Employee Exclusive: Get To Know A.O. Reed’s Michele Ignacio
1. With over 20 years of experience in the HVAC industry, can you walk us through your professional journey that led you to your current role in HVAC Maintenance Sales at A.O. Reed?
I started working at A.O. Reed when I was 23 as a temp-to-hire. I joke and say that I wasn’t supposed to be here this long, but little did I know then what opportunities would open for me and how each task helped build the foundation to becoming an HVAC Maintenance Salesperson in the Service Division.
As a temp, I keyed data and created reports for the Accounting and Payroll Divisions, delivered mail, filed paperwork, and answered phones when the operator was on break. Four months later, I was hired full-time with more responsibilities including additional administrative support and assisting the Service Division with payroll.
When the Data Processing Department closed a couple of years later, I was able to move over to the Service Division as their secretary. I opened job numbers for the eight-person sales team, acted as backup dispatcher, processed backflow paperwork, pulled permits, managed security clearances, processed maintenance and project contracts, and continued to assist payroll with 10-key entry. The Sales Manager at the time appreciated my work ethic and had visions for me greater than anything I had for myself. She gave me more responsibility within the sales team—I attended job walks, coordinated meetings, and helped with customer service. Eventually, she asked me if I ever considered working in sales. My response was ‘No…but what is sales?’ I agreed to try it out and a year later I became an HVAC Maintenance Salesperson. I am responsible for fostering relationships with prospective and current clients, creating maintenance programs, selling contracts and participating in professional networking groups.
Looking back at my time with the company, I realize that each task/role I took on at A.O. Reed helped lay a strong foundation for me both professionally and personally.
2. When building and maintaining strong client relationships in the HVAC industry, what strategies have you found most effective?
Be human. Show respect and gratitude. Everyone has good days and bad days, and that doesn’t always come across in an email or a text. I love to connect in person, on the phone, or via video chat if in-person isn’t feasible. Good old-fashioned conversations have been very effective for me. It allows me to learn about the person I’m teaming up with and get to know them as a person, not a title or a task. It helps me create solutions and strategies for their maintenance and service needs.
My other client relationship strategy centers around professional networking groups. Since 2011, I’ve been an active member of the San Diego Building Owners and Managers’ Association (better known as BOMA San Diego). The Organization’s members are commercial building owners, property management teams, and service providers. Being a member provides opportunities for professional development, networking, leadership building, and education and advocacy related to the commercial real estate industry.
BOMA is a volunteer organization run by a Board of Directors and Committees. The members are always watching and paying attention to who is doing what—does this person show up on time, do they participate, do they share ideas, do they work well with others, and are they helpful? Because I show up ready to work, participate, and deliver successful events and programs, I developed a reputation for being a hard worker and a dependable team player. Over the past 13 years, I led their annual Holiday Gift and Back-To-School drives, Community Service and Sponsorship Committees, and earned a spot on their Board of Directors. I chose to serve in these leadership positions because the tasks involved are similar to what I do at A.O. Reed, and I use it as an opportunity for professional development. I also get to work alongside our clients and prospective clients as well as service providers, which has opened doors for many business-to-business sales opportunities.
3. Can you share how your role as a sub-chairperson for the Ambassador Program and the Sponsorship Committee at BOMA San Diego has influenced your work at A.O. Reed & Co. or vice versa?
It’s all about customer service and people relationships. My roles as Ambassador Program Sub-Chairperson and past Chairperson and current member of the Sponsorship Committee are both customer-facing, similar to my role at A.O. Reed. The Ambassador Program allows me to connect with new members and become their first friend in the Organization. I find out their reasons for joining BOMA and help them navigate their membership so they can achieve their goals. As the past Sponsorship Committee Chairperson and current committee member, I bring value to our Annual Supporting Partnership Program as their main point of contact, explaining benefits, checking on them throughout the year, and focusing on prospecting for new sponsors and retaining existing ones.
4. As an industry leader in the commercial real estate community through BOMA, what trends do you see emerging in HVAC needs or technologies for commercial properties?
BOMA International has a program called the BOMA 360 Performance Program. This program “evaluates buildings against industry best practices in 6 major areas: building operations and management, life safety, security, and risk management, training and education, energy, environmental/sustainability, and tenant relationships/community involvement.” It allows building owners to differentiate themselves against other properties in this competitive marketplace. As it relates to HVAC, property owners are asked to identify if they have an Indoor Air Quality Plan, what their reporting metrics are, and their practices for energy and sustainability to name a few.
In recent years, the BOMA 360 Performance Program has become a requirement in the application process for the prestigious BOMA TOBY, or The Outstanding Building of the Year, Award. Managers and Owners compete at the local, state, and international levels in various building type categories for an opportunity for a TOBY award that “recognizes excellence in commercial building management and operations.”
5. We’ve heard about your recent participation in a Taekwondo tournament.; Can you share when and how your journey with martial arts began?
Martial arts is a new passion for me! I discovered taekwondo last year because of my six-year-old nephew. He joined, and I became his Uber driver. I drove him to practice, waited a couple of hours, and then drove him home. Eventually, I realized I was wasting time sitting in the spectator area and needed to start an exercise routine.
I started my martial arts journey in February 2024 because I was inspired by my nephew's enthusiasm to try something new and by the instructors (all of whom started at the studio as students and trained to become instructors.) Kickforce has a great community focused on the team and individuals showing up to work and doing their best each time. Their foundation is based on the life skills of respect, belief, communication, discipline, honesty, and self-esteem.
