Aitor is the Area Manager at Lanik for several countries including Australia, holds a degree in Engineering and has participated in various landmark projects. 

Aitor has vast experience dealing with challeging and bespoke projects, encompassing technical design, fabrication, supply, and installation, and is used to assist consultants and stakeholders at every project stage. This support is especially interesting during the desing phase by providing valuable inputs related to constructibility, optimization, lead times, cost analysis, etc… with the aim of reaching the most adapted and performant solution considering all project requirements, since the desing up to the completion

Bernat has more than 20 years of experience in the technical ceramic world, particularly in ventilated façade cladding systems.  Having worked in Europe, Asia and now Australia, he possesses a thorough understanding of façade cladding for different markets with different focuses. His extensive manufacturing experience provides him with a unique perspective of how the sustainability trend is impacting the ceramic industry and façade cladding industry.  

Originally from Spain, Bernat as the director of Frontek Australia Pty Ltd was the first to introduce the extruded porcelain cladding to the Australian and New Zealand markets eight years ago.  Frontek Australia has successfully implemented innovative façade solutions in education, health, commercial and residential buildings all over Australia and New Zealand.  

Frontek Australia is committed to excellence and collaboration has strengthened relationships with clients, suppliers, and industry partners, ensuring seamless project execution and exceptional value. Under his direction, Frontek Australia team aim to drive further growth and innovation, continuing to set new benchmarks in the porcelain cladding industry.  

Bill Segaert continues the almost 90-year representation of Saint-Gobain Glass in Australia by the Segaert family. With his own 20 years of experience within the Australia and New Zealand Glass industries, he is well positioned to promote the Saint-Gobain high performance and sustainable glass solutions. Saint-Gobain continues to lead the way for the industry with the world’s first Low-Carbon Glass. Bill is looking forward to presenting the landmark technical breakthrough that Saint-Gobain has achieved, enabling it to offer the first glass with a low embodied carbon thanks to a substantial R&D effort and the excellence of its industrial teams. This innovation will help significantly reduce the carbon footprint of construction and accelerate the development of the circular economy. Intended for use in the glazed parts of a façade in combination with high performance low ‘e’ coatings, it is a perfect response to the stricter sustainability requirements of the building industry without any compromise on technical or aesthetic performance. 

Ms. Candice Zhao has 10 years of experience in engineering glass processing industry. She has been engaged in the management and execution of overseas projects, especially HK market. Her recent projects include Taikoo Place 2A & 2B in HK, West Kowloon Station Commercial Building in HK, KIA headquarter in Korea, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Building in USA, etc.

Dinesh Kumar Nalukurti is a seasoned sales and marketing professional with over two decades of experience in the building materials industry. Currently serving as the Sales Director for Saint-Gobain Glass International, he manages operations across the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.  

Under his leadership, the company achieved significant growth in sales, new customer acquisition and customer satisfaction. Dinesh's expertise spans commercial acumen, marketing strategy, business development, and team management. He has successfully launched new products, managed key architectural projects, and provided technical guidance to stakeholders. Previously, Dinesh held roles such as Marketing Director in Paris and Marketing Manager in Chennai, where he drove strategic roadmaps and digital marketing initiatives. Dinesh holds a Business degree from IIM Bangalore and a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Osmania University. Fluent in English and intermediate in French, he also speaks several Indian languages. 

Ed Daines is the Director of WilkinsonEyre’s Australian studio, with over 20 years of experience working on high-profile projects around the world, including CIBC Square in Toronto and Battersea Power Station and 21 Moorfields in London. In Melbourne he is working with Architectus and Hines to deliver 600 Collins Street, a new landmark office tower with a distinctive articulated façade and incorporating ground-breaking sustainability initiatives and the latest in workplace amenities.  Ed is passionate about the role of architecture in creating beautiful and sustainable buildings and places that enrich our cities and bring pleasure to those that use them. 

Elissa leads the Inhabit team in Melbourne across the specialist services of new build façade design including engineering, documentation and procurement, diagnostics and remedial solutions as well as ESD and acoustics. She is well known for her facade design skills and delivery across a variety of high-profile projects across all market sectors within the Victorian region.

With a formal background in architecture and construction management, she works with a collaborative approach with project teams. She has extensive project management experience and an astute commercial acumen in the areas of project design, coordination, contracting and client management.

Elissa has an extensive understanding of façade waterproofing and how façade systems are influenced by structural, mechanical, energy, thermal, daylighting, acoustic and fire considerations and how they affect the façade design outcome. Her in-depth knowledge of both the local façade market, as well as the capabilities of international players offers insight into the intricacies of façade procurement and delivery from a cost and carbon perspective. She uses this knowledge to convey understanding to project teams throughout the design process.

She is an advocate for the Façade Engineering profession and is working with many likeminded industry professionals to progress the industry in her role as Vice Chair for the Society of Façade Engineering ANZ Hub.

With over 20 years of experience as an architect, Falk’s portfolio includes a range of complex projects including Mona, NewActon Nishi and Yarra One, which have all made significant contributions to their cultural landscape and urban environment. 

Falk’s knowledge of building technologies and on-site fundamentals has led to his inherent understanding of the complexities associated with projects of all scales and typologies.

Falk’s background as a bricklayer and in structural engineering combined with qualifications in architecture has seen him involved in many sides of development. As a result, the appreciation Falk gained for the skillset and knowledge that builders possess has informed his ability to design more efficient buildings and achieve better outcomes.  

As a principal with Fender Katsalidis, Falk integrates new ideas and systems into his projects, ensuring that the quality of each is taken through to the last detail. His decades of experience have allowed him to take on greater responsibility, while still finding time to mentor others. His approach and commitment are reflected in the quality of his teams’ documentation packages, which are regarded as among the best in the industry.

Gabriel Kok, Design Director at Riverlee, brings 18+ years of experience to his role, blending architectural expertise with commercial acumen. Following a decade at FK, Gabriel now leads high-profile projects, including Seafarers in Melbourne's North Wharf precinct.

At Riverlee, Gabriel oversees projects from inception to completion, instrumental in shaping overall design visions. The Seafarers project showcases his pivotal role in creating innovative, sustainable urban developments that enhance both form and function.

Inspired by Riverlee founder Clement Lee's vision of leaving a positive legacy, Gabriel's approach combines design excellence with practical solutions. His work on Seafarers exemplifies this philosophy, delivering uncompromised outcomes that meet both architectural and commercial objectives in complex urban regeneration projects.

Imogen Lyons is WT’s Carbon Management Lead. Since starting in the industry in 2006, Imogen has worked on various industry leading projects across Australia and Asia. Her experience in carbon management spans various government and private sector developments including high rise student accommodation, build-to-rent towers, office buildings, retrofit / refurbishment developments and airport infrastructure. She is a passionate advocate for innovation, sustainability and believes that today’s buildings and infrastructure shape tomorrow’s world.

As a key member of WT’s broader sustainability offering, Imogen has access to and can leverage the power of rich data and advanced technology to accurately estimate, measure, benchmark and report the embodied carbon status of assets.

Harnessing the power of new technologies, WT provides independent, reliable and realistic sustainability costing, measurement and advisory services to help our clients make faster realistic decisions, achieve cost-effective solutions, meet targeted performance requirements, consider future proofing, retrofitting and performance across their lifecycle .

Kieran is a façade engineer with over 35 years’ of experience in engineering consultancy. His career has taken him from the UK to France, Hong Kong and Australia, where he has completed projects in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

Kieran has a keen interest in exploring the links between façade engineering, sustainability, mechanical systems and energy use. His research work focuses on how life-cycle carbon analysis can impact façade design. His current interest is in exploring the benefits and costs of improving air infiltration rates through façade systems.

Mathew is a Partner at Wardle, he works across a broad range of sectors including commercial, urban design and civic projects. Mathew’s contributions to the practice’s major civic projects serve as a powerful platform for championing design excellence to influential of city makers.

Michael’s focus is on innovation, strategy, market, channel and product development for the Australian commercial facades segment, concentrating on the development of the AZURE® Façade System.

Prior to BlueScope, Michael has extensive experience within technical design, fabrication, supply, installation and launch-to-market various facade solutions for leading global companies from Europe, North America and Asia into Australian architectural construction projects, creating solutions in ventilated facade material in steel, aluminium, porcelain, terracotta, engineered stone, cementitious and composite metal/wood laminated façade panels.

Nick commenced working as a structural engineer with Connell Wagner in 2004. He pivoted his career towards the design of special structures, glass and façade systems when working with Dewhurst Macfarlane in New York from 2008-10. Since 2011, Nick has been working as a façade specialist with Arup (initially in Melbourne, now based in Adelaide) and is presently the Building Envelope (façade) skills leader for Arup’s Australasia region.

Beyond facades, Nick is an advocate for the Circular Economy, contributing to a research project in the field as well as speaking on panels and providing advice on Arup’s Circular Building Toolkit. Nick believes we should try to avoid the use of products and systems which are not readily dissemblable (e.g. adhesives!), and seek systems and processes which enable re-use of materials and components, at all stages of the project lifecycle.

Nick also contributes to growing talent in the Engineering industry: as a member of Consult Australia’s SA Chapter committee, as a past member of the industry advisory board at the School of Architecture & Civil Engineering at the University of Adelaide, as well as other volunteer roles which enable him to help inspire school aged Australians to consider engineering career pathways.

Oliver has been with BG&E façades since 2007 and has over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry, working with world renowned architects, developers and leading construction companies.

As a Director of BG&E Façades, he continues to be hands-on and fully involved in projects from the Concept Design through to Construction and Completion His expertise extend to a wide range of building projects including major hospitals, high rise office and residential buildings.

Oliver’s role is to develop the façades group capabilities and to grow the local and international markets. He also brings international experience from Asia and the Middle East. His main focus is to deliver projects at the highest quality, on time and within budget.

Oliver first discovered his passion for unique and challenging projects in 2008 when he first joined the window shading industry as an installer. After graduating from university with a degree in project management, he delved into managing and successfully delivering national rollout programs for fit outs in the retail, commercial, education, hospitality and health sectors. His experience also expanded internationally into multiple areas such as Macau, the Maldives and Port Moresby to name a few. Fascinated by their unique approach to custom based solutions for window shading systems and sustainable facades, Oliver decided to join the Climate Ready Engineering team in 2020. Since joining, Oliver has managed multiple iconic projects and has always championed the vision of the Designers and Architects and brought them to life. Oliver’s background and understanding in window shading system installation and project management makes him the perfect candidate for managing, coordinating and delivering large scale projects.

Rob leads the Arup façade team in Victoria. Educated and practicing for many years in iIndustrial design, Rob brings a holistic approach to façade engineering built on 20 years within the industry with a specialist façade contractor before becoming a consultant for the last 10 years. Rob has delivered many different projects of various sizes across the world, ranging from Hi-spec Facades to private homes to world cup stadiums and most building types in between. His passion is low energy building design and using a dynamic façade to modulate the internal comfort.

Rob has recently moved to Melbourne from the UK and this gives him an understanding of how the UK/European is currently approaching the challenge of climate change by improving the façade performance whilst managing the embodied carbon required to build the façade.

With over 15 years of experience in the building materials industry, Simon Metcalf is the Marketing manager currently at the helm of AkzoNobel's powder coating business in Australia and New Zealand. Holding a Master's degree in Powder Coating Chemistry from the University of Auckland, Simon Metcalf embodies a dedication to the coatings industry. Throughout his professional journey, Simon has consistently introduced innovative products to clients, while fostering cross-functional collaboration.

Simon is on a mission to drive growth and innovation in the powder coating market. Beyond the professional landscape, Simon's bio serves as a glimpse into a passion-driven career and an unwavering commitment to shaping a future where excellence and sustainability harmoniously coexist. As a results-oriented marketing leader, it is not only his career milestones but also the values that propel Simon towards creating a lasting impact in the dynamic world of building materials.

Teodosio Del Caño. CTO & COO. Onyx Solar Energy S.L. (Onyx Solar). Bachelor's Degree in Physical Sciences. University of Valladolid, 1994-1999.

Doctor in Physical Sciences. University of Valladolid. 4-year research work based on the study of organic materials and their applications in photovoltaic and light-emitting devices. Visiting Scholar and Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Windsor (Canada) and ASIC (Osaka). Author of more than 25 prestigious publications and guest speaker in numerous conferences. He has training in optimization of production processes and quality control and extensive research experience in national and international centres of recognized prestige.

Teodosio has great analytical and problem-solving skills and proven aptitude for management of large technological investment projects. He also has extensive experience in the development of R&D projects at regional, national and European level. Teodosio has been at Onyx Solar since 2009, as technical director of all business lines, working on defining the company's strategic policies, managing large-scale projects in their different phases and coordinating work groups in the technical area of the company.

Zamaneh khoshdel is bringing over a decade of architectural engineering excellence from assignments in Europe, Asia and Australia, she excels in projects that present technical challenges from design concept through to construction delivery. Her architect’s desire to bring challenging geometries and novel façade ideas to a client is complemented by her delivery expertise in sustainable design and energy efficiency focused outcomes. With her varied skill set which balances both design aesthetic and intent against engineering rigour. Zamaneh positively influences façade design outcomes and improves envelope performance. Working collaboratively with project teams, her extensive project leadership is renowned in the areas of project design, coordination, contracting and client management. This has been proven across a variety of notable projects and successful experimentation with new materials and assembly systems.