Whether we like it or not, we judge books by their covers. In this day and age especially, assumption, presumption and preconception often come as a package and no matter who we are, we are all guilty of doing it. When we ask people what they do for a living, whether on a date, meeting through friends, or even out of curiosity, the answer received often encourages us to attach characteristics “typical” of that line of work or job role.
If I were to tell you that Mark Woolman is the Director of Operations and Services here at FPH, I can imagine you would think him to be an officer worker with impeccable organisation. You would be correct – however, Mark is unlike any other person, let alone operational lead I have ever come across.
On our website, Mark is described as the “builder of calm in the chaos”. This is definitely accurate, but Mark is not always the one asking everyone to calm down, he is often the one whooping and cheering even the smallest wins, as Mark understands his role in developing a healthy and positive culture at the business.
Mark joined FPH and in 2022 and it is no exaggeration to say he has greatly impacted the business. Providing support and guidance to the staff, freeing up others to focus on areas of need and brought a lot of humour (good and bad) along the way.
Mark’s role is to provide strategic operational leadership, solve problems and continue to plan for the future. It is all-encompassing – he’s often the port of call, but it is all with a view to drive impact and provide stability while the business continues to evolve.
I asked Mark why he does what he does.
He responded: “Because it matters. Because people deserve safe, stable lives. And because systems need to work for everyone, not just those who understand how to navigate them.”
It is easy to say this, but truthfully there are a lot of people in a better place as a direct consequence of the work he does. He came from a background working for the local council in varying leadership positions over the course of decades, and that experience has allowed for FPH to run a smoother operation.
When asked what the best thing about his job was, Mark said that seeing people perhaps overlooked in society thrive is the rewarding aspect. When asked about the worst factor, he said that he often has to undertake urgent work despite having bureaucratic red tape in his way. Sadly, this is a story often told in the non-profit sector, but this does not alter the determination of Mark of anybody else in the organisation.
Quite poignantly, Mark stated that success for FPH is knowing that people don’t require them anymore. This stood out to me as despite the difficulties associated with working in this space, ultimately you want this to happen. You want people with whom you develop relationships to not need you anymore. This was an aspect of the company I perhaps overlooked.
I asked Mark if he foresaw the growth of FPH when he took the role.
He responded: “I saw potential—big potential—but we’ve moved faster and more impactfully than I expected. That’s credit to the team and to the people we walk alongside.”
Whilst being magnanimous, Mark is not wrong in his assessment. The company is entering an exciting period, approaching 100 total beds to help those in need, new houses are in the pipeline and the Empowerment Project has been launched. The truth is none of this would be possible without the hard work of every staff member. Mark’s humility aside, he has been an extremely important factor in this.
Mark said that of the many exciting plans ahead, he is most excited for the development of sustainable, trauma-informed housing solutions that build independence in the long term.
When pressed if he loved the job, Mark said: “Yes. Not in a romanticised way—but in a deeply committed, invested way. It’s work worth doing.”
Mark is the most overstated understated person I’ve come across but I must say he is great to have around. He will celebrate three years with the company in November – here’s to many more.