The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has announced a new board and president.
Mikaila Ganado was appointed president at AIRAH’s AGM last week.
Ganado replaces Paul Jackson, who has held the position since 2021.
Jackson and Ura Sarfejoo, have left the board after serving their respective tenures.
Ganado takes the reins on the back of 15 years as a consultant in the HVACR industry, during which time she has worked on some of Sydney’s most iconic buildings.
A part owner and partner of GWA Consultants Australia, she has served on the AIRAH board since 2020. Ganado is also associate director of the Women of AIRAH Special Technical Group and a member of AIRAH’s NSW division committee.
Commenting on her appointment, Ganado said she is keen to build on the great work of the board and former president, Jackson.
“He’s led us through the challenges of COVID and the important task of appointing a new CEO,” she said.
“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.”
Joining Ganado on the board are incoming directors Alan Fok and Chris Bong.
Fok’s journey into the world of HVACR design and sustainability has given him multi-faceted experience in the industry. During his coming tenure as an AIRAH director, he aims to improve talent retention and brand awareness within the industry.
“AIRAH has been a big part of my career,” he said.
“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.”
Bong joins the AIRAH board having served as both an associate director and the chair of AIRAH’s WA division committee since 2021. He has worked as an HVACR mechanical engineer since 1995 across comfort cooling, district cooling, and ice storage systems.
During his AIRAH board tenure, Bong aims to focus on education, technological innovation, industry networking, and increasing the Institute’s presence in Western Australia.
“Education is the backbone of a professional body like AIRAH. It creates awareness of our industry, generates interest, and promotes the sharing of knowledge,” Bong said.
“As a TAFE lecturer, I have the perfect platform to pursue this passion, and I am currently a mentor in AIRAH’s mentorship program.”
Ganado, Fok and Bong are joined on the AIRAH board directors by incumbents Bryon Price, Chris Stamatis and Dr Michael Riese.