In our latest ‘Coffee and Conversations’ series, we caught up with Matt Garner, Consultant Director and Board Member at Litmus FM, to talk about his impressive career in Facilities Management - from leading major PFI projects and overseeing catering buildings for the London 2012 Olympics, to his passion for coaching and community work.Matt shares how he first got involved with Litmus FM, what drives his interest in people and performance, and his love for Sri Lanka.

You’re one of the board members at Litmus FM – how did you end up joining the team?

I’ve known John Brownless,Co-Founder of Litmus FM, for many years through the Facilities Management world. When I took some time out from large corporate roles, John launched Litmus FM and invited me to get involved. The timing was perfect, and I joined the business in February 2023.

My career in Facilities Management began at Capita Symonds, where I was Building and Civil Engineering Manager for the Ministry of Defence site at Abbey Wood. During that time, we secured the Department for Work and Pensions’ national property contract –which was, at the time, the largest property contract in the UK.

From there, I moved to Land Securities as an Associate Director, before joining Sodexo. I worked across several major projects, including managing the 254 catering buildings for the London 2012 Olympics and overseeing operations across the education portfolio.I was later appointed Managing Director of Sodexo’s schools’ business - a £70 million a year operation.

Over the years, I’ve been heavily involved in PFI (Private Finance Initiative) projects, managing long-term facilities and service contracts across complex estates. That experience has given me a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities within PFI - particularly the importance of maintaining compliance, value for money and asset performance as contracts mature.

You’re not just a FM expert– you also are a business coach too. How did that come about?

A few years ago, I had some business coaching myself and found the process fascinating. It gave me real insight into how behavioural awareness and team dynamics can transform performance. That experience inspired me to train as a coach, and I’m now a licensed partner with Wiley, specialising in DiSC profiling and The Five Behaviours.

My coaching work focuses on senior executives and leadership teams. While at Sodexo, I had the opportunity to become an internal coach, and since then I’ve carried that work through to LitmusFM - both with the board and with some of our clients.

Often, the issues we uncover aren’t always about poor facilities management systems or processes atall – it’s about people being disengaged or teams not fully understanding each other’s strengths. Helping to realign that is where coaching really makes a difference.

Tell us more about your volunteering with Dorchester Talk Club.

I help run a men’s mental health charity called ‘Talk Club’ and I’m the co-captain of the Dorchester group. We meet weekly in a local bar and welcome any man over the age of 18.

Talk Club was founded to tackle the shocking statistics around male suicide by giving men a safe space to talk openly about how they’re feeling. We often describe it as a gym for your mental health - a place to exercise your mind through conversation and connection.

I’ve been involved for about a year now, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact it has on people who might otherwise struggle in silence.

What do you do to unwind outside of work?

I love getting outdoors and often take my Jack Russell cross on local walks. Living in a village, I like being part of the community - I’m chair of the parish council and also mentor small businesses in and around Dorset.

I’ve got an allotment too,where I grow all sorts of things - beans, peas, onions, garlic, potatoes,squash, celery, strawberries and raspberries. It’s a great way to switch off and enjoy something completely different from my day job.

I also love to travel. My partner and I often head to our house in Spain for some sunshine, but my favourite destination has to be Sri Lanka - I absolutely love it there.

You have helped reshape many catering facilities in your career so let’s end this final question on food – if you could eat any meal, anywhere, what would it be?

It would have to be a crab curry, eaten in my swim shorts on a beach in Sri Lanka – absolute perfection.

Thanks Matt.