Aramark Facilities Management Expands Leadership Training for Frontline and Field Managers

Aramark Facilities Management is developing a suite of structured leadership and technical training programs designed to support employees at every stage of their careers—from frontline team members to general managers and district leaders.

The programs are built to create consistency across operations while helping managers better understand the technical, financial, and people-management aspects of running facilities programs at client sites.

Building a Standardized Foundation Through the College of Facilities Management

At the center of Aramark Facilities Management’s training strategy is the College of Facilities Management, a standardized learning platform focused on upskilling employees across core Aramark Facilities Management disciplines.

The College brings together multiple specialized schools, including Operations and Maintenance, Cleaning Services, Landscaping Services, Computerized Maintenance Management Systems, and Skilled Workers/Trades. Courses are designed to support real-world application and are paired with industry-recognized certifications through organizations such as the Association of Facilities Engineers, TPC Training, and the National Swimming Pool Foundation.

Training topics range from preventative maintenance and regulatory readiness to healthcare-aligned cleaning practices and data-driven asset management. The goal is to ensure teams across the country are trained to consistent standards while gaining practical skills they can apply directly at their accounts.

Focused Leadership Development for Field Managers

For leaders managing complex operations and client relationships, Aramark Facilities Management offers additional development through its Facilities Management Business School and Operational Leadership Academy.

The Facilities Management Business School is designed to elevate District Managers and operational leaders through structured learning that blends operational training, financial acumen, and leadership development. The curriculum emphasizes understanding not only how systems function, but how day-to-day decisions affect labor, profitability, and service delivery.

That learning is reinforced through the Operational Leadership Academy, an immersive program that combines classroom instruction with hands-on exercises. Participants work through labor scheduling scenarios, financial simulations, and program-based activities while practicing how to communicate performance and outcomes to clients.

As part of the academy, managers complete Client Business Review presentations that link operational data to financial results and client priorities. The role-play environment allows participants to practice storytelling, handle challenging conversations, and apply feedback in real time.

Program Shaped by Field Feedback

Feedback from the Operational Leadership Academy’s pilot group played a key role in shaping the program’s evolution. Based on participant input, Aramark expanded hands-on learning opportunities, strengthened the financial training modules, and added more preparation time for client-facing role-play exercises.

Additional updates included increased program navigation practice, deeper exposure to project billing tools, and expanded simulations focused on month-end close activities. Company leaders say the updates were driven largely by field managers’ input on what skills were most critical to their roles.

For leaders like Misty Hall, a Facilities Management General Manager at the University of Pikeville in Kentucky, Aramark Facilities Management’s leadership training programs mirror her own growth within the organization. Hall joined Aramark without a facilities background and was promoted to Assistant Manager within a few months. Over time, she advanced to the General Manager role through a combination of hands-on experience, mentoring, and structured training.

Today, Hall plays an active role beyond her own account, thanks to the Operational Leadership Academy. She supports new managers across the organization, serving as a mentor to emerging leaders, and has contributed to Aramark’s Facilities Management Centers of Excellence by helping to pilot new training programs, supporting new account startups, and providing feedback to improve leadership development initiatives.

Hall credits Aramark Facilities Management’s training and credentialing opportunities—including leadership academies, technical certifications, and education assistance—with helping her build both confidence and capability as a leader. She now holds multiple industry certifications and uses those same tools to develop her team.

“My focus is always my people,” Hall said. “Using the training and resources available helps us recognize talent, build skills, and create pathways for growth.”

One example is her mentorship of a colleague, who advanced from a custodial role to supervisor, and now serves as Hall’s Assistant Manager. Hall says developing leaders internally, through coaching, honest feedback, and access to training, has strengthened both her team and the operation as a whole.

“As Aramark Facilities Management continues to expand its academies and update coursework, the focus remains on developing leaders who understand operations in the field, the financial drivers behind the work, and the importance of strong client and employee relationships,” said Martha Bergholtz, Aramark Facilities Management Facilities Quality & Standards Director.