Nick Johns-WickbergAIRAH has announced the composition of its new board – including its new president – at its annual general meeting, held on Friday, May 31.
Mikaila Ganado, M.AIRAH, takes over as president from Paul Jackson, F.AIRAH, who leaves the position he has held since 2021. The newly added directors of the board are Chris Bong, M.AIRAH, and Alan Fok, M.AIRAH. Jackson and Ura Sarfejoo, M.AIRAH, depart from the board after serving their respective tenures.
Ganado takes the reins on the back of 15 years as a consultant in the HVAC&R industry, during which time she has worked on some of Sydney’s most iconic buildings, striving to improve efficiency and achieve net zero retrofits. A part owner and partner of GWA Consultants Australia, she has served on the AIRAH board since 2020. The associate director of the Women of AIRAH Special Technical Group, Ganado is a member of AIRAH’s NSW division committee.
“I’d like to build on the great work of the board and former president, Paul Jackson,” Ganado says. “He’s led us through the challenges of COVID and the important task of appointing a new CEO.
“I would like to continue Paul’s focus on net zero while championing diversity in our industry and engaging with members whenever possible. I want to hear what the membership is asking of us and ensure that our strategy reflects this.
“AIRAH is made up of passionate, innovative and intelligent members and I would like to represent them well.”
Wide-ranging experience
Fok’s journey into the world of HVAC&R design and sustainability has given him multi-faceted experience in the industry. His career began in the sales and marketing department at Daikin, providing a grounding in the communications and business skills necessary to succeed in the industry.
He then moved into consulting and designing mechanical systems for buildings, where his focus lay for half a decade. For the past eight years, Fok’s focus has been not just on sustainability in design, but on commercialising and translating sustainability to attract investors to projects.
During his coming tenure as an AIRAH director, Fok aims to improve talent retention and brand awareness within the industry.
“AIRAH has been a big part of my career,” he says. “I’ve learned from other members and listened to many seminars from presenters and guest speakers who have given me ideas and light-bulb moments that changed my career. Now is my chance to give back to the community and share my knowledge and experience with newcomers and others in the industry.
“As my role gives me an insight into the thinking of building owners and investors, I can share this with the board to help steer the direction that AIRAH and our members will need to focus on to better serve their customers and capture business opportunities.”
Best in the west
Bong joins the AIRAH board having served as both an associate director and the chair of AIRAH’s WA division committee since 2021. A working HVAC&R mechanical engineer since 1995, his work has encompassed comfort cooling, district cooling, and ice storage systems.
His industry experience includes working with Trane, Advantage Air, Dalkia, Veolia, and Froster Engineering. Most recently, Bong has moved to the education sector, working as an HVAC&R TAFE lecturer.
During his AIRAH board tenure, Bong aims to focus on education, technological innovation, industry networking, and increasing the Institute’s presence in Western Australia. He believes this will promote greater awareness, both of AIRAH within the industry, and of the industry within the wider community.
“It has been an honour to be WA’s committee chair since 2021, and associate director since 2023,” Bong says. “However, it is time for me to step up and help serve a wider community.
“Education is the backbone of a professional body like AIRAH. It creates awareness of our industry, generates interest, and promotes the sharing of knowledge. As a TAFE lecturer, I have the perfect platform to pursue this passion, and I am currently a mentor in AIRAH’s mentorship program.”
The new directors officially began their term upon the completion of the AGM.
The AIRAH board directors are:
- Mikaila Ganado, M.AIRAH (President)
- Bryon Price, F.AIRAH
- Chris Stamatis, M.AIRAH
- Dr Michael Riese, M.AIRAH
- Chris Bong, M.AIRAH
- Alan Fok, M.AIRAH
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