Speakers

Moutaz Abdalla is the Head of Project Development at Abu Dhabi Energy Services (ADES), a subsidiary of TAQA Group. With over 18 years of experience, he has played a crucial role in introducing the Super ESCO Model to drive building retrofitting in line with the Abu Dhabi DSM and Energy Rationalization Strategy 2030. Moutaz's career includes significant positions at AESG, Econoler, and Johnson Controls’ ESCO Division. He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Tennessee and an MS in Engineering Management from Eastern Michigan University, along with CMVP, CEM, and CDSM credentials.

Carlos is an Energy Efficiency Expert with 25 years’ government, management and consulting experience in energy efficiency, demand side management (DSM), carbon emissions strategies, and sustainability projects. He has served the Abu Dhabi government over the past 14 years in different entities; Masdar, DMT, TAQA, QCC and currently in DOE where he holds the position of Programs Development & Oversight Section Head. He and his team are responsible for developing and overseeing the implementation of the Abu Dhabi DSM Strategy 2030.

• Higher Diploma from Higher Colleges of technology Dubai 
• Bachelors in Business Admin from UCLAN – Burnley United Kingdom 
• MBA from Anglia Ruskin's University – United Kingdom

• UAE Government Leaders program, Qeyadat – Executive Level by the Prime Minister Office and University of Oxford 
• Accredited Happiness Trainer By the Academy of Etisalat and The Prime Minister Office 

• ETIHADWE – Change Advisory Board Member 
• ETIHADWE – EV Infrastructure Enhancement project – Lead 
• ETIHADWE – Manzily Consulting Services for RAK – Lead 
• UAE Passport Strength Executive Committee , Member (2018-2019)
• Lead of UAE Delegation in Number of Committees, Head (2018-2019)
• Dubai Press Club – Member
• RTA - Service Excellence Committee

• Project Head – EV Infrastructure Enhancement for Northern Emirates 
• Project Head – Manzily Project for Ras Al Khaimah 
• Director of Customer Care Department – ETIHADWE 
• Director of Conservations Department – ETIHADWE 
• Director of Consular Services Department – Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
• Acting Executive Director of Strategy and the Future Department – Emirates Post Group 
• Head Of Service Center Roads and Transport Authority – Dubai

Sebastien Miller is responsible for Masdar City’s public realm, including parks, plazas, streets, as well as the general visitor experience, including open space programs and activations, as well as sustainability, transportation, and architectural interfaces.

Prior to joining Masdar City, he worked as a landscape architect, urban designer, and master planner on numerous international projects in the Middle East, Australia, Europe, and the U.K.  With 20 years experience, he has worked on some of the most prestigious mixed-use developments, public parks, waterfront communities, resorts and eco-tourism projects in the region.

Miller offers expertise and skills in visioning, spatial design, project implementation, authority compliance, and construction knowledge. He consistently explores new opportunities for pilot projects, including innovation and tech projects, as well as retail activations, to improve Masdar City’s urban experience.

Miller has authored numerous articles on public realm, transport, sustainability, and housing that have been published in some of the U.K.’s leading professional journals.

He holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Heriot Watt University in Scotland. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in the built environment and a graduate diploma in landscape architecture, both from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

Steve Severance oversees numerous projects that balance sustainability and economic requirements, guaranteeing each project meets sustainability, revenue, cost, and schedule targets. Severance also leads the development of the technology lines of business, including district cooling, mobility, and smart city initiatives. He develops new business models, execution of strategies, and partnerships with leading global companies to implement technology requirements. He has 20 years of experience in project and program management, strategy consulting, financial analysis, and economic development in the United States, Moldova, and the Middle East. Severance holds a Master of Business Administration from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cedarville University in the United States.

Water Efficiency Programs Senior Specialist at the Department of Energy and an architect with a focus on sustainable built environments. Holding the title of LEED Green Associate, she brings energy and water efficiency expertise to her role. With a wealth of experience, she currently she is currently one of the Wisor Ambassadors part of the Masdar program, contributing to advancements in sustainable practices.

Hasan is an Energy Insights and Data Analytics Specialist with the AD DoE. He has over 14 years of Energy Efficiency and Sustainability experience in multiple governmental organizations across India and the Middle East. His area of expertise is Demand Side Management and Policy Impact Analysis.

With four years at the Department of Energy, I began by pioneering behavioural change programs, transitioning into leading building retrofit projects focused on demand response and demand-side management. My expertise lies in optimizing energy usage and fostering sustainable practices through innovative initiatives.

Altaf Lorgat comes with a strong FM background with more than 30 years’ experience. He has managed a multitude of contracts/clients, both in the UK and in the UAE. Altaf’s experience spans across blue-chip and local government corporate facilities, call centres, warehouses, secure accommodation, commercial, residential, and healthcare facilities. Altaf has a passion for ‘raising the bar’ for the facilities industry through education and awareness and has a drive for delivering excellence within his portfolio. Altaf champions the concept of sustainability and recognizes the opportunities to advance at a macro level.

With over 17 years of experience in the construction industry, Barry is a Project Lead with a strong track record of delivering high-profile projects and multifaceted programs across the Middle East. His expertise spans commercial, hospitality, leisure, entertainment and mixed-use developments, where he has led large multidisciplinary teams.

Barry's early career in MEP design, coupled with his experience as a development director, provides him with valuable insights into understanding the key drivers for all project stakeholders, offering a comprehensive perspective on every aspect of the property and project lifecycle.

Kulvinder Singh has over 20 years of comprehensive experience in real estate and asset management, operations and facilities management, project management, fitout and construction management of high-profile assets in the region, spanning higher education, retail, corporate commercial, residential and hospitality industry.

Kulvinder has worked in different capacities representing asset owners, design and consultancy firms, contractors and service providers, and adopts a whole-life approach with managing assets, and output based performance specifications with KPI’s for service agreements, to attain optimal performance and value for the stakeholders.

Kulvinder is a Certified Member of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM), a Committee Member of the UAE Chapter of IWFM, and is an Associate Member of the Institute of Asset Management. Kulvinder holds a MSc in Facility Management and Diploma in Asset Management, in addition to LEED and NEBOSH qualifications.

Andy has over 30 years of experience in Building and Construction, ranging from structural testing within the nuclear industry to fire testing.

Having established a Dubai façade laboratory, and operated it for 10 years, he has particular knowledge of building envelope systems and materials testing. He has carried out many consultancy projects as a third-party specialist; particularly updating the facades of existing buildings. Andy is a fellow of the CIOB and SFE. He continues to provide input into regional code and is a regular speaker at industry technical seminars such as this one.

Omnia cofounded grfn as a multidisciplinary consultancy with a mission to realize clients’ visions while sustaining the built environment via progressive, functional and lucrative environmentally-conscious engineering & design solutions for sustainable built environments that serve the wellbeing of your communities. The firm is driven by advanced engineering practices and innovative approaches and embeds environmental and social sustainability as integral to the operational model by embracing UN SDGs that align with our core activities in each and every project. Through our projects, we add a new dimension to the convention of “doing-good” by revolving our day-to-day jobs around the pursuit to contribute to efforts to solve the global issue of climate crisis and energy efficiency as well as having a positive impact to the communities in which we live. Omnia brings extensive experience in district cooling, buildings energy efficiency, and corporate sustainability. Her combined education and background in engineering and business is instrumental in the effective management of projects and the firm. She was recognized as a distinguished alumni entrepreneur by the American University of Sharjah in the year 2014 and is a regular speaker at regional conferences and contributor to periodicals and technical magazines.

Manivel Periasamy has been in Healthcare Facilities Management industry for last 35 years. Having his academic background in Engineering and Post graduation in Technology Management, he gained his experience in Medical Equipment Manufacturing, Project Management, Hard and Soft FM services in various organizations during his career span. In addition to serving as Director of Facilities Management, he leads the sustainability initiatives of American Hospital Dubai group. He has successfully managed many of the retrofit energy and water conservation projects to optimize Energy and Water Use Intensity in the hospital setting over the years resulting in significant carbon footprint reduction. As Hospitals are consuming higher levels of energy per unit area compared to other commercial buildings, energy cost is a critical component in overall of healthcare delivery costs. He continues to explore potential avenues of energy optimization strategies of the group.

Ishan has over 7 years of experience in sustainable design, certifications, and energy efficiency within the built environment across a wide range of projects throughout the Middle East. In his current role as the Sustainability Team Lead for Egis in Middle East and South Asia, Ishan is responsible for overseeing the delivery of all design and construction projects with respect to their sustainability aspirations. He has extensive experience in leading the delivery of energy audits for some key hospitality projects in the region. Ishan has also held the role of a design manager for prominent projects where he has led the design team and project from concept till completion of design. He has been awarded as the Rising Star of the Year at the 2021 Construction Week Awards and was highly commended as the Sustainability Engineer of the Year at the 2023 CIBSE UAE Awards.

Deepthy is a professionally qualified Architect, LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C) and has an ALM Master’s in Sustainability and Environmental Management from Harvard University. She is a sustainability professional with over 15 years of experience in the built environment sector, as an Architect, Management Consultant and Sustainability advisor. She was instrumental in establishing the US Green Building Council and GBCI HQ for Middle East & North Africa and leads the region as GBCI's Regional Director, based out of Dubai. Her work experience includes advisory services for clients within the real estate, utilities, oil and gas, financial institutions, retail and hospitality sectors, federal and local governments as well as not-for-profits to guide them through sustainable best practices to transform into tangible, impactful outcomes for the future. She has been a speaker at various events hosted by Federal Governments, Not-for-profits, green building councils and other sustainability event organizers across MENA. She believes that one small step towards sustainability is a giant leap for mankind.