Speakers

Ahmed Ban joined RAK Government in Mid 2018 as the Executive Director of Works Agency, Public Services Department, overseeing roads and roadside infrastructure in the Emirate. Prior to that he worked in a variety of multinational firms overseeing mega projects reaching in value to tens of Billions of dirhams in UAE, Canada, Australia and Egypt. Through his 25+ years of experience he specialized in heavy civil works and infrastructure projects, completing some of the most prestigious landmarks in UAE and elsewhere. He brings a richness of knowledge on energy conservation built through years of practical experience and application.

A strategically-minded and well organized Electrical & communications engineer with proven experience in project management, planning and have technical background in lighting sector. Currently I represent Technical Specifications Engineer & previously Street Light Section Technical Electrical Engineer ( Chief Lightovation Officer ) at Sharjah Electricity ,Water & Gas Authority (SEWA).

Thomas BAENZIGER, a Swiss citizen, holds an engineering degree of Zurich School of Engineering. He is the CEO of EE-Consulting AG Switzerland, Chairman of the CIE (International Commission on Illumination, based in Vienna) Technical Committee TC4-62, developing the new recommendations for Adaptive Road Lighting (ARL) and a member of TC4-43 concerned with Road Tunnel Lighting and Tunnel Lighting Controls. Thomas has 25 years of experience in Road and Tunnel Lighting Control, he has been lecturing at numerous universities and presented papers, including at the IEEE, ITS and the CIE at 20+ conferences in 4 continents. Today Adaptive Road Lighting and the integration of Road Lighting into the Smart City Platform as well as the sustainability of Road Lighting in general are Thomas’ major interests. He advises governments, consultants and private investors on these topics. Feasibility studies and the design of such systems are today his main activities.

A highly experienced lighting designer with over 16 years’ industry experience, Ahmed has worked on a diverse range of projects including lighting masterplans, infrastructure, public realm, heritage, and civic schemes. He has designed architectural lighting schemes for some of the Middle East’s most iconic buildings and gained industry awards and accolades for his work on Dubai’s International Financial District (Gate Village), 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central, and Midtown Mall in Riyadh. 

Ahmed’s ability to reconcile the creative aspirations for project with the technical elements of the design, is the result of a career spent working for both independent lighting design consultancies and large engineering firms. In his role as Projects Director at Nulty, he oversees every single project to ensure that the practice’s schemes continue to push boundaries and elevate the client’s final design. 

Seasoned infrastructure professional with experience in transaction advisory, deal structuring and project finance.

Currently advising MENA governments on structuring project finance deals and procurement of infrastructure projects.

Regina Santos, Founder & Design Director of Light Fusion, is a Member of the Society of Light and Lighting (MSLL) and a Member of the Illuminating Engineering Society (MIES), having worked for nearly 13 years in Dubai, with several distinguished lighting design projects developed in the Middle East region along the years, speaker at multiple conferences and panel discussions, and author of lighting articles.

I am the Founder and CEO at GLARE, an international Lighting Design Consultancy with offices in Italy, Middle East and Central Asia. My background is electrical engineering and I spent the last 25 years working in the Multidisciplinary Engineering Consultancy business in construction industry.

For the past 17 years, I have worked in different countries in Asia and Middle East leading and guiding several offices and multiple project teams.

GLARE found bases from my passion for LIGHTING. Lighting and its applications have always been for me the most fascinating part of the design. Being able to transfer this passion and knowledge into creative and inspirational projects is the essence of the customer experience GLARE provides.

Engineer Zainab is a hardworking enthusiastic person with a passion to gain knowledge & experience in many different disciplines. She joined Abu Dhabi Municipality back in 2017 in the infrastructure and municipal assets sector, where she worked with the storm water and lighting teams, ever since she have been involved in many infrastructure capital and operational projects, until she was appointed as director of infrastructure manuals update program, along with infrastructure miscellanies project manager. She has been chosen recently to pursue her career in Future Leaders Program in Department of Municipality and Transport which is a program directed and instructed by the chairman of DMT and his highness UAE president.

I am a Sr. Electrical Engineer at Wasl Properties with over 20 years of experience in the industry. With a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, I specialize in construction, energy-saving, lighting design, and have a passion for sustainable solutions. My vision is to introduce a culture that combines sustainable lighting designs with visual aesthetics and comfort, making it an integral part of the industry. I am committed to improving energy efficiency through innovative lighting solutions. With over 50,000 properties owned by Wasl within the Emirate of Dubai, I am proud to be making a positive impact on the environment and the world.

With experience in different types of organizations within the energy sector such as international organizations (IEA, OECD), large Groups, medium size private company and most recently within EDF, William forged a global vision of the solutions to develop a diversified energy mix while reducing consumption to achieve sustainable growth. Being involved in communication, marketing, business development, project and company management in the Middle Eastern energy sector for the past 8 years provided him with a great insight on all aspects of energy services companies and related projects. His interest in the energy sector and projects lies in the belief that each involved party can find their interest while having multiple benefits for the society through the use of sophisticated technical, financial and legal tools.

With over 10 years of experience in lighting across Australia, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Erin Denkovska believes that light is a crucial link for creating a spatial interaction between people and their environment. To her, light is an experience that generates and controls the way we feel and interact with the world around us. Her experience on a wide scale of international projects include retail, public realm, facades, hospitality and masterplanning. The range of experience has given her insight into the dynamics of the interior and exterior user experience and the importance of seamless lighting, both aesthetically and environmentally.