After several years in HR, Judit recently made the exciting leap into the world of Facilities.
A move that’s allowed her to blend her people-focused background with her growing passion for creating safe, welcoming and sustainable workspaces. She’s quickly become a familiar face around the building, diving into the behind-the-scenes workings of Facilities with her trademark enthusiasm and curiosity.
“Facilities has such a big impact on everyone's experience, often in ways no one even notices, and I really wanted to be part of that.”
How did your teams help you settle in? Who made that transition smooth?
"It honestly couldn’t have been a smoother transition. On the People side, my previous manager, Helen Cresswell, and the whole team were so supportive — and they made my last day with them really special. It was a lovely send off and meant a lot to me."
"On the Facilities side, Richard Mundy and Emma Houlihan had everything organised before I even arrived, so my first day felt easy and stressfree. All my access, systems and logins were ready to go, which made settling in so much simpler. The whole team has been incredibly welcoming; they’ve answered every question (and trust me, I had plenty), shared their knowledge, and helped me get my head around the world of Facilities in a really friendly, down-to-earth way."
"I wanted the chance to see a completely different side of how the IET works."
"I’d already worked with Richard and Emma on different projects before, so joining a team with familiar faces definitely helped. And because I already knew the organisation and had built relationships across the business, I felt like I could find my place quite quickly."
"Overall, I’ve felt supported from every direction, and that’s made the transition not just smooth, but genuinely exciting."
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about switching things up or trying something new?
"I’d say: be open and just give it a try. We have so many interesting teams across the IET, and the work happening around us every day is genuinely impressive. You never really know what might spark your interest until you start talking to people."
"A great first step is simply reaching out. Have a chat with someone from another department, join a committee, or take part in something fun like our Game Nights. You’d be surprised how much you can learn just by talking to people. Those little conversations can open doors you didn’t even know were there."
"If someone could have given me a top tip before I joined Facilities, it would have been to wear comfy shoes! I’m constantly walking around the building, popping into different areas, checking things, meeting people. It’s basically a step count dream (or a nightmare if you choose the wrong footwear!). My feet learned that lesson very quickly."
"Stay curious, talk to people, and don't be afraid to explore. You might surprise yourself with what feels like the right next step."
"Overall, my advice is: stay curious, talk to people, and don’t be afraid to explore. You might surprise yourself with what feels like the right next step."
And finally, you’re known in your previous team as a star baker, so we have to ask: what’s your signature bake?
"Well… I’m not sure I have an official “signature bake,” mostly because no one ever puts in formal requests, but funnily enough, no one complains when I turn up with a cake! Whatever I bring in seems to disappear pretty quickly, so I tend to think my signature bake is simply whatever I’ve made that week."
"Whether that makes me a star baker or just means I work with very polite (and very hungry) people… I’m happy either way!"
It’s clear that Judit has embraced her new role with energy and a genuine desire to make a positive difference. From learning the ropes to tackling new challenges (comfy shoes firmly on!), she’s already making her mark. We can’t wait to see what she brings to the team next, both in her work and, of course, in cake form!
