Q-who? Why I chose FM

A blog on her career journey by Lian Kockelbergh, director, Q3 Services

If you had told me ten years ago that I’d be a finance director in a facilities management company, I probably would’ve laughed. I studied fashion design and created clothes. Finance was nowhere on my radar, and FM? I didn’t even know what it was.

But here I am, finance director at Q3 services. It’s one of the best decisions I never planned to make. Here is a little bit of my story on why I chose FM, or how FM chose me.

From fashion to finance

My route into FM was anything but traditional. After moving to Reading without a job, I gave myself two weeks to find something. I landed a PA role at a fragrance company, which kicked off a zigzag path through operations, admin, sales, and client services. It was a true melting pot of skill sharing and unexpected hands-on experience.

A real turning point came when I joined a large-scale national FM business, where I worked as a business assistant alongside their finance director and Martyn Freeman, who’s now our CEO at Q3. Their nice office by the lakeside drew me in, even before I really knew the world of FM. You could say it was some kind of act of fate. After I joined, I found myself in board meetings, sitting in on commercial discussions and slowly but surely I started to be exposed to the world of finance. That’s when things started to click. Finance wasn’t just about the maths (which I was never too great at), it was about problem-solving and decision-making. And that, I am very good at.

When Q3 was born, Martyn asked me to come on board. There wasn’t a finance department yet, just a pile of receipts. I had no traditional or formal finance training but Q3 provided all of that for me and were very supportive of my career development.

Building something different

One thing that’s always driven me is the ability to connect the dots between different parts of a business. I don’t see finance as a siloed function, it’s a partner to everyone from operations and sales, to compliance and client service. That perspective has shaped how we’ve built the finance team at Q3.

We don’t do finance the way big corporates do. We don’t sit quietly in the corner crunching numbers or split people into narrow roles like “purchase ledger” or “sales ledger.” Instead, our team members own specific contracts and we’re out on-site with clients, helping them solve problems. Our team members build real relationships with client-side finance and operations teams. That human connection makes a huge difference, especially when challenges come up. My team knows our clients, their operations, the pain points, and they manage the numbers in that context. It’s more rewarding for them and far more useful for the business and our customers.

Numbers can be a tricky conversation, but we think the relationships we form help foster transparency that helps everyone involved.

It’s also why I hire the way I do. I don’t start with whether someone has financial training or accreditations. I look for attitude, adaptability, and a willingness to learn. Some of the best hires I’ve made had no finance background at all. What matters is whether they can work with people and understand the bigger picture.

People first

If there’s one value I think defines Q3, it’s “people first.” That’s not just a slogan to us, it’s truly the way we work. I’ve hired every member of my team for who they are as a person, not just what’s on their CV. And it has certainly paid off. We’re a tight-knit team who genuinely enjoy working together.

That same people-first mindset extends across Q3. Many of our frontline operatives and contract managers have been with us since day one. That kind of loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from creating a culture where people feel valued and seen.

Why FM? Why Q3?

So why did I choose FM? I didn’t, at first. But I stayed because FM turned out to be one of the most people-driven and impactful industries I’ve ever encountered.

And why Q3? Because we do things differently. Because we care about our people. Because we build strong teams. Not just in finance but everywhere across the business.

I never expected to end up here. But now, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

Lian Kockelbergh is finance director at Q3 Services, where she has been instrumental in establishing a progressive, people-focused finance division. With a diverse background spanning operations, sales, and client services, Lian transitioned into finance through hands-on experience rather than formal training, bringing a unique, commercially minded perspective to the role. Since joining Q3 at its inception, she has built a high-performing team that works closely with clients and internal stakeholders to support decision-making and drive value. Her leadership is defined by a focus on collaboration, adaptability, and a strong belief in hiring for potential.