Climate Proofing Buildings: Strategies for Resilient Facilities Management

Graham Tier, FMP, CFM, MRICS, PMP, IFMA Fellow, currently serves as the General Manager, District Facility Services with West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. Tier has more than 30 years of experience in operations and maintenance for leading international companies including British American Tobacco, Johnson & Johnson, McPherson’s and Amcor, and shares a network with many blue chip organizations internationally. He has over 20 years’ experience in Asia and previously managed all FM operations for The Hong Kong Jockey Club. As an ambassador of FM best practices and innovation in Asia, he has transformed facility services across property segments, including introducing asset health policies and procedures, FM-enabling technology and new forms of FM contracts. This has previously led building technology and its application to sustainable buildings, and one of the first organization in Hong Kong to utilize mobile technology in the management of FM workflows.

Jon Abel is a corporate sustainability leader driving transformative change across Asia’s retail landscape. As Group Facilities Management Director at DFI Retail Group, Jon leads the integration of Scope 1 and 2 decarbonisation strategies into core operations, aligning environmental goals with business performance.

He has overseen large-scale energy optimization initiatives and circular economy programs across thousands of retail sites, delivering measurable reductions in carbon emissions and operational costs. His work has earned industry accolades including the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence and the CLP Smart Energy Award.

Jon brings a pragmatic, results-driven perspective to corporate sustainability, offering insights into how organizations can embed climate resilience and resource efficiency into their operational DNA.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

1. Embedding energy efficiency and environmental awareness into the built retail environment
2. Increased waste diversion rates through better recycling infrastructure
3. Aligned regulatory controls and restrictions of refrigerant gases

Demetris is the Commercial Director of FirePro Systems, a Halma plc. company which manufactures and distributes worldwide its globally certified, environmentally sustainable and highly effective fire suppression systems. Demetris holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA. At FirePro, he is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that support and promote the company’s growth and oversees Business Development, Engineering, and Marketing.
Throughout his career, Demetris has worked extensively in various aspects of other environmental technologies and systems, including water and wastewater engineering, as well as renewable energies.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

1. Pursue alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN)
2. Prioritize use of more sustainable materials
3. Benchmarking and monitoring of the environmental impact of FirePro products and facilities

Ben Lui Gon-Yee
Chief of Airport Segment, MTR

Mr Lui is currently the Chief of Airport Segment, managing the train services of the Airport Express Line, Disneyland Resort Line, and Tung Chung Line. In recent years, he has also been responsible for railway operations in one of the MTR business hubs in the PRC, including both operations and engineering management, as well as operations planning for new line openings. He actively steers the enhancement of customer experience and operational resilience in Hong Kong, and drives changes in smart mobility and innovative applications within MTR. Additionally, he serves as one of the spokespersons in media programs and frequently liaises with various government bureaus, political parties, and the public.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

1. Strengthen Community Resilience to Extreme Weather, especially in Public Transportation
2. Advocate Green and Efficient Transportation

Sherry Wong is a General Manager at Hongkong Land overseeing Building Operations of a portfolio of award-winning properties in the Central business district. She leads strategic initiatives focused on operational excellence, modernising facility management and sustainable practices. With a deep commitment to innovation, Sherry has been instrumental in optimizing building operations and enhancing tenant satisfaction through the design and implementation of next-generation facility management technologies, including Predictive Maintenance, IoT, BIM, AI, and advanced data analytics. Sherry’s efforts have extended the reach of Vendor and Tenant Management platforms, and introduced automation and digitalised processing initiatives.

Beyond her corporate role, Sherry chairs the company’s Art Committee, championing creative expression and cultural enrichment across the organisation. She also serves as a Board Member of Mindset, a mental health charity under the Jardine Matheson Group, where she advocates for mental wellness and inclusive support systems in the workplace and beyond.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

I would love for Hong Kong to be seen at the forefront of new technologies and modernised industries – showcasing how using AI can help us rethink our impact on the environment and the communities we live in.

I also hope to see Hong Kong continue to build a more compassionate and inclusive society—where mental health is openly discussed, supported, and prioritised across workplaces, schools, and communities.