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Professor Mikkel K. Kragh is Head of Department, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Aarhus University, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Denmark.

Mikkel is currently establishing a new engineering department as part of a major restructure at the Faculty of Technical Sciences at Aarhus University. The department covers a range of aspects in building design and structural engineering. He returned to Denmark, and to academia, after having held a range of international specialist positions spanning research and development, specialist contracting, specialist consulting, and specialty manufacturing. For years, he chaired the Society of Facade Engineering and championed the façade engineering discipline worldwide. Having spent his career working with high calibre international practitioners and academics, Mikkel has unique insight into high performance building solutions as well as the role of specialist design input in the construction industry now and in the future.

Fellow and former Chairman of the Society of Façade Engineering (SFE). Member of the Danish Academy of the Technical Sciences (ATV). Member of the Special Advisory Council, Facade Tectonics Institute. Member of the European Facade Network (EFN). CIBSE Silver Medal.

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René Nedergaard is a Partner with a 20-year tenure at Schmidt Hammer Lassen. René works globally on projects of all scales and is often drawn to masterplan projects and those with urban design elements that explore context and the impact of a project both at the local and at the city scale.

Educated in England and graduating from Bartlett School of Architecture Dipl. Arch and University of East London BSc (Hons), René has worked as an architect in the United Kingdom and Denmark with a focus on large-scale mixed-use projects and neighbourhood planning. He approaches his work through the lens of sustainability, leading a project through all phases, from creative vision to realisation. From science and technology complexes to residential masterplan transformations, he thrives in creating inspiring environments in the midst of dense and complex urban situations.

René is highly respected for his skilful and critical professionalism and known for his sharp intuition cultivated over his diverse architectural career. He has extensive experience in the academic world having taught at the University of East London, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, and the Danish Technical University.

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As a graduate chemical engineer, Heiko Schmidke looks back on a long career at the company Henkel AG&Co. KGaA, where he worked in research for several years before taking up various positions in international sales for industrial adhesives. After setting up the innovation management for consumer adhesives division of Henkel, he moved to the renowned German supplier of passive fire protection materials, Rolf Kuhn GmbH, where he was responsible for the entire international business. The experience he gained with bonding, sealing and passive fire protection products led him to Finotech Switerland AG. Finotech brand is an established partner in applications of bonding, sealing and fire protection for the building component and façade industry.

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Mr. Rasmus Ingomar Petersen is heading the international consultancy company COWI's façade engineering group located in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Rasmus is developing façade engineering as a consultancy service on the Scandinavian market, where this engineering discipline has not yet been recognized by the building industry in general. COWI's façade engineering group provides all the services associated with the design and construction of facades.

He started out as a structural engineer but moved to glass structures, curtain walling and timber-based facades 20 years ago.

In addition to his work as a façade designer he is editor of the Danish national specifications for facades and glass and also acts as an independent expert for both Danish courts and the Danish Arbitration board on façade related disputes. Furthermore, he has edited a guide on design responsibilities with regards to performance specification of facades.

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Commercial Director at Lanik with around 20 years of experience in the sector, 10 of them within the company, leading high-profile projects in the architectural envelope field. She is committed to fostering a collaborative environment that empowers teams to excel, driving a culture of accountability and innovation across multidisciplinary and international teams.

She plays a key role in building transparent and trusting client relationships through active listening and a focus on delivering tailored, high-performance solutions. Her expertise lies in navigating complex and challenging environments, translating technical and architectural requirements into feasible, value-driven proposals while balancing risk and decision-making to achieve results.

As part of Lanik’s growth strategy, she has actively contributed to expanding into new markets and consolidating relationships with strategic clients, ensuring the company’s positioning in demanding sectors and projects of significant relevance. She is dedicated to maintaining excellence in execution while aligning each project with the client’s unique needs and aspirations.

Fluent in Spanish, English, and French, she manages international stakeholder relationships with a clear, client-centered approach, strengthening Lanik’s presence in the architectural envelope industry.

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Gardar Thorvardarson, MBA, is an experienced leader and business developer specializing in innovative solutions for the construction industry. With a background spanning project management to the sale of industrial materials, Gardar has cultivated deep expertise in sustainable building practices and optimizing construction processes.

As the owner of Constructia ApS, Gardar is dedicated to advancing the green transition in construction by developing and delivering uncompromising, high-quality products that not only comply with, but exceed the most rigorous standards for fire safety and moisture protection. Constructia ApS provides certified firestop and acoustical solutions with a lifespan exceeding 60 years in collaboration with Siderise Insulation Limited, as well as innovative waterproofing membranes ensuring long-term protection and healthy indoor environments.

Gardar Thorvardarson is passionate about finding scalable, environmentally responsible solutions that help clients realize construction projects that are both functional and sustainable, and he advocates for setting new benchmarks for safety and performance in the building industry.

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Paul Tsalolikhin is a Commercial European Director, based at Siderise Insulations Limited branch in Switzerland. He has close to 25 years of experience in facade industry. Significant part of it has been in the firestopping and acoustic applications. He has both engineering and business degrees and worked with aluminium and steel façades on an international level, from Australia through Asia Pacific, China, Middle East to Americas.

From Switzerland he is building the European operations of an established UK company, Siderise Insulations Limited, specialising in firestopping and acoustics for glass and ventilated facades. The company has additional operations in Middle East, India, Singapore, Australia and the USA.

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Søren Peter Kristensen is Chief Specialist and Specialist Manager at Ramboll Facade Engineering + Art Andersen & Copenhagen. The multidisciplinary knowledge and practical approach, gives Søren and his team of façade experts the possibility to make a difference on how we design building envelopes, products as moveable shutters and innovative building components - we can do so much better if we use a Life Cycle Engineering approach with a sustainable and human centered focus, is he’s mantra.

Søren has been involved in more than 100 projects related to his field of expertise and are often also involved in forensic investigations and mitigation. This has increased his interest and expertise in how to work with bespoke design, new building materials and buildability, where also optimization through the use of advanced simulation software is combined with risk analysis and physical testing, often because current harmonized standards does not cover the products.

With Rambolls acquisition of Art Andersen & Copenhagen, back in 2019, a proven track record of design and turn key deliverables was added to the façade teams portfolio, counting a range of different folding shutters, sliding shutters, scissor systems, tensile textile lamellas, kinetic systems, vertical lamellas, venetian blinds, acoustic absorbing panels and noise reducing facade modules, etc., in other words the Ramboll Facade team, headed by Søren Peter Kristensen is heavily involved in TRANSFORMING FAÇADE DESIGNS THROUGH HOLISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS in collaboration with Danish and International architects.

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Roberto is a building envelope design specialist with a background in architecture, engineering and manufacturing and broad range of experience in a variety of projects, through which he was able to gain a strong and comprehensive understanding of multiple markets, cultures, climates and sectors, with involvement in all the design phases.

Roberto has a Master-level degree in building engineering and has developed his career taking key roles in the business. With a solid base from his early years as a façade engineer and design manager in manufacturing, he moved on to façade engineering consultancy, where he built an extensive and unique portfolio of international high-end projects with some of the most prominent firms, including Foster + Partners, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Snohetta, UNStudio, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Ron Arad, Zaha Hadid Architects and Gehry and Partners. Through the design challenges offered by such projects, he had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of geometries, materials, systems and suppliers. Roberto’s creativity and interest for design led him to join BIG Architects in 2017 as in-house façade specialist.

With a passion for architecture combined with the practical expertise gained in manufacturing and a commitment to aesthetics, sustainability, quality and technical excellence, his interest is in the design process that bridges the gap between the architect’s aspirations and the production, leading to the successful procurement and completion of the project.

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Thomas has a high level of experience in structural and facade engineering across a wide range of buildings and infrastructure projects. Previous roles include Global Facade Leader at Mott MacDonald Ltd, Technical Director at Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG, Technical Director at Seele Austria GmbH and Technical Director at Kingspan Ltd. He was also a Project Manager for ÍAV hf., also known as IPC (Iceland Prime Contractors), and a Senior Structural Facade Engineer at Ove Arup Ltd.

He has also had design and build responsibility on elements of numerous major projects such as Crossrail’s new Paddington station in London, England; Kirk Kapital A/S' new headquarter "Fjordenhus" in Vejle, Denmark; Maersk Panum Tower in Copenhagen, Denmark; Etihad Museum in Dubai, UAE; Glazed Link Library Walk in Manchester, England; Sowwah Galleria in Abu Dhabi, UAE; Trinity Leeds in Leeds, England; Cutty Sark in London, England; the Shard London Bridge Station, England; ARoS “Your Rainbow Panorama” in Aarhus, Denmark; Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland; and Triangeln Station in Malmö, Sweden.

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Educated as an engineer in physics and chemistry at ESPCI Paris, Pascal Chartier has more than 35 years of experience in the glass industry, occupying several positions in the Saint-Gobain Group. Starting in R&D at Saint-Gobain Research Paris, by working on multi-materials, surface modification of glass and coatings for the different glass divisions of Saint-Gobain, he was at the origin of the project of self-cleaning glass and then was responsible of its launch in 2003 by Saint-Gobain Glass. He moved then to several marketing roles at the international level, being in particular in charge of glass products for the residential market. In 2006 he was appointed Marketing and Architectural Projects Coordinator of the export business unit of Saint-Gobain Glass. In 2014, he changed for a position of Marketing and Business Development for the market of industrial specialties. He is in his current position Marketing Director for the glass façade market inside the Central Marketing & Development department of Saint-Gobain.

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Enrico has 35 years of construction experience including 24 years in the sealants and adhesives industry, collaborating with architects, engineers, main contractors, investors and OEM’s. He has supported many landmark projects around the globe including HQ Apple Campus2 Cupertino, HQ Bloomberg London, The Shard London and HQ ECB Frankfurt.

Enrico has also worked in close co-operation with research and development and system engineering teams on material innovation and new applications and has played a pivotal role in training personnel on future business development.

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With more than 20 years in glass, interlayers & facades, Jochen has developed a keen understanding of the role of advanced materials in modern architecture. He has been involved in various aspects of building envelope projects, contributing to both technical development and successful commercial execution of high-end projects in Europe, the Middle East, and the USA.

Blending technical expertise and understanding of client needs, he is currently leading the Strategic Projects & Business Development for the EMEA region , working closely with Architects, Engineers, and Designers to deliver innovative façade solutions that integrate high-performance interlayers for laminated glass, highlighting Kuraray’s commitment to serving the ever-changing global glass industry through innovation and leadership.

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Steen Elsted Andersen is Head of facade design at Henning Larsen. Steen is educated as a Constructing Architect and Designer with more than 20 years of experience in facade, roof, and envelope constructions. Steen completed a Master of Science in Architectural Engineering and Facade Engineering at the University of Bath in 2016.

Steen is specialized in the design of technically complex structures and facade solutions. He has designed a wide range of different facade solutions, from masonry, rainscreen- and Curtain Wall facades to customized facade / glass solutions. He has led and participated in the design of several facade design projects, in Denmark as well as around the world. Through his work with projects such as the Opera in Copenhagen, Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center in Iceland and Nordea Bank HQ, he has experience with complicated facade designs and constructions.

Steen was the Lead Facade Architect responsible for designing the unique façade at Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center in Reykjavík, incl. the 3D Quasi Brick facades.