Headshot of Joe Mooney at an IAM event, smiling into camera

Joe Mooney

Joe Mooney

Headshot of David Tunley, smiling into camera

David Tunley

David Tunley

From the editors

Welcome to the April 2026 edition of Assets. We’re sure you have noticed by now that we have a bit of a new format. The Assets team is very excited and proud of the new look, and we look forward to your feedback.

But Assets is much more than a pretty face – it is the content that sets us apart, and this issue will not leave you disappointed.

Clive Deadman shares some ideas on how to get executive buy-in by explaining how asset management is a tool for achieving what they want; Lou Cripps, of Colorado Regional Transportation District, has a great piece on the importance of sound leadership and the culture it creates; and Simon Cain, of United Utilities, shares the reasons the organisation chose to lead the way and become the UK’s first water company to achieve ISO certification.

One of our favourite opinion pieces in this issue comes from the venerable David McKeown, who gives us some tasty food for thought. Dr Mary Reidy, meanwhile, offers her perspective on how the IAM’s 10-box model reflects a systems engineering approach through inclusivity.

In this issue, you also have an opportunity to meet one of the IAM’s rising stars in Eiman Aldarmaki, a key member of the UAE Chapter and a leader in her own right.

Liam McKenna has a great piece on how behavioural science helps reinforce asset management strategy in the UK's Ministry of Defence.

Headshot of Joe Mooney at an IAM event, smiling into camera

Joe Mooney

Meanwhile, Sarah Vine, Canadian Chapter Chair, presents the Canadian Board's response to the 2025 Canadian Infrastructure Council report and suggests a focus on outcomes, in this case improving housing.

We are always delighted to read about the asset management journey of some of our members. In this issue, we learn about Trevor Taylor, of Network Rail, and William Fuentes, of Deloitte Chile.

Headshot of David Tunley, smiling into camera

David Tunley

And not to be overlooked, the IAM's Ursula Bryan introduces us to Global Asset Management Day and why we should dedicate this occasion to celebrating the profession.

Here’s hoping you and your organisations will take the time to emphasise how important asset management is, as well as recognise the professionals who deliver the value that it brings to your communities.

Enjoy your new and improved Assets magazine!

Joe and David, Assets co-editors

From the editors

Welcome to the April 2026 edition of Assets. We’re sure you have noticed by now that we have a bit of a new format. The Assets team is very excited and proud of the new look, and we look forward to your feedback.

But Assets is much more than a pretty face – it is the content that sets us apart, and this issue will not leave you disappointed.

Clive Deadman shares some ideas on how to get executive buy-in by explaining how asset management is a tool for achieving what they want; Lou Cripps, of Colorado Regional Transportation District, has a great piece on the importance of sound leadership and the culture it creates; and Simon Cain, of United Utilities, shares the reasons the organisation chose to lead the way and become the UK’s first water company to achieve ISO certification.

One of our favourite opinion pieces in this issue comes from the venerable David McKeown, who gives us some tasty food for thought. Dr Mary Reidy, meanwhile, offers her perspective on how the IAM’s 10-box model reflects a systems engineering approach through inclusivity.

In this issue, you also have an opportunity to meet one of the IAM’s rising stars in Eiman Aldarmaki, a key member of the UAE Chapter and a leader in her own right.

Liam McKenna has a great piece on how behavioural science helps reinforce asset management strategy in the UK's Ministry of Defence.

Headshot of Joe Mooney at an IAM event, smiling into camera

Joe Mooney

Joe Mooney

Meanwhile, Sarah Vine, Canadian Chapter Chair, presents the Canadian Board's response to the 2025 Canadian Infrastructure Council report and suggests a focus on outcomes, in this case improving housing.

We are always delighted to read about the asset management journey of some of our members. In this issue, we learn about Trevor Taylor, of Network Rail, and William Fuentes, of Deloitte Chile.

Headshot of David Tunley, smiling into camera

David Tunley

David Tunley

And not to be overlooked, the IAM's Ursula Bryan introduces us to Global Asset Management Day and why we should dedicate this occasion to celebrating the profession.

Here’s hoping you and your organisations will take the time to emphasise how important asset management is, as well as recognise the professionals who deliver the value that it brings to your communities.

Enjoy your new and improved Assets magazine!

Joe and David, Assets co-editors

Get in touch

If you know of interesting case studies or ideas that push for asset management advancement, please get in touch to contribute. As always, we will consider any submission with asset management at its heart. Future Assets themes will be:

July: Cross-sector/boundary outcomes

October: Circular economy/asset repurposing

assets@theIAM.org

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In this issue

Image of a business meeting with a view down one side of the table. A woman with curly hair is talking and the other four people are looking at her

Risks and rewards

How to get better asset management buy-in from the top

Headshot of Lou Cripps showing a man with a beard smiling into the camera

Opinion

Lou Cripps

Image of a digital screen and a person making a tick mark in a list

Achieving new standards

United Utilities' journey to ISO 55001:2024

Headshot of David McKeown showing a man smiling into the camera

Opinion

David McKeown

Image showing blue digital rings

Shape of the future

The development of the electric utility industry

Image showing Eiman Aldarmaki sitting at an arts table smiling and chatting to two small children  (a girl and boy) who are using colouring pencils and have their backs to the camera

Profile

Meet Eiman Aldarmaki from the IAM UAE Chapter

Aerial view of Toronto, Canada

Building foundations for tomorrow

Putting infrastructure report recommendations into practice

View from a military aeroplane cockpit with a military ship below

From insight to infrastructure

Behavioural science and asset management strategy

Illustration showing colourful arrows on a light blue background. The arrows are all pointing in the same direction (top right of the image)

Career pathways

Trevor Taylor and William Fuentes

Regulars

From the IAM

Thanks to our volunteers

IAM news

Stories and updates

About the IAM

Info and events diary 

From the CEO

Ursula Bryan

Over the past few months, it has been my privilege to work with my colleagues in the Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management to support the development of Global Asset Management Day. A few days ago, on 12 April, our global community came together to celebrate asset management. I hope you saw some of the material that was shared and took the opportunity to celebrate.

This year's theme – Value Realised, Everywhere – could not have been more timely or more relevant. Asset management is often described in technical terms, such as frameworks, standards, management systems and processes. Yet, at its heart, it is about outcomes. It is about enabling organisations to deliver value sustainably, for customers, communities, stakeholders and wider society. Global Asset Management Day reminds us that this value is being realised everywhere, across all aspects of our daily lives and in every region of the world.

Why should we dedicate a day to celebrate? Well, most members of society do not often think about the value asset management delivers to their present lives and, even more importantly, to their future ones. Often, they do not recognise this value until it is suddenly not there – because the electricity supply is off or they cannot travel where they want to go. Asset management is fundamental to the fabric of modern society, and that understanding is constantly evolving as we increasingly treat the built environment and the natural world as inextricably linked asset systems. So, celebrating Global Asset Management Day is about raising the profile of our profession and the immense contribution we make.

As the IAM Anatomy states, 'people do asset management'. Dig into any story about asset management and you will invariably encounter the synergy of asset management practices and the people whose professionalism and commitment make them work in reality. Sharing these stories with as wide an audience as possible really matters. They help demystify what we do and demonstrate that asset management is not an abstract discipline, but a practical enabler of better decisions and better outcomes. Leadership and culture – the themes of this edition of Assets – have a huge influence on what people do and the way they do it, ultimately affecting whether they achieve those outcomes and impacts.

Importantly, the conversations sparked by Global Asset Management Day should not be confined to a single day of the year. If Value Realised, Everywhere is to be more than a slogan, it must inform how we talk about asset management every day: with boards and executives, with policymakers and regulators, with early‑career professionals considering their future, and with the communities that rely on the services our assets enable.

At the Institute, we have a key role to play in this ongoing narrative. We have a responsibility to champion the profession, to articulate clearly why asset management matters and to build confidence in the capability of those who practise it. Global Asset Management Day is also a reminder of the strength of our global community and what we can achieve when we work together.

I would like to thank everyone who took part in celebrating Global Asset Management Day this year, whether by sharing a story, hosting an event or simply starting a conversation. Collectively, these actions help raise the profile of asset management and reinforce its contribution to a more sustainable, resilient and better future. I look forward to continuing to build the momentum created through the Global Asset Management Day 2026 celebrations of Value Realised, Everywhere.

"Celebrating Global Asset Management Day is about raising the profile of our profession and the immense contribution we make"
Image showing Ursula Bryan with two award winners at the IAM Global Conference 2025

I am always keen to hear from members and our wider asset management community, so please email me if you would like to discuss this article, or if there is anything else you would like to talk about

Over the past few months, it has been my privilege to work with my colleagues in the Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management to support the development of Global Asset Management Day. A few days ago, on 12 April, our global community came together to celebrate asset management. I hope you saw some of the material that was shared and took the opportunity to celebrate.

This year's theme – Value Realised, Everywhere – could not have been more timely or more relevant. Asset management is often described in technical terms, such as frameworks, standards, management systems and processes. Yet, at its heart, it is about outcomes. It is about enabling organisations to deliver value sustainably, for customers, communities, stakeholders and wider society. Global Asset Management Day reminds us that this value is being realised everywhere, across all aspects of our daily lives and in every region of the world.

Why should we dedicate a day to celebrate? Well, most members of society do not often think about the value asset management delivers to their present lives and, even more importantly, to their future ones. Often, they do not recognise this value until it is suddenly not there – because the electricity supply is off or they cannot travel where they want to go. Asset management is fundamental to the fabric of modern society, and that understanding is constantly evolving as we increasingly treat the built environment and the natural world as inextricably linked asset systems. So, celebrating Global Asset Management Day is about raising the profile of our profession and the immense contribution we make.

"Celebrating Global Asset Management Day is about raising the profile of our profession and the immense contribution we make"

As the IAM Anatomy states, 'people do asset management'. Dig into any story about asset management and you will invariably encounter the synergy of asset management practices and the people whose professionalism and commitment make them work in reality. Sharing these stories with as wide an audience as possible really matters. They help demystify what we do and demonstrate that asset management is not an abstract discipline, but a practical enabler of better decisions and better outcomes. Leadership and culture – the themes of this edition of Assets – have a huge influence on what people do and the way they do it, ultimately affecting whether they achieve those outcomes and impacts.

Importantly, the conversations sparked by Global Asset Management Day should not be confined to a single day of the year. If Value Realised, Everywhere is to be more than a slogan, it must inform how we talk about asset management every day: with boards and executives, with policymakers and regulators, with early‑career professionals considering their future, and with the communities that rely on the services our assets enable.

At the Institute, we have a key role to play in this ongoing narrative. We have a responsibility to champion the profession, to articulate clearly why asset management matters and to build confidence in the capability of those who practise it. Global Asset Management Day is also a reminder of the strength of our global community and what we can achieve when we work together.

I would like to thank everyone who took part in celebrating Global Asset Management Day this year, whether by sharing a story, hosting an event or simply starting a conversation. Collectively, these actions help raise the profile of asset management and reinforce its contribution to a more sustainable, resilient and better future. I look forward to continuing to build the momentum created through the Global Asset Management Day 2026 celebrations of Value Realised, Everywhere.

Image showing Ursula Bryan with two award winners at the IAM Global Conference 2025

I am always keen to hear from members and our wider asset management community, so please email me if you would like to discuss this article, or if there is anything else you would like to talk about