Meet Shannon Kenny, SVP of Soft Services

Shannon Kenny is Lessen’s SVP of Soft Services, which means she oversees vendors that deliver essential exterior services that make commercial properties safe and beautiful.

Tell us about your job.

I oversee soft services, also called recurring services. These represent exterior services such as landscaping, snow removal and ground care, which includes pressure washing and debris removal, as well as floor care and janitorial services. All soft services are essential. During Covid-19, property owners still had to cut the grass, keep up the landscaping, and remove the snow. Curbside pickup helped with the continuity of services. Without soft services, our customers face fines, liability issues and risk the shuttering of their properties.

How did you get into the facilities management industry?

Prior to Lessen, I had a little experience in property management. I was hired at SMS in 2011 as an affiliate advocate, but in less than six weeks my role changed. We were a much smaller company back then and we landed an important account that needed exterior services implemented. I was part of a team of three people that had to negotiate and onboard more than 200 contractors in less than three weeks. But everything fell into place.

What does your day-to-day look like?

Every day is a little different depending on the customer’s needs, our internal goals, and of course the weather. My four teams – floor care, exterior operations, account operations, and support services – hit their stride last year, which makes my job much easier and allows me to spend more of my time on customer engagement and supporting growth opportunities. We received a lot of positive feedback from the customers this summer, which has been great. Soft services worked hard and deserved all the kudos they received.

How has climate change affected exterior services?

In my last 13 years, there have been some wild swings in the weather. The winters were much more consistent in the past. Winters might produce between two to four inches from November through February due to a handful of mid-sized storms. Today we are faced with snow droughts followed by monstrous storms in a shorter time window. These storms can produce between 12 to 24 inches. Hurricanes add to the challenge.

On the landscaping side, the impact of droughts in the south and southwest are going to be tough. Many retailers haven’t updated their landscaping over the last decade, so we try to work with them to make it’s more sustainable.

What are the risks for customers who aren’t prepared for winter?

Working with us gives customers the best safeguard to keep their properties open and safe during the season. Every work order for snow is an emergency work order. Being unprepared is a risk.

One current customer used one of our competitors for two snow seasons. They returned to working with us because they said they had never had to work so hard during the winter.

There are many components that go into a successful snow program. Our team does winter best and we are continually improving our process based on our years of experience.

What makes Lessen unique?

Even though we have grown from SMS Assist to Lessen, we haven’t lost that startup mentality. I love that we can just get the things done that need to get done.

What do you like about your job?

I am very grateful for my team. I love my job because of my team. We work well together. Some of us have worked together for over a decade. We have also added some great talent over the last few years who have brought new ideas. I’m driven by wanting to be the best in our industry, and I like where we are headed.

What do you do outside the office?

Outside of the office, I am training for my fourth and absolutely final Chicago marathon. I also like to golf on occasion and spend time with my family, friends, and most importantly my dog.

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