E142 – Gordon Phillips: Assistant Director, Strategic Estates – House of Commons

Another insightful episode of the Wear Many Hats podcast.

This time, we sit down with Gordon Phillips, Assistant Director, Strategic Estates at the House of Commons, to explore his remarkable journey from apprentice to senior estates leadership within one of the UK’s most high-profile and historic institutions.

Gordon shares how starting his career through an apprenticeship route shaped his leadership approach, the lessons learned from working across NHS estates and major PFI hospital projects, and what it really takes to manage complex, politically sensitive environments.

We discuss balancing heritage with modern infrastructure, leading teams under scrutiny, managing risk at scale, and the importance of communication in high-stakes public-sector estates.

A thoughtful and practical conversation for anyone working in strategic estates, healthcare property, heritage assets, or public-sector leadership.