From Graduate Surveyor to Board Director – Commercial Property & Confidence with Iona Foubister

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneurs Show, I’m joined by Iona Foubister, Director and Building Surveyor at FG Burnett, a long-established firm of chartered surveyors and commercial property consultants based in Aberdeen. Iona lifts the lid on what FG Burnett actually does – from those “For Sale” and “To Let” boards you see around town, to building surveys, schedules of condition, property management, valuations and rating advice. 

If you’ve never leased or bought commercial space before, this conversation is a must-listen. Iona explains why taking professional advice before you sign a lease or purchase agreement can save you tens of thousands of pounds later, and why a schedule of condition is so important for protecting your business at the end of a lease. She also talks honestly about being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated profession, her route from graduate to board director, and the realities of running a small professional services firm in a changing Aberdeen market. 

We also dig into wider industry challenges – from the impact of the oil crash and COVID on office space, to a looming shortage of building surveyors as university courses close and firms pivot to graduate apprenticeships. Through it all, Iona comes back to two big themes: enjoying your work and believing in yourself as your experience grows. 

In this episode, we cover:

• What FG Burnett actually does: building consultancy, sales and lettings, property management, valuation and rating – and how these departments work together for clients 
• The big differences between buying/leasing a home and taking on commercial property – and why there’s no “home report” safety net in the commercial world
• Why business owners should always take surveyor advice before leasing or buying, and how a schedule of condition can drastically limit your dilapidations bill at lease end 
• The hidden risk of letting the landlord’s team have professional advice while you try to negotiate on your own
• Iona’s career journey: RGU building surveying degree, APC, becoming chartered, then progressing through senior surveyor and associate to Director and board member in around 10 years 
• What changes (and what doesn’t) when you join the board – from 5-hour board meetings to being a voice for employees while still being “one of the team” at lunchtime
• The reality of working in a small firm competing with global consultancies – doing your own BD, networking, articles and social media alongside client work 
• How Aberdeen’s oil downturn and COVID have reshaped the office market: remote working, empty buildings, refurbishments and even demolitions
• The challenge of educating landlords that the old days of “do nothing and they’ll still take it” are over – investment and upgrades are now essential to attract tenants 
• A looming skills shortage: RGU closing its building surveying course, the shift to graduate apprenticeships, and what that means for salaries, recruitment and training time in small firms 
• Being a woman in building surveying: expectations vs reality, why she hasn’t personally experienced major barriers, and the importance of visibility for future female surveyors
• The mindset shift from needing constant reassurance to trusting your own professional judgement as your experience grows

About Iona Foubister

Iona Foubister is a Director and Building Surveyor at FG Burnett, an Aberdeen-based firm of chartered surveyors and commercial property consultants that’s been serving the city for over 65 years. After studying Building Surveying at Robert Gordon University, Iona joined FG Burnett as a graduate, completed her APC to become chartered, and has steadily progressed to board level while remaining hands-on with clients. 

Working in the Building Consultancy team, she delivers building surveys, schedules of condition, dilapidations advice and refurbishment projects for landlords and tenants, while also playing a key role in business development and strategy. Passionate about enjoying your work and backing yourself as your experience grows, Iona is a brilliant example of a woman building a successful career – and now shaping an entire firm – in a traditionally male-dominated profession.