Brandon Cheung

No two days are the same for Brandon, who is among the team who oversees the management of facilities for JLL’s international school accounts in Hong Kong. A school comprises various types of amenities, all of which require specialist knowledge, and operates in two different modes, unlike other facilities.

“There is term time, when students are on campus, and then there is term break, when we do all our major repairs and projects with no students on campus. You learn that a school, especially an international school, is a unique environment. The product you create is not sold to customers but used to nurture future generations,” says Brandon.

Delaying a completion date for an upgrade or repair project is not an option on campus, where operations revolve around the school’s calendar.

A U.K. native, he began his career in Hong Kong in the hospitality industry after 10 years in the property management sector back home. Project management is a critical skill, especially for Brandon when he is supervising the six-month-long planning for and subsequent delivery of facility-related projects during the school’s summer break – the longest in the school calendar. 

“There is a tremendous sense of teamwork. JLL is one big family. You are never alone when facing a problem or are reviewing a situation. The support from the head office has been amazing,” says Brandon, who recalls jumping at the opportunity to join the firm when he referred by an ex-colleague.

“Well-being is important, especially after COVID-19, which we know we’ll have to live with for a while. We need to understand the risk of being on the front line and how to minimise it.”

Having majored in computer engineering, Brandon felt that he lacked the formal training for his role. He is now close to completing an undergraduate facility management programme. The application of proptech is one of the core components.  

In particular, a refresher on CMMS (computerised maintenance management systems) and their implementation in real time has intrigued Brandon, who uses JLL’s Corrigo system day by day and appreciates how it has streamlined the team’s reporting process.