PARIS, France, 23 August 2023: The International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) announced the appointment of Dr Yosr Allouche as the organisation’s new Director General. Making the announcement through a Press release, IIR said Dr Allouche is the first woman to hold the position.

IIR said that Allouche, a Norwegian-Tunisian refrigeration scientist, will replace Didier Coulomb, who will be stepping down from the role after 20 years. IIR further said Allouche was nominated by Norway (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Norwegian Embassy in France) and selected against Yannick Mathieu, nominated by the French Association of Refrigeration (Association Française du Froid) on the eve of the 26th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration in Paris.

Dr Yosr Allouche

IIR also said that Allouche, who has 13 years of experience in the field, will officially take the organisation’s lead during the second half of 2024.

Commenting on her appointment, Allouche said: “I am thrilled and thankful for the trust our member countries have placed in me to ensure this high-level role. As a refrigeration scientist, it is an honour to be elected by our member countries as the first woman to succeed the leading figures of the IIR. I will put all my skills, knowledge and energy to add value for our organisation, countries and members.”

IIR said Allouche, the head of projects at IIR, holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (Portugal) and has published numerous articles in scientific journals, guides and reports. IIR further said she was a research scientist in Refrigeration Technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and holds an invited Associate Professor title at NTNU since 2021.