt really proud of.
The second moment would be the point that we are at now. We have recently had 7 new starters joining the business and a fabulous pipeline, as well as one of the biggest organisations in the world on our client books.
From being a little tear away when I was 15, to now being a successful, respected business with some significant clients is a pinch me moment. I spent a lot of work in 2023 building my vision and speaking to people about what I wanted to do, communicating, networking and putting my journey on LinkedIn and now seeing that land and become a reality just gives you a big sense of pride and appreciation.
What’s the biggest professional / business mistake that you’ve learnt from?
One of the biggest mistakes that I have made in my career, would probably be over working, and not giving myself a break or time off to recuperate. Not only did this have an impact on my health, but was also damaging for relationships with those around me. Like many people, I found it very difficult to switch off and relax and give myself a healthy work life balance which as a result, left me burnt out in several ways.
It took a lot of time to work on these habits and to find a healthy balance between my working life and my personal life. However, once I was able to recognise and appreciate the importance of delegating my time, I was able to manage my time more efficiently, and have a better work life balance.
What’s the best piece of professional / business advice you’ve been given or would like to give?
Success isn’t something that just gets handed to you, it requires relentless hard work and perseverance. To really be successful, you need to dedicate yourself to studying, proving your capabilities through hard work, and expanding your network to see results.
Looking back on my early career, one aspect I underestimated was the importance of forging genuine connections based on respect and integrity. These relationships have proven invaluable in my journey. Many of my current colleagues are not just professional contacts but also close friends, and this is the way I prefer to do business.
Another piece of advice I advocate is the importance of kindness. Nobody can fault you or knock you down for being a good person.
In summary, work hard, cultivate relationships, stay curious, remain humble, and approach challenges with an open mind. Avoid burnout by pacing yourself, and remember, with determination, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
