Bruce Meehan likes to say he "cut his teeth" on the former city council FM contract 15 years ago when it was first parceled out to external contractors. At the time he was working for Civic. 

"The challenges faced by the team today are the same as we faced over a decade ago," Bruce says. "You have a lot of people using the assets we maintain, and that means a lot of work is needed to maintain them."

Bruce joined the Ventia team when we commenced the Auckland Council contract in 2017, last year taking on the role of Working Supervisor for the Waitematā Local Board area. This includes management of the foot orderlies in Auckland's CBD. 

"During the pandemic we've had the same challenges as other organisations," Bruce says. 

We've adapted and continued to perform well because we've built a good team that's flexible and willing to just get in and do what needs to be done.

Bruce says he's proud of his team as they've stepped in and taken extra responsibility. As their manager, one of his jobs has been to ensure they're well supported. 

^{A lot of people are using the assets Ventia maintains under the Auckland FM contract, and that means a lot of work is needed to maintain them.}

"When we transitioned to a new structure early last year, many of the team expanded their skill sets," he says. "It was great to see the way they learned to collaborate better to look after all the different assets under our care." 

He's also stepped up himself, taking on new tasks and learning new systems as the contract implemented SAP for everything from timesheets to managing work orders in 2021. 

It was a little daunting at first, but it didn't take long to get the hang of it.

Sometimes it's the simple things that require a lot of his focus as a leader.

"One of the key things I've been focused on is ensuring we get access to enough of the consumables we need to do our jobs, like rubbish bags, gloves and other PPE." 

As an Auckland native, Bruce says he's passionate about all that the city has to offer and is very knowledgeable when it comes to the city's quirks! 

^{Bruce is passionate about all that Auckland has to offer.}

^{Top image: Bruce Meehan (pictured right) with a colleague, Caroline Haku.}