Women in FM: MillerKnoll's Emily Burns on Running a Truly Global Facilities Team

It’s time to take up space at the table.

Emily Burns didn't originally set out to run facilities. Like most people in the field, she says, she just fell into it. Today, she's senior director of global facilities management and services at MillerKnoll, overseeing FM teams across four regions worldwide. With over 25 years of experience under her belt, she's landed on a rule she applies to her teams and to herself in equal measure: take up space, and don't wait for things to slow down to do it.

That's been true from the start. Burns got her start in facilities, learning the basics on leases and facilities while working a job with a small Midwest sports retailer, without ever meaning to. "I really liked it because I liked the pace. Every day was completely different." Give her a fast-moving problem over a quiet one any day, she says. "People thrive in different environments. Some prefer predictability and structure; I thrive in environments that are constantly evolving. I love new challenges, I embrace change, and I'm energized by figuring out how we can continuously make things better."

Running facilities teams across four regions has a lot of moving parts, and for Burns, it starts with her team. "I have great teams under me." The key is to give people real direction and structure early. She also refuses to hoard what she knows, sharing every process and standard across her teams instead of keeping it in her own head. That's the difference between hoping a region functions well and building the conditions for it to thrive.

Four regions also means four different rhythms and cultures, and Burns has learned there's no one-size-fits-all way to run them. She builds her calling hours around her team's days, catching most of her regional managers inside their own workday. That same principle extends to design. "When we build spaces, we also make sure the region we're in is reflected in that space," she says. "We don't want somewhere like Europe, China, or India to lose its rich culture."

Facilities management has changed a lot over the course of Burns's career, shifting from a field of mostly men to, on her own team, women who make up 82% of the total headcount. "I do think that we women bring a different perspective to the table," she says. "How we handle situations, how we process things, all of that. One of the things I advocate for most strongly is ensuring women are recognized and taken seriously in facilities management. Women bring tremendous value to this industry, and I believe we lead and do this work exceptionally well."

Her advice for anyone stepping into a role like hers? "Don't expect to be celebrated all the time, but do expect people to come to you to solve things," she says. "Give yourself space to figure it out, and don't just run with the current, because you'll burn out. You need to hold space for yourself, and give yourself and other people a little grace."

She continues, "I work alongside architects and designers, and over the last 14 years or so I've learned to speak up more, because day two matters. I'm day two, and I have a strong opinion. If you have a strong opinion, you need to bring it," she says. "Speak up, because you belong there as a facilities manager."

"Take up space at the table," she says. "Every table."

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This article is part of Facilities News' Women in FM series, spotlighting the women leading facilities management today. Look for more features in the series soon.