A good leader should have integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, compassion, and resilience. They should learn agility and flex their influence while communicating the vision, showing gratitude, and collaborating effectively.

Marianne Rutz, the CEO of Ethical Maintenance’s leadership style, can be best encapsulated by the famous mantra “soup/soap/salvation,” reflecting her commitment to nurturing and empowering her team. Marianne believes in providing the team with the essential “food” they need to thrive, which includes comprehensive training, dedicated support, and a focus on personal development. By investing her time and resources into team members, Marianne creates a culture of growth and empowerment within the organization.

Moreover, she prioritizes operational excellence by emphasizing the importance of cleanliness in processes and procedures. Marianne strives to streamline operations, implement automation where possible, and uphold high productivity and quality control standards. Her meticulous attention to detail and commitment to efficiency contribute to a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

A distinctive aspect of Marianne’s leadership philosophy is the emphasis on numbers and financial metrics as critical drivers of success. By closely monitoring productivity figures, economic performance, and customer feedback metrics, she demonstrates a deep understanding of the business’s operational health and areas for improvement. Her ability to leverage data and analytics to make informed decisions sets her apart as a strategic and results-oriented leader.

Marianne’s unwavering focus on customer experience (CX) as a central guiding principle underscores her dedication to placing the customer at the organization’s heart. By viewing CX as a pervasive and integral aspect of every function and level within the company, she ensures that customer needs and expectations are consistently met and exceeded. Her proactive engagement with homeowners, education initiatives, and commitment to understanding their perspectives highlight a customer-centric approach and drive for long-term success.

Ultimately, Marianne’s leadership approach incorporates empathy, strategic planning, and a steadfast commitment to achieving excellence, positioning her as a forward-thinking leader who motivates and supports her team and customers.

Becoming A Transformative Leader

Upon joining Ethical Maintenance, a property factoring firm founded by her husband, Marianne identified a crucial need to enhance the homeowner experience within the company and across the entire factoring industry. Property factoring, also known as block management, involves a property factor – a third-party service provider – who takes responsibility for managing the communal areas and shared aspects of a residential building or complex. This can include everything from maintenance and repairs to insurance and financial management.

Through Marianne’s unique framework LEAP (Leading People – Executing Process – Amplifying Profit), Marianne strongly emphasized the importance of people in driving business success, understanding that recruiting, onboarding, training, and supporting talented individuals are essential in delivering exceptional service to homeowners.

Her focus on optimizing processes, leveraging automation, and incorporating AI technologies has been instrumental in streamlining operations and improving efficiency. Recognizing the impact of outdated manual processes on customer experience and employee engagement, Marianne has led projects to modernize back-office procedures to reduce errors and enhance overall performance.

“Bringing a wealth of expertise and professional experience to Ethical Maintenance, I initially focused on HR and Operations, areas where I felt most comfortable. However, I soon realized the critical importance of addressing challenges in IT, automation, AI, and finance, which required a shift in my approach,” explains Marianne. “Transitioning from a silent Director to the role of CEO also presented unique dynamics, particularly collaborating with my husband and finding ways to support to enhance the business.”

Navigating the complexities of leading alongside a spouse, Marianne learned the importance of clear leadership roles, effective time management, and setting boundaries to ensure work-life balance. Communication emerged as a significant hurdle, followed closely by presenting a unified front to their team, underscoring the importance of cohesive leadership in guiding the organization toward success.

Diving deep into the heart of the community allowed Marianne to gain invaluable hands-on learning experiences and establish herself as a people’s leader by fostering genuine connections through empathy. By engaging directly with community members, she immersed herself in their daily lives, challenges, and aspirations. This first-hand interaction enabled her to truly understand their perspectives, needs, and emotions.

The essence of empathy lies in actively listening and responding to people’s experiences with compassion and understanding, rather than mere sympathy or agreement. Marianne learned that demonstrating empathy—not only acknowledging the struggles of others but also validating their feelings—was crucial in building trust and rapport within the community. This empathetic approach allowed her to connect on a deeper level, showing community members that she genuinely cared about their well-being.

Furthermore, Marianne recognized the delicate balance between empathy and assertiveness. While it was essential to be assertive in advocating for the community’s needs, the urgency of empathy guided her interactions. By prioritizing empathy, she was able to create an environment where community members felt heard, respected, and empowered. This not only enhanced her leadership qualities but also positioned her as a true representative of the people, capable of inspiring and mobilizing others toward collective action. In essence, Marianne’s deep dive into the community, rooted in empathy, transformed her into an effective and compassionate leader.

Building A Great Company

Ethical Maintenance strongly emphasizes apprenticeships as a means of nurturing talent and fostering a culture of continuous learning. By providing apprentices with structured support, paid study time, and exam assistance, they aim to cultivate a skilled workforce and uphold the apprenticeship tradition prevalent in Switzerland.

“As we champion this approach within our organization, I am committed to advancing the apprenticeship model in the UK and bridging the gap to empower future generations of skilled professionals,” says Marianne. “Our approach to fair pricing for customers at Ethical Maintenance sets us apart as a boutique business in the factoring industry, committed to challenging the conventional norms.” Through their unique practices, the company prioritizes transparency and customer choice by convening annual meetings with all homeowners to review services provided, associated costs, and available options. This interactive session empowers homeowners to select services based on their preferences, ensuring alignment with their title deeds and eliminating any ambiguity in the maintenance program.

Ethical Maintenance goes the extra mile by presenting three quotes from trusted contractors for each service, allowing homeowners to make informed decisions that best suit their needs. By fostering open communication and engaging regularly with homeowners through personalized newsletters, they strive to keep the community well-informed and address any concerns proactively. “While some may argue that this level of transparency could increase costs, we believe that by reducing complaints and enhancing customer satisfaction, we ultimately drive down the cost of services,” adds Marianne. “Our dedication to customer engagement and transparency not only promotes fairness but also contributes to a harmonious and cost-effective community living experience.”

Ethical Maintenance prioritizes building solid relationships with residents’ associations and facilitating the establishment of such associations to streamline communication and drive efficient decision-making. Collaborating with key stakeholders such as Police Scotland, insurance brokers, and energy brokers, they proactively address safety concerns, reduce insurance claims, and optimize energy procurement strategies to lower premiums for homeowners. By leveraging partnerships with brokers in energy management, Marianne and her team streamline operations and enhance customer experience while saving on administrative costs. Through these collaborative efforts and a focus on community empowerment, they create sustainable and cost-effective living environments for homeowners.

Involving homeowners in the planning and management of the annual maintenance program is essential because it allows Marianne and her team to truly understand the community’s needs and desires. By having her ears and boots on the ground, they can engage with residents directly, listening to their concerns and aspirations. This interaction often reveals a distinction between what people express as individuals and what the community as a whole truly needs.

The mission of Ethical Maintenance is to serve the community rather than just individual homeowners. Marianne’s role is to ensure that her team makes decisions that benefit the collective while still honouring the unique perspectives of each resident. By actively involving homeowners in the process, the company creates a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and heard. This not only fosters a sense of ownership and pride in their shared spaces but also helps Ethical Maintenance develop maintenance programs that resonate with the community’s real needs. The benefits are profound: they cultivate trust, improve satisfaction, and ultimately enhance the quality of life for everyone involved. By prioritizing empathy and collaboration, Ethical Maintenance can ensure that their maintenance efforts truly reflect the values and priorities of the community they serve.

Ethical Maintenance’s simple 3-Step process is designed with empathy at its core, helping customers enhance their property factoring service, whether they choose to work with their current property manager or switch to a new one.

• Leading People: Marianne recognizes the importance of balancing the needs of the community with those of individual homeowners. To achieve this, Ethical Maintenance prioritizes engagement by meeting with the community at least twice a year. During these meetings, they share their presence on the estate and offer maintenance clinics, creating opportunities for open dialogue. This approach ensures that everyone feels included and valued, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose. No other factoring service takes such a personal approach, and Ethical Maintenance believes it is vital for the greater good of the community.
• Executing Process: Marianne has implemented processes that place homeowners at the forefront of Ethical Maintenance’s services. A crucial aspect of this is education; many homeowners are unaware of what their title deeds entail, or the necessity of a quorum vote for changes in the maintenance program. Ethical Maintenance strives to demystify these processes, as the best procedures are ineffective if people do not understand their significance. By ensuring that everyone is informed and engaged, they empower them to take part in meaningful changes.
• Amplifying Profit: As a community interest company, Ethical Maintenance’s commitment to the community goes beyond standard practices. They reinvest a percentage of their profits back into initiatives that benefit everyone, whether by securing better insurance deals, negotiating lower electricity charges, or reducing management fees through their efficient operations. This approach not only enhances the financial well-being of the community but also reinforces their commitment to their welfare.

By embedding empathy into Ethical Maintenance’s 3-Step process, Marianne and her team creates a service that genuinely reflects the needs and aspirations of the community, ensuring that every homeowner feels heard, respected, and empowered in the journey of improving their property factoring experience. “By adhering to my strategic approach, fostering open communication with homeowners, collaborating effectively with insurers and contractors, and ensuring alignment within my team, we achieved a remarkable outcome,” she adds. “We also partner with Police Scotland to ensure safety and educate people how to deal with anti-social behavior – another educational initiative we are involved in.”

A heartfelt testimonial from one homeowner encapsulates the impact of Marianne’s efforts. They expressed gratitude for the unprecedented level of engagement and transparency brought by Ethical Maintenance. This feedback, particularly from someone who harbored skepticism towards property factors, reaffirms the transformative impact of Ethical Maintenance’s approach in dispelling misconceptions and building trust within the community. This achievement serves as a testament to their commitment to ethical practices, effective communication, and delivering tangible results that positively impact the lives of the homeowners.

The current priority is the growth of Ethical Maintenance, with established back-office systems and a clear understanding of the target market. This allows the company to onboard estates that were previously beyond their capacity. In the medium term, the company aims to position EM for future growth, supported by coaching to guide its strategic development.

“I aim to establish a movement for female leaders in the factoring industry, recognizing the invaluable contributions women make in this male-dominated space. With a project in the works for a potential launch this autumn, I am dedicated to fostering greater inclusivity and empowerment for women in leadership roles,” elucidates Marianne. “Furthermore, I aspire to prioritize personal time for myself and my husband amidst our deep commitment to Ethical Maintenance. Looking ahead to the next five years, I seek to position the business for future success by considering options such as preparing for an exit strategy or implementing a structure that allows for a more balanced work-life dynamic ensuring the long-term sustainability.