In the coming months, we will bring you closer to the senior leadership team members who run our UK delivery at Strata, shining a spotlight on their respective departments and the significant roles they play.
Spending time with our Managing Director this week – Tracey Lev’y. We asked her for some valuable insights into the industry, as well as how her role supports delivery and growth at Strata.
Can you describe your professional journey in the property/construction industry up to this point?
I started my career as an apprentice studying customer service and business. Like many students leaving higher education, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and was underwhelmed by the options presented to me at school. I decided to explore an apprenticeship option rather than continue in full-time education, as I was keen to obtain work experience whilst continuing my studies.
I interviewed for an apprentice position with a property developer who was looking to invest in a young person, secured the role, and the journey began. At the beginning of my apprenticeship, it was structured to work in each department for a 3-month period, which provided an oversight and learning into each area of the business. I started in admin and reception, working closely with the MD’s PA, then moved to finance, marketing, construction, and finally property management. This structure provided a great experience for a young person and provided me with an in-depth overview, working with many great professionals providing insight into the whole business. At the end of the programme, I was invited to join the property management team. Every day was different, and I got to work with a wide range of good, knowledgeable people who were specialists in their fields. There was a lot to learn, but I embraced the prospect of becoming a facilities manager myself, which drove my desire to succeed. I felt very fortunate to have found this opportunity.
Over the years, while working with the same developer, my role changed several times, and my responsibilities grew. An opportunity to work as an ‘acting’ property manager was offered to me, which I accepted willingly. In the past, I had been in a supporting position, but I was now fully responsible for overseeing a large portfolio of PPM and reactive maintenance contracts, managing fit-out and refurbishment projects, managing a team of engineers, and running multi-service charge budgets. This became a permanent position a year later.
After a long period in this role, I decided to move into a new role to further my career opportunities, so I joined Strata as Operations Director. This was a new challenge, which I embraced. Working closely with our owner, I became the lead on all UK operations and was subsequently promoted to Managing Director, a position I currently hold.
From early on in my career, I realised that facilities management was an exciting, growing industry, and I was eager to be part of it. I quickly learned that in FM, you can’t be an expert in everything, but you must have an interest in growing your knowledge, gaining valuable experience, and having a good network of specialist sub-contractors and trades around you. You can deliver a high-standard customer experience, comply with PPM contracts, work within client budgets, and provide an effective reactive response for emergencies.
What are the key aspects of your responsibilities in your role as MD at Strata?
As MD, I am responsible for Strata’s UK operations. I lead the overall strategic and operational procedures within the Group, supported by an experienced senior management team of directors and a wider team. A key part of my role is to sustain our company ethos and values, along with ensuring high service standards are delivered to all our clients’ touch points.
What are the main focus points for Strata’s innovation and growth in 2025, and what part do you play in achieving the vision?
At Strata, we are on a digital journey to drive innovation and growth. New technology provides great tools to improve efficiency and gather trend data, which aids better management of our client properties. In my opinion, we must maintain the use of technical advances coupled with human interaction. We have a high-service delivery approach and believe that direct contact with our clients is essential. Maintaining good working relationships with our customers and trusted service partners is crucial. We work hard not to become a faceless service provider and use technological advances to enhance our service offering – there is a role for both.
For you, what is one of the most rewarding aspects of leading a team in the FM sector?
It is very rewarding to aid and witness my team succeed and demonstrate personal growth. We have a great team at Strata, so to stretch, develop, and allow them to grow their knowledge and career paths is always a key objective of mine.
What role do you think mentorship plays in supporting young people into this industry?
Mentoring plays a massive role in our industry. I am an advocate for our great industry and feel more time should be taken with young people to promote the numerous job roles available in FM. I had two mentors during my career; without their patience, support, and guidance, I don’t think I would be in the position I am now. I am hugely grateful to them both.
What advice would you give to young people entering the industry, especially into a career path for a role like yours?
Work hard, be resilient, listen, and learn from your peers. Take opportunities when they are offered. It is healthy to challenge yourself, and although it is uncomfortable at times, it will pay off. Never burn bridges and be respectful to those you work with and for. FM is a small community, so respect from your peers and good relationships are key. Be open to innovation and digital progress, as our industry is evolving.
Can you speak about a time when you faced a major obstacle at work and how you managed to overcome it?
I recall a challenging period in my career during my late twenties. I was progressing well in my career, had a good team around me, and was being recognised by my senior team – everything you would want. However, I found myself, for a period of time, a little lost. At the time, I was managing a large fit-out project for a demanding client, actively being involved in a legal construction defect claim, whilst also delivering my day job. Under normal circumstances, handling various matters at once like this didn’t phase me; in fact, I enjoyed that part of my job.
But during this particular period, I wasn’t looking after myself, had some personal challenges to deal with, and was overloaded at work. Looking back now, this was a period of burnout with heightened stress, but at the time, you don’t recognise it. You just push yourself, accept the stretch, and try to deliver everything to the best of your ability to keep your peers, management, and clients happy. What I wasn’t doing was managing my well-being or stress. I was working constant long hours, becoming very insular, and not sleeping. I would often wake up during the night to write lists of things to do, just to allow myself to shut down.
This went on for some months, and eventually, my manager took me aside and spoke to me about the pressure I was under. He could see a change in my personality, and this had been raised to him by those I worked with. This intervention allowed an opportunity for me to explain what was going on and how I was feeling. I never thought to ask for help, I just deemed pressure to be part of my job. Speaking out helped. It allowed me to prioritize my short-term workload into manageable tasks and the ability to delegate some of the more day-to-day tasks to others. This helped and allowed my team to step up and take on more responsibility in their roles.
This period taught me to be in tune with myself, manage stress, and to ask for help shouldn’t be deemed failure. My manager and the people around me were very willing to support and help me, but at the time, I never considered confiding in them. Fortunately, I had a good manager who stepped in. I now am very mindful and aware of mine and my teams’ boundaries. Look out for your colleagues and team, I regularly take time to sit with them to review their workload and ensure opportunity is available to ask for help.
