Every profession is strengthened by people who are willing to give back. In facility management, that service can take many forms: building professional communities, sharing knowledge, mentoring others, advancing the profession and helping an association grow.

The IFMA Fellows program recognizes members who have demonstrated that kind of sustained commitment. Established in 1992, the program is IFMA’s highest honor and recognizes distinguished achievements and dedication to IFMA and the facility management profession. Only 0.5% of IFMA membership may hold the title of IFMA Fellow.

But becoming an IFMA Fellow is not simply recognition for what someone has already accomplished. It marks the beginning of continued service.

The 2026 Class of IFMA Fellows continues that legacy. Meet the six professionals being recognized this year and explore the service, leadership and contributions that earned them IFMA’s highest honor.

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Meet the 2026 Class of IFMA Fellows

The 2026 class represents the global reach of facility management, with honorees whose work has strengthened the profession across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and North America.

Kati Barklund, IFMA Fellow

Kati Barklund is a global workplace leader whose career has advanced facility management as a strategic contributor to business performance, employee experience and sustainability.

As strategic advisor and senior manager at Tenant & Partner, Barklund has advised more than 30 organizations on workplace and business outcomes. Her previous work at Coor helped launch Green Services, Smart Office Solutions and advisory services that influenced more than 100,000 users.

Her contributions to IFMA include chairing the IFMA Sweden Chapter, where she supported membership growth, partnerships, events and digital engagement. She currently serves as Global Chair of Workplace Evolutionaries.

Barklund has also been recognized as a 2025 IFMA Top Global Influencer and received the 2025 WE Community Award of Excellence in Communications and the 2020 IFMA Outstanding Women in FM award.

Jiří Knap, Ing., IFMA Fellow

Jiří Knap has helped advance facility management across Central Europe through professional leadership, standards development, education and industry advocacy.

As a senior FM expert advisor and president of IFMA’s Czech Republic Chapter, Knap has connected IFMA with government, academia, industry and emerging FM professionals. His work includes contributing to official FM competency standards and European digital-twin standardization, as well as supporting the integration of facility management into national BIM policy.

Knap also contributes to FM education as a professional guarantor and teacher at CEDUK. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of FM Journal CZ+SK and the Czech FM Yearbook and co-authored the first comprehensive Czech-language FM handbook.

Through these efforts, he has helped strengthen the professional visibility and body of knowledge surrounding FM in the Czech Republic and across the region.

Michael Khai Loon Ng, MSc, CFM, FMP, CERM, CFME - Tier 1, IFMA Fellow

Michael Khai Loon Ng brings more than 30 years of experience across health care, higher education, libraries, commercial property and international project development.

As division director of operational support services at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Singapore, Ng oversees complex 24/7 operations that span facilities and maintenance, sustainability, crisis planning, workplace safety, biomedical engineering, digitalization, security and business continuity.

His contributions to IFMA and the FM profession extend across the Asia-Pacific region. Since joining the IFMA Singapore Chapter in 2015, he has served as vice president, regional advisor, conference chair, instructor and ambassador.

Ng also helped shape Singapore’s FM Industry Transformation Map, supporting initiatives related to Smart FM, outcome-based procurement, professional accreditation and design for maintainability. He has supported chapter development in Vietnam and Indonesia and chaired major World Workplace Asia-Pacific conferences.

His work also includes training more than 360 FM professionals and contributing to national accreditation and skills frameworks.

Sampson Opare-Agyemang, BSc, MSc, FMP, CFT, IFMA Fellow

Sampson Opare-Agyemang has played a significant role in developing the facility management profession in Ghana and across Africa.

As managing director of Prolicon Plus Limited and founding president of the IFMA Ghana Chapter, Opare-Agyemang helped establish and grow the country’s FM community through professional awareness, membership, training and credentialing opportunities.

His work has supported more than 200 credentialed and trained FM professionals, including CFMs, SFPs and FMPs, while also helping expand facility management education in universities and professional training programs.

Opare-Agyemang was instrumental in developing and launching the inaugural IFMA Africa Conference. He has also supported FM capabilities within the Ghana Army and increased the visibility of facility management on university campuses.

Through advocacy, publications, public speaking and mentorship, he continues to promote sustainable FM, infrastructure stewardship, policy development and international professional standards while supporting emerging IFMA chapters across Africa.

John Ringness, MBA, SFP, IFMA Fellow

John Ringness is an FM leader with more than four decades of experience spanning strategic operations, sustainability, digital transformation and professional service.

As director of facilities at Trinity Western University, Ringness leads operations across a 157-acre campus with 34 buildings and structures totaling 822,000 square feet. His work has advanced energy performance, accessibility, indoor air quality and data-driven asset stewardship.

His IFMA contributions include helping develop the IFMA Mumbai Chapter, strengthening the FM Consultants Council and founding and later returning to lead IFMA’s Business Community. He has also contributed to benchmarking, sustainability, education and knowledge initiatives.

Ringness continues to support the next generation of FM professionals through teaching, writing, public speaking and mentoring.

Dean Stanberry, SFP, CFM, LEED AP O+M, IFMA Fellow

Dean Stanberry is a longtime IFMA member and FM leader whose career reflects more than two decades of service, innovation and professional achievement.

Stanberry helped guide the IFMA Denver Chapter through a period of growth that included multiple IFMA Awards of Excellence and recognition as Large Chapter of the Year. At the global level, he has served in a range of leadership roles, including Sustainability Community Chair, Government Affairs Committee Chair, IFMA Foundation Trustee, IFMA Global Board Director, Board Chair and Immediate Past Chair.

Professionally, Stanberry created and led the U.S. General Services Administration Region 8’s CMMS Program Office, contributing to regional performance improvements and national CMMS governance.

He has also contributed to IFMA thought leadership on sustainability, data literacy, artificial intelligence and building life cycle management through initiatives including Evolution Is Never Finished, Gamechanger and the Building Lifecycle Management Initiative.

A global community of FM leaders

The 2026 Fellows join a community of professionals whose contributions have helped shape facility management and IFMA over more than three decades.

From advancing FM education and professional standards to strengthening local communities and applying new approaches to sustainability, technology and workplace strategy, the work of IFMA Fellows reflects the many ways FM professionals can contribute to the profession.

Their recognition also highlights an important part of IFMA’s mission: creating opportunities for FM professionals to connect, learn, lead and advance the profession together.

The six 2026 honorees will be officially inducted as IFMA Fellows during the opening session of IFMA’s World Workplace 2026 Conference and Expo on 18 November in Anaheim, California.

Build your place in the FM community

You don't have to be an IFMA Fellow to make an impact on the facility management profession. Whether you're looking to expand your network, develop your skills, share your expertise or connect with FM professionals around the world, IFMA provides opportunities to get involved.

Become an IFMA member today and start building your network, knowledge and career.