IOR Board Trustee Elections - voting now closed

The annual IOR Trustee election voting is now closed. This year members will elect two new Board Trustees. Voting members  (Member, Associate, Technician and Fellow) were able to cast their vote online when they received their unique voting code email from the independent voting organisation Mi-voice. The voting closed on 27th October.

IOR Trustee nominations - Three nominations were received for the two vacancies (read their nomination statements below):

• Paul Singh FInstR
• Catalin Tomescu MInstR
• Damian Wiszniewski MInstR

If you are interested in reading more about the role of the Trustees see  https://ior.org.uk/about/BecomeaTrustee  

IOR AGM 3rd November 2022

The results of the election will be announced at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute of Refrigeration. Members will also be advised of the results in the next newsletter. The AGM will be held online.  For more details of the AGM and the Agenda see https://ior.org.uk/annual-general-meeting-2022 . Members can:

• Register to attend online  - you must also complete and return your AGM proxy form in advance  
• Return an AGM proxy form if they are not taking part either in person or on line

Candidate Statements

Paul Singh (Fellow)

Supporters: Lisa-Jayne Cook FInstR James Bailey FInstR

The Institute of Refrigeration, is of paramount importance to the RACHP Industry.  My career spanning over 45 years has most definitely benefited from the activities of the IOR. The IOR is forever evolving to meet the challenges the Industry faces and sets aims and objectives; providing resolutions. Something that I am very passionate about.  I feel that I could, very well support the IOR with its future development plans, based upon my extensive expertise, knowledge and skillset. I am very passionate about RACHP Training and Assessment (raising standards), the activities of the IOR,  and the RACHP Industry . I am always trying to raise awareness and engage.  This dedicated passion has culminated in:

• Owner of the ‘Award winning’, ChillAir Training Academy; delivering RACHP Training across UK and internationally.
• providing Unique RACHP Programmes for Overseas Students.

Passion-driven voluntary roles:

• Presentations on UK/ Indian RACHP Training to India Government and Universities.
• OfQUAL external expert for RACHP.
• Founder of RACHP-TAG: set up in 2020 supporting the Trainers and Assessors in troubleshooting and implementation of RACHP Programmes.
• Birmingham Society of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (BSRA) Chairperson
• Proactive on LinkedIn; engaging and raising vital RACHP Issues.
• Supporting the IOR via presentations, serving on various committees and events. 

I continuously promote the benefits of IOR Membership and activities. We are faced with key issues in  RACHP Training, raising awareness and image,  recruitment and Environmental Impact. I would really like to get more involved and support the IOR- as a Trustee Board Member.

Catalin Tomescu (Member)

Supporters: Martin Storey MInstR  Phil Dynes MInstR

From a young age I’ve been fascinated with refrigeration, having been fortunate enough to be introduced early on to the subject, as members of my extended family worked in this field. Looking back to when I started working, I never imagined that I will end up building a career in this industry, yet I find myself proudly climbing the same ladder and still happy about the choice made nearly a decade ago.

Even though refrigeration affects our day-to-day life in so many ways and has become deeply integrated and essential to our society, it’s still a hidden industry and I believe awareness needs to be raised among the young people, by sharing our experiences more, underlining how rewarding a career in this field can be, and how efforts made in our line of work are reflected in crucial aspects of today’s society.

It is very easy to become stationery in life and I believe comfort is the greatest enemy of progress, hence I am always keen to take on new challenges, trying to implement more energy efficient projects that will have a real impact on the end user and the world we all share. 

Becoming a trustee is both a rewarding way to help our industry and a way to learn new skills. I decided to apply for the Board of Trustees because I feel it’s my turn to give back to this industry, to work for causes I care about, and help a great organization achieve its maximum potential.

Damian Wiszniewski (Member)

Supporters: John Emm FInstR Lisa-Jayne Cook FInstR

Damian has been actively involved with HVAC industry for the last 10 years. He started his career in 2004 with Aerospace Engineering company Magellan Aerospace. He worked there for 5 years and then he moved into distribution and wholesale for one the largest UK Distributors / Wholesalers in the Engineering Sector. He then moved to work in the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration industry working for the wholesaler HRP (Part of the Beijer Ref Group). As Sales Engineer for the southern area, he quickly achieved recognition within the company and was promoted to Branch Manager for the Fareham, Bristol and Merton Branches.

To further enhance his reputation and his desire to move more into the air conditioning sector of the business he joined Samsung Climate Solutions UK in 2018. As Business Development Manager his role is to develop and expand the Samsung product brand covering the southern area.

Damian was elected to the Hampshire Refrigeration Society (HRS) Committee in early 2018 and took up the challenge as the HRS Events Coordinator, after 2 years he was nominated and accepted as Vice-Chairman of HRS.

Since 2018 Damian was also elected to serve on the IOR Membership Committee where in 2021 he became a chairman. He is also involved with the IOR South West Branch Steering Group Committee and actively supports and promotes the values that the Industry of Refrigeration represent.