Key Account Manager, Bee Services
We are lucky to have a great team of people at Bee Services who work hard to deliver the high standard services our customers deserve. We would like you to get to know them a little better and so we are launching a new Get to Know series of articles that give insight into our fabulous staff.
We are starting with Key Account Manager Raenuka Sharm-Johal. Raenuka is helping us drive continual improvement across all areas of our business and has become our sustainability lead. Her commitment and enthusiasm will prove critical in helping Bee Services continue responding to changing customer needs.
What is your role at Bee Services?
I am the Key Account Manager which means that I’m focused on building strong relationships with our clients and ensuring we respond to their changing needs. I am their main point of contact and visit different sites to check that standards are maintained. I am part of the team that is responsible for identifying opportunities to drive continual improvement, addressing any issues that might arise and finding ways to keep adding value.
Describe a typical working day at Bee Services.
It might involve starting the morning by checking emails and getting shift updates from supervisors. I like to keep informed about how things are going so that I can respond to challenges and ensure we are as proactive as possible.
I might follow that with a site visit that will see me talking to clients and our staff, conducting an audit and discussing a new client requirement. That might be a deep clean for a school during the holidays or helping prepare client space for an event. I might then spend the rest of the day catching up with some admin. It really depends on what is needed – I have to be flexible and expect the unexpected.
What do you find most satisfying about your job?
I like having a close relationship with clients, getting to know their sites and understand their needs. Much of my job involves problem solving and it’s always great to see how things evolve over the course of a contract and get feedback from a satisfied client. That’s what being a trusted partner is all about.
What are your key ambitions for 2025?
Embedding sustainability across our business is a big one for me. I am in the middle of my PIEMA (IEMA Certificate in Environmental Management Practitioner Membership). It is an internationally recognised qualification and is really getting me excited about how we can work with clients to make more responsible choices. That will involve everything from reducing emissions and helping increase recycling rates to using low impact cleaning products.
I recently completed by MEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) certificate and I’m keen to get more involved in helping raise health and safety standards across the business through training and awareness raising.
What made you want to become the sustainability lead and what do you want to achieve in the role?
Sustainability is something I’ve always cared deeply about. I’m environmentally conscious and try to follow how the whole agenda is evolving. Every day I try to make better choices in my personal life and play my part in addressing the challenges we face.
In business this is something you can no longer afford to avoid. From conversations with customers to sustainability criteria in tenders, everyone is under pressure to demonstrate their commitment. I believe that Bee Services has a fantastic opportunity to deliver better outcomes and I’ think the PIEMA course will give me the confidence to have meaningful conversations with all our stakeholders and be the go-to person to discuss these issues. We have made a good start in developing our strategy but there is a lot of work to be done and I’m excited about what can be achieved.
What’s your favourite guilty pleasure?
I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. You shouldn’t feel about what makes you feel good. I’m quite happy to admit that I love Madonna and reality TV!
How would you spend your ideal Sunday?
I love taking the dog out for a long walk on a Sunday morning when everything is quiet and peaceful. Later I might grab something to eat from Victoria Park food market and then go home to chill on the sofa. It doesn’t always work out like that though.