Moving into 2025, we have some important news to share with you. In keeping with our policy of promoting from within the company, we are excited to announce that Rebecca Bell has assumed the role of managing director at Spectrum Service Solutions, and our founder, Sara Taylor, is fulfilling the role of chair.  This continues the legacy of being a strong Scottish family business, staying true to our heritage.

The transition started some months ago, so while the new management structure happens with immediate effect, preparations have been underway for some time to ensure there is no disruption and that we continue to deliver the high levels of service our customers expect.

Rebecca has been Spectrum’s Operations Director for 7 years, and she not only has exceptional knowledge of the business but also a keen understanding of the industry. For many years now, she has driven the introduction of innovative practices that deliver better, more efficient and sustainable solutions, all of which have benefitted Spectrum and the clients we support. Assuming the role of managing director means the company will continue to operate with the core values that have seen our family business grow year after year since we started trading in 2003.

We caught up with Rebecca to find out her thoughts on her new role and what it means for Spectrum in the future.

Can you tell us about the changes taking place at Spectrum?

It’s a great question because while this is obviously a significant change, I’m keen to stress that nothing will change in terms of service delivery. Spectrum has always been proud of its reputation for personal development and internal promotion; we’ve written about this in our blog many times, but this is perhaps the best example so far. I started working here as a cleaner many years ago, and I’m now delighted to be taking on the role of managing director.

My mum, Sara, founded the company in 2003. She has done an outstanding job of building the business with exceptional growth to become the leading independent commercial cleaning and soft FM company in the country. Still, she’s made the decision that now is the right time to take a step back and enjoy more downtime!

However, her passion for the business and the clients has not diminished, and she is eager to ensure the ethos of the business remains intact and that the company continues to operate with the family values that have enabled it to grow year after year for the past 21 years. That’s why I’m delighted to be taking the reins and continuing to build the business on the strong foundations that have been put in place.

Can we expect any changes?

No, certainly not in the short term. The reality is that this transition started some months ago. We were keen to maintain the status quo, so I have been more and more involved in the running of the entire business for several months, and to the best of my knowledge, nobody has witnessed any significant change. That’s what we wanted. The company has always had robust processes and procedures in place for all parts of the operation. Likewise, we have an excellent and highly experienced management team and well-established core values, so there is no need for wholesale changes.

That said, we have never stood still as a business, and we have been working on a new five-year strategy focused on making Spectrum an inspiring workplace. We want to reinforce our status as a trusted brand; we want to continuously achieve operational excellence and continue to refine our processes to deliver efficiencies and greater sustainability. And we will continue to focus on and encourage personal development to ensure we have a robust talent pipeline.

Traditionally, we are early adopters of new technology; what we’ve done with the implementation of our data-driven approach or use of chemical-free cleaning is a testament to that. So, any changes will be improvements to what we already do.

Is it a daunting prospect to run such a well-established and successful company with over 700 employees?

Of course, running any business is challenging, no matter what size and how successful it is. But rather than it being a daunting prospect, I’ve approached it as an exciting challenge, one with many opportunities for myself and the whole team at Spectrum.

I’m fortunate that I have a fantastic grasp of every aspect of the company because I’ve worked at every level of the business. I started working at Spectrum in 2008. While studying at university, all of my friends had traditional student jobs, mainly in hospitality, but I was the cleaner in a busy City Centre Office in Glasgow. Later, that developed to becoming a Mobile Cover Cleaner and working on various Client sites, so I’ve learned from the cleaners, supervisors, managers, area managers, management team, and, of course, my mum. So, I have a deep understanding of the role that everyone plays in the business and the challenges they face daily.

But, my experience is not only on the operational side of the business; for many years, I’ve been working in business development and customer and staff relations. Also, I have invaluable experience in the event side of the business and project managing the delivery of our services at mass audience events.

So, I know managing director at Spectrum is a significant and challenging job, but I am confident I have the experience I need and a great management team around me to continue to grow the turnover and stature of the Spectrum brand.

What message would you give to the team at Spectrum about the management change?

As I said earlier, this transition has been planned and implemented gradually; it started some time ago, and I’ve already had many conversations with members of the team about the changes to reassure them that there will be no wholesale changes.

These changes offer opportunities for many people in the business, and I hope my journey inspires them to believe they can be successful and grow with Spectrum. Another good example of this lies with Gemma Pollock; she started to work with Spectrum four years ago as an evening cleaning supervisor, and her hard work and commitment have seen her progress steadily, leading her to assume her new role as Spectrum’s Head of Operations.

I’m very proud that there are many more stories about staff progression; it demonstrates our commitment to creating a future where people thrive.  In the next few months, we will be announcing some exciting (and well deserved) promotions.

What do you see for the Spectrum over the next 5 years?

We will continue to grow organically. It will be growth in a controlled manner that ensures we continue to deliver high-quality services to our clients. We will continue to be innovators. I’ve seen many changes in the industry in the last few years, both in technology and with the client’s requirements. So, we will continue to move with the times and adapt to the changing needs of our clients. But, it will all be based on our solid foundations and core values which are:

• We will be creative by encouraging innovative thinking, adaptability and the power of a diverse viewpoint.
• We will be proud by upholding our heritage with pride by delivering quality, embracing accountability and advocacy for our standards.
• We will grow together by strengthening our team through coaching and collaboration, creating an environment for shared success.
• We will care about the details by committing to thoroughness, clear communication and responsibility in every aspect of our work.

These core values have been established after careful consideration of our objectives; we believe that by operating around these, we will flourish personally and as a business. We embrace change, but we don’t change for change’s sake; we change if it will have a positive impact on our clients and the well-being of our team.

We’re also passionate about the environment and how we can get to net zero. We are already a long way into that journey, but we will continue to push environmental issues in the broader facilities management sector. Likewise, diversity and inclusion; we are in an industry sector that is particularly well suited to offer careers to a diverse range of people; we will continue to embrace all of the available workforces and do what we can to provide opportunities for them to work and thrive.