How FM Teams Drive Brand Success
With Tom Kay, Managing partner at Efficio advisors
In this episode, Tom Kay talks about how FM teams can gain more visibility, more confidence, and more impact. With the rise of AI and smarter asset management, we have a real chance to change the perception of Facilities being just a cost center. Instead, it’s a strategic driver of brand outcomes.
Listen now:
ServiceChannel
Tom Kay says the industry is at an inflection point — with technology, talent, and consumer expectations all shifting at once. Tom describes how facilities can shape the customer experience every day, and has never been more essential. The teams who embrace data, modern tools, and continuous upskilling will lead the next chapter of the built environment.
Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar.
The podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance.
Today, we talk with Tom Kay, managing partner at Efficio Advisors. Efficio partners directly with CEOs and boards to cut through distraction, mitigate risks before they surface, and unlock sustainable growth.
About the Guest
Tom is a seasoned business executive and advisor who brings a unique blend of leadership, commercial expertise, and strategic insight that bridges the needs of early-stage startups, established technology companies, and the investment community. With a career spanning sales, marketing, client services, product development, and operations, he’s consistently helped organizations scale, transform, and deliver measurable results.
Equally at home advising founders on their first go-to-market strategy or guiding private equity and venture-backed firms through complex growth initiatives, I specialize in aligning strategy with execution. My background includes building high-performance teams, driving solution-oriented innovation, and managing P&L with a focus on sustainable growth. Investors and executive teams alike trust my ability to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and turn strategy into bottom-line results.
“If you don’t have an established FM team or support force, you run the risk of jeopardizing your brand. FM is the first line of defense for brick-and-mortar businesses.”
— Tom Kay
TIMESTAMPS
** 01:18 – About Tom
** 04:20 – Advising the industry
** 12:34 – Is FM misunderstood?
** 18:00 – The talent gap
** 31:00 – The impact of new tech
** 45:35 – Future thinking
** 52:42 – Where to find Tom
** 53:09 – Sid’s takeaways
SPONSOR:
ServiceChannel brings you peace of mind through peak facilities performance.
Rest easy knowing your locations are:
- Offering the best possible guest experience
- Living up to brand standards
- Operating with minimal downtime
ServiceChannel partners with more than 500 leading brands globally to provide visibility across operations, the flexibility to grow and adapt to consumer expectations, and accelerated performance from their asset fleet and service providers.
