ACR Journal

June | July 2023 Volume 9 No.4 CHANGING FACES 36 REBECCA FOX, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP, BESA Rebecca Fox is the new director of membership at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). Formerly director of membership and business development at the Association for Project Management, Fox was also previously group head of membership at the Chartered Institute for Procurement and Supply and before that had a series of international roles at logistics company DHL. Fox said she was delighted to be joining an organisation “with an exciting future” representing a sector that is central to so many of the biggest social and economic challenges facing society, such as climate change and levelling up. “I thrive on having an impact and making a difference, so this seemed the ideal new challenge,” said Fox. “BESA is a fantastic brand with a strong heritage, and it is my vision to strengthen and grow the BESA membership brand and base. “We should not be afraid to challenge and evolve our value proposition to ensure it is relevant and compelling. Our members’ businesses are changing; their marketplace is evolving, and we are on the cusp of regulatory and technological transformation that will have a major impact on the sector. Our membership offer must keep pace.” www.thebesa.com SCOTT MASON, HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY, KOOLTECH Air conditioning and refrigeration distributor Kooltech has appointed Scott Mason as its new head of sustainability as the company develops its range of low carbon heating solutions. Mason, who became the youngest Chair of CIBSE Patrons in July 2021, joins from smart energy consultancy Mesh Group and has previously worked at commercial heat pump manufacturers Lochvinar and Adveco. He will continue in his capacity as CIBSE Patrons Chair. Jonathan Brown, commercial director of Kooltech, said: “Scott joins us at an incredibly exciting time. Kooltech is experiencing strong growth and reaching new customers from across the sector and the UK. Scott’s appointment reflects Kooltech’s desire and ambition to become the go-to provider of sustainable heating and cooling solutions across the built environment.” Scott Mason said: “The net zero agenda represents an historic challenge and opportunity for our industry. Kooltech’s reputation as one of the UK’s most experienced air conditioning, sustainable heating and climate specialists means the company is primed to grow its business and play an even bigger role in the decarbonisation drive. I hope my experience will help Kooltech forge the next chapter in its already impressive history.” https://www.kooltech.co.uk/ PAUL AIREY SAYS FAREWELL TO OCEANAIR Paul Airey has retired following almost 40 years in the air conditioning industry, and worked his final day as regional sales manager at distributor Oceanair UK at the end of May. After a decade of service in the Army, Paul’s career then took him to IS Calder, IMI Air Conditioning, Williams Environmental, Airside, ACD and Fujitsu before joining Oceanair in 2016. He became a familiar figure at industry events up and down the country and helped organise many golf tournaments for both Oceanair and the Northern Refrigeration Golf Society. Paul said: “I have enjoyed my time in this industry immensely and I am sure I will miss it. I would like to thank everyone for their support throughout the years, and now look forward to relaxing and enjoying retirement life.’’ Paul has been replaced at Oceanair by Karl Anderson , previously at Fujitsu and Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning, who has joined the business as area sales manager. https://www.oceanairuk.com/ JOHN HILL, AREA SALES MANAGER, HITACHI Hitachi Cooling & Heating has expanded its UK sales team with the appointment of John Hill as area sales manager for the north of England region. Previous experience includes three years with Aggreko power generation in a sales engineering role and most recently regional sales with Cross Rental Services, a provider of bespoke interim and portable cooling, heating and hot water solutions to the public sector and MoD. John said: “For me, it’s all about building relationships; my customers know me and have faith in me to deliver their projects. That’s a lot of responsibility, but I thrive on it and I’ve proven that I can deliver. I’ve worked on projects from end-to-end and I know where I can add value to my customers. For me, after-sales is just as important as the initial sale. There’s always some room for improvement and that informs and builds our joint knowledge and expertise for the future.” Hitachi UK and Ireland country manager, Tom Hall, said: “John has a decade of experience in the industry and his passion and enthusiasm for delivering the best outcome for our customers is fantastic. He’s already built a well-deserved reputation in the north, and we’re delighted to have John on board as part of our expansion of the UK and Ireland sales team.” www.hitachiaircon.com/uk