At our recent Annual General Meeting, the Cleaning Accountability Framework was proud to launch the inaugural CAF Commendations – a new initiative recognising individuals that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to CAF Certification, and to advancing the rights of cleaners.
These commendations shine a light on the people whose everyday decisions are helping transform Australia’s property services industry into one where all cleaners have access to fair and decent work, free of exploitation.
They are a celebration of individual efforts to support a culture of transparency, honesty and respect within procurement services, and across the property industry.
Why Commendations Matter
CAF Certification is built on collaboration. It requires building owners, management firms, cleaning companies, and union representatives to work together – often behind the scenes – to identify, investigate, and remedy labour rights issues.
This work can be complex. It needs patience, trust, and a willingness to engage deeply with issues that many industries still struggle to confront.
But this is a confrontation that must occur – for human rights to be respected, and for the modern property industry to thrive in an era of increased accountability.
Mike Zorbas, CEO of the Property Council of Australia, who presented the commendations, has this to say:
“Too often, those of us who work in offices forget that when we head home, someone comes in after hours to clean the bathrooms, wipe down the benches and empty the bins.
These are the people who keep our buildings running. They deserve dignity, respect and fair treatment.
The number of our member companies working with CAF speaks volumes about the determination of our industry’s leaders to stamp out exploitation.
It was my pleasure to present the first ever CAF commendations to stakeholders who have demonstrated leadership in this area, and the highest levels of commitment to CAF Certification.”
Each year, more than 550 people participate in CAF labour rights assessments. Their efforts help ensure safe, fair and decent work for thousands of cleaners nationwide.
CAF is proud to celebrate the below individuals who have demonstrated the highest levels of commitment to CAF Certification.
Congratulations to the 2025 CAF Commendation Recipients
Building Owners
Nico Grau Molina – IFM
IFM have been at the forefront in piloting all CAF programs, including Portfolio Worker Engagement, Portfolio Rating and Portfolio Certification, and Nico has been key to operationalizing IFM’s participation in all of this. He is always approachable and responsive to CAF’s many requests. Nico’s intensely solution-oriented mindset makes every interaction refreshingly productive.
Deepen Somaiya – Mirvac
Deepen is highly engaged in and committed to CAF. His appointment to lead the relationship with CAF over at Mirvac has truly been a game-changer. He has been instrumental in driving the certification of the new Westpac national headquarters in Sydney and in ensuring day-to-day CAF operations at Mirvac assets are of a high standard.
Cleaning Companies
Shaun Stone – BIC Consolidated
Shaun Stone from BIC Consolidated has been a longstanding CAF collaborator. Over the past financial year, Shaun successfully managed the complex merger of HR and payroll functions for two of Australia’s largest cleaning companies – BIC and Consolidated – bringing together over 6,000 cleaners. At the same time, he oversaw CAF assessments across approximately 30% of all CAF-Certified sites – a huge task indeed. Shaun delivers consistently, maintaining his legendary calm, composed, and professional manner throughout.
Ann Shanahan – Glad Group
Acting Glad People and Culture Manager Ann Shanahan regularly demonstrates great commitment to CAF. She is proactive and responsive, meets CAF timelines, and is flexible and acts when issues are raised with her.
Building Managers
Lydia King – JLL
Lydia King has been actively involved in Certification processes at the building she manages, providing support as required during the often complex process of organising successful worker engagement meetings. Lydia also played an important role in addressing the issue of heat stress at 1 William Street. Through her participation in a multistakeholder collaborative process to find innovative solutions to heat stress for cleaners, she contributed to CAF developing guidelines to support the broader industry to ensure safe and dignified working conditions in the warmer months.
Christine Johnston – CBRE
Christine consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to timely communication and collaboration with CAF. Her open and solution-focused approach allows her to address issues quickly and effectively, supporting both cleaners and clients. Christine conducts her quarterly check-ins with CAF Representatives and contractors proactively, helping to identify and resolve matters early before they develop into larger challenges.
Union Representatives
Alex Morales – United Workers Union
Alex has been a cornerstone of CAF’s partnership with United Workers Union since the start. His ability to build and nurture constructive relationships with cleaning contractors has been instrumental to the success of all CAF programs. Alex forthrightly advocates for cleaners’ interests with strength and integrity across the entire supply chain, including with CAF itself. At the same time, his open and collaborative approach and capacity to earn trust and respect from all stakeholders is deeply valued.
Nitu KC – United Workers Union
Nitu is a United Workers Union organiser based in Adelaide, and has demonstrated a strong commitment to working collaboratively with CAF and understanding the real issues faced by cleaners. She builds genuine trust with workers, creating a safe space for them to share their concerns and ensuring there is consistent follow-up on the matters raised. At the same time, Nitu is an excellent communicator and mediator, effectively engaging with stakeholders to present practical solutions to address labour issues faced by cleaners.
CAF Representatives
Jagan Subedi – BIC Consolidated
Jagan moved to Australia from Nepal in 2023 and has been a CAF Representative since 2024 at his workplace, Commonwealth Bank Place. He has approached the task of check-ins with site stakeholders diligently and his fellow cleaners working at Commonwealth Bank Place feel very comfortable reaching out to him and feel very supported by him.
Rosalie Kochanek – Springmount Services
Originally from Manila in the Philippines, Rosalie has lived in Australia for 22 years and has worked in the cleaning industry for the past 19 years. Rosalie’s passion and loyalty to her colleagues inspire her to take an active role in supporting her team. Since becoming a CAF Representative in May 2024, Rosalie has demonstrated strong leadership, always showing commitment and availability to her co-workers.
Andres Adolfo Mora – BIC Consolidated
Andres, originally from Colombia, arrived in Australia in April 2024. Despite being new to the role of CAF Representative, Andres has already shown great dedication as a CAF Representative. He is motivated by a genuine desire to help his colleagues, especially those who may feel afraid to ask questions or approach their supervisors. He sees his role as a way to ensure all workers are heard and respected. His strong sense of fairness and advocacy has helped strengthen trust and communication within the team.
The 2025 Commendations have celebrated stakeholders in our community who choose transparency, collaboration, and respect every time they go to work. They have translated CAF’s values in action, demonstrating that ethical procurement and operational excellence are not competing priorities, but mutually reinforcing ones.
Learn more about CAF Certification by clicking here.