Reflecting back on the Facilities Management Awards 2026, held on 11th March at the Radisson Blu, Royal Convention Centre, Dublin, Maeve Boland of Gilead Sciences Ireland was named winner of the Women in Facilities Management Award in the Large Organisation category, a recognition that the judging panel described as richly deserved for a leader who consistently delivers well beyond the core remit of her role.

Maeve Boland brings to facilities management the combination that the most effective FM leaders share: deep technical expertise and a genuine investment in the people around her. At Gilead Sciences Ireland, she leads the management of complex, large-scale facilities operations with a consistent focus on safety, efficiency, and sustainability, maintaining the high operational standards that a major life sciences environment demands while simultaneously driving the cultural and collaborative dimensions of FM that often go unacknowledged in formal performance measures.

The judges highlighted her strategic vision as one of her most distinguishing qualities. In large organisation FM, the ability to see beyond immediate operational priorities and position facilities management as a contributor to broader organisational goals is what separates leaders from managers. Maeve's track record of championing inclusion, workplace wellbeing, and innovation within her remit reflects exactly that kind of forward-looking perspective, ensuring that the environments she manages serve the people within them as effectively as they serve the operational requirements of the business.

Her mentoring ethos has also left a visible mark. The ability to develop others while sustaining high performance across a complex facilities management portfolio speaks to a leadership approach that creates lasting value, not just for the teams under her direct influence but for the wider facilities management profession in Ireland. Approachable, thoughtful, and highly effective, the judging panel found in Maeve Boland a standard of FM leadership that earns its recognition at every level.

The Facilities Management Awards 2026 recognised her as exactly the kind of leader the Women in Facilities Management Award exists to celebrate: someone who elevates not just the function but the profession itself.

Stay tuned for the Facilities Management Awards 2027 cycle, where Ireland's top facility and property management teams will once again have the opportunity to showcase their achievements.

View the full list of winners at fmawards.ie/shortlist, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with announcements, finalist updates, and event news.