Honouring Service and Legacy with Eddie Manners
At Arcus, we are proud to have veterans and reservists working across our business. Their experience, leadership and sense of purpose enrich our culture and inspire those around them. Remembrance Day gives us a moment to pause, reflect and recognise the sacrifices made by service personnel and their families, both past and present.
Today, we are sharing the personal reflections of Eddie Manners, Head of Operations within our Soft Services division, who served 24 years in the Scots Guards, and who was recently a finalist in the IWFM Veteran of the Year award.
Eddie Manners
Head of Operations
Remembrance Day is not about honouring war. It is about honouring people.
When I stand in silence on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, I think about the men and women I served alongside. I think about the ones who came home, the ones who did not, and the ones who came home changed. It is a moment of respect, reflection and gratitude.
I spent 24 years in the Scots Guards, finishing my service as a Warrant Officer Class 2. During those years, I served in South Armagh, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Northern Ireland. I had the privilege of instructing at Sandhurst. I stood on parade outside Buckingham Palace and met the late Queen at Windsor Castle. Those experiences shape you in ways you do not realise until you leave.
Leaving the military in 2005 was harder to cope with not knowing what civilian life would be like after so long in the military since I was 16 years old.
The routine I had lived by for two decades disappeared overnight and I had to find a new sense of purpose. One day I was leading soldiers, the next I was learning what facilities management even meant. There is no manual that tells you how to translate military skills into civilian life. I worked long hours, learned fast and made mistakes. It took around six months before I felt confident again.
Almost twenty years later, I now manage a large soft services contract across the UK at Arcus, supporting thousands of colleagues in hundreds of stores. The lessons I learnt in the military influence how I lead every day:
Communication
In the Army, clarity keeps people safe. In business, clarity keeps people aligned. I learnt how to explain the goal and bring people with me.
Flexibility
Operations change without warning. You adapt. That mindset helps me stay calm and keep teams focused when things shift at short notice.
Problem solving
In the forces, you are trained to act quickly. In civilian life, I had to learn to bring people into the decision, rather than decide for them.
Integrity
Your word matters. If you say you will do something, you do it.
Leadership and teamwork
Leadership is never about rank. It is about how you treat people. I try to build trust, give feedback openly and help others progress.
Mentoring
At Sandhurst I taught the future British Army officers. Today I help colleagues build confidence, skills and careers. Seeing others grow is what motivates me.
Remembrance Day reminds me to pause. It reminds me why I invest so much energy into helping veterans transition into the facilities management industry.
Many organisations do not understand how to interpret a military CV. Veterans get overlooked because their experience is written in a different language. I work with ex forces networks, resettlement groups and the IWFM Veterans Group to open doors and create opportunities.
My goal is simple: to help someone else feel what I eventually felt when I found a new purpose.
The poppy does not glorify conflict – it symbolises sacrifice, service and the importance of remembering.
On Remembrance Day, my silence is filled with memories. Pride. Humility. Gratitude.
And hope that every veteran finds their next chapter.
