Dubai, UAE, 24 January 2018: Eurovent Middle East elected its Board of Directors for 2018 during the association’s first anniversary meeting on January 22 at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel.

The board re-elected Brian Suggitt (Systemair Middle East) as Chairman and Michel Farah (Daikin Middle East and Africa) as Vice-Chairman.

The other members elected to the board are Matthias Kasprowicz (Trox Middle East), Naveen Sivakumar (Danfoss), John Fernandez (ebm-papst), Luay Ghussein (Taqeef) and Rafaël Van Eijcken (Baltimore Aircoil Company).

Speaking on the occasion, Suggitt said: “In 2017, we had a roadmap drawn, and we have over achieved what we had planned. Our workshop series in 2017 has been a success. We have received recognition not just from members but also from government bodies, which consult us as a technical advisory body, owing to the diversified member base of manufacturers. We look forward to further enhancing our relationship with the government and members through such activities.”

Highlighting some of the plans, he said the association is planning a series of workshops focused on indoor air quality, ventilation in buildings, air filtration, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technology and cooling towers.

Speaking on his re-election as Vice-Chairman, Farah said: “Although it is a re-election, it has a different taste, owing to the growth of the group and the unique knowledge we share with one another. I am proud to say that there has been a renewed endorsement from our members. We have transitioned from being an issue group into a local association.”

Farah further said that the association looks at the New Year with more confidence to strengthen the partnerships with government bodies and more members through workshops and seminars. The plan, he said, is to become a source of information for the members and influence the drive towards energy efficiency.

Speaking on the partnership with government bodies, Farah added: “In the GCC region, we have different regulations for each member country, but if you look at Europe, we have 27 countries working on one code of regulations. This is where we are trying to step in and work with GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) to unify the regulations.”

Sharing his thoughts on the anniversary of the association, Markus Lattner, Director, Eurovent Middle East, said: “Today was an anniversary of exactly one year in operation in the Middle East, and the development we have seen in the past has been overwhelming. I am humbled by the response we have received in the market, not just from consultants and manufacturers but also from authorities.”

Lattner added that the association has begun collaborating with authorities, such as the Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology; Abu Dhabi Quality & Conformity Council; Ministry of Electricity and Water, Kuwait and Electricity and Water Authority, Bahrain.