As 2025 draws to a close, I want to take the opportunity to pause and reflect with genuine pride and appreciation for everything our Programmed community has accomplished this year.
This year has been defined by growth, transformation, partnership, and impact. Across the country and in communities across Australia and New Zealand, we’ve continued to strengthen our foundation, grow our capabilities, and deliver outcomes that matter for both our business and for the customers and communities who rely on us.
In 2025, we had the opportunity to reflect on some of our wins at our first interstate and international Town Hall events, attended in person and remotely by team members across our organisation. Today, I undertake the tough task of summarising an enormous year into just one message – here’s just a few major highlights we can all be truly proud of.
A year marked by growth, progress, and performance
This year, we continued to strengthen and expand key partnerships, securing a series of significant contract renewals, extensions, and expansions that reflect our enduring relationships and the confidence our customers place in us.
Our longstanding partnerships with Melbourne Airport and Sydney Airport continue to thrive, and Sydney Airport has now officially joined our family of ISO 55001-certified contracts - a testament to our world-class asset management capabilities.
This year also reinforced the vital role we play in keeping essential services running for local communities, particularly across the water sector. Our teams continued to deliver safe, reliable operations through key extensions and expansions with Melbourne Water, Sydney Water, Urban Utilities, and Stonnington Council, ensuring critical infrastructure remains resilient and responsive to community needs.
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We were proud to begin a new partnership with Seqwater, strengthening water security for millions of Queenslanders, and to celebrate three years of meaningful impact with South East Water, where our collaboration is helping deliver long-term improvements for customers and the community.
And it doesn’t stop there – this year also saw contract expansions including Southern Queensland Correctional Precinct Stage 2 and Woodside Greenfield Construction in Karratha, as well as major milestones such as one year of partnership with FedEx and over 500 schools upgraded with Ministry of Education, New Zealand.
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These partnerships highlight the trust placed in us to support the systems that communities depend on every day - and the professionalism, care, and expertise our people bring to this important work.
Your voice, our future - 2025 Engagement Survey
Stay tuned for an in-depth look at our Engagement Survey, coming early 2026!
Your voice and feedback is just as vital as the work you do in shaping our future as an organisation. This year, we invited all salaried Facility Management employees to participate in our 2025 Employee Engagement Survey.
With an outstanding participation rate of 86%, I want to give a massive thank you to the 964 employees who took the time to have a say in the survey. With an incredible 2,146 comments provided, we’ve been offered a wealth of essential feedback that will guide our way forward.
Our survey revealed a salaried engagement score of 71%, a 1% increase on our salaried results last year, placing us above the Australian and New Zealand external benchmark.
Thanks to your strong participation, Programmed , as a group, has also donated $9,235 to Lifeline Australia and $1,105 to Lifeline Aotearoa.
Your feedback has highlighted our genuine strengths as well as the clear opportunities ahead. We will spend time in the new year with the Facility Management leadership team, taking a deeper dive to better understand our priorities and what’s most important to you.
These results show we have a strong foundation to build on, and with your continued input, we will create an even better workplace together. Thank you again for your honesty, your time, and your commitment to making Programmed a great place to work.
The future in focus
Looking ahead, we’re focused on building the skills, systems and capabilities that will power Programmed into the future. Our digital transformation continues to progress, giving our teams smarter tools to work more efficiently, while our new SustainableFuture sub-brand and projects in hydrogen power and electric transport show our commitment to leading on sustainability.
We’re also investing the next generation of talent, celebrating our award-winning apprentices and trainees and welcoming new cohorts across Australia and New Zealand. Our apprentices are also a staple in the launch of our very own Trades self-delivery unit, demonstrating how building strong in-house capability both strengthens the services we provide today, and creates clear pathways for young people to learn and grow with us.
All of these initiatives reflect our commitment to building a skilled, future-ready workforce and ensuring Programmed continues to lead with innovation, purpose and long-term impact.
An enduring commitment to our communities
We’ve continued to recognise the deep connection our people have to our communities, as well as our ongoing responsibility to make a positive impact.
This year, we were excited and proud to officially launch Programmed Facility Management’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) – a significant and strategic step forward in our reconciliation journey. The launch was backed up by an inspiring video series, and followed by the announcement of our 2025 NAIDOC Award winners.
We continued to recognise a range of important national and international observance days, supported by our Diversity Day Champions out on the ground at our sites. We put our words into action, supporting events like Midsumma Festival and the Clontarf Cup and Careers Day, and I was especially inspired to see our people making the most of our Volunteer Guideline - undertaking valuable work out in our communities, supported by Programmed.
Speaking of Midsumma Festival, we’ll be kicking off 2026 with our usual appearance at the vibrant celebration of our LGBTQIA+ community with our Programmed stall on 18 January – we hope to see you there.
Every achievement and initiative that I’ve touched on in this message contributes to what makes us proud to be a part of Programmed, and the reason we all Work and Smile. We recently had the privilege to hear from more members of our team out on the road with our latest Work and Smile ad series, showcasing some of the diverse roles and locations we work in, as well as our outstanding Programmed talent.
A big congratulations to our very own Yasmin de Laine, who was one of three APAC representatives awarded for their commitment to sharing PERSOL's “Work and Smile” vision. Take a bow Yasmin, you did us proud!
As we wrap up what has truly been an extraordinary year, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your hard work, dedication, and the pride you bring to Programmed every day. Your efforts are what make this business both successful and genuinely special.
For those preparing for a well-earned break over the festive season, I hope you enjoy a safe, happy and restorative holiday. I’m personally looking forward to taking the time off and relaxing with my immediate family and friends across country Victoria, whilst enjoying a day or two of the cricket at the Boxing Day test.
I’d also like to give an especially big thank you to our frontline teams who will be keeping essential services running throughout the holiday period. Your commitment ensures our customers and communities continue to receive the support they rely on, setting us up for another big year ahead.
In closing, particularly given the recent tragic events in Bondi, I would like to once again reinforce that we support all communities, races and religions. As an organisation, and myself personally, we are committed to ensuring you have a working environment and culture where everyone feels safe, heard and embraced – no matter who they are.
Thank you again for everything you do. I’m incredibly proud to be on this journey with you, and I’m excited for what we will achieve together in 2026.
Take care and stay safe,
Graeme Hurn
Chief Executive Officer
Programmed Facility Management
