Meet Our Speakers

Learn from industry leaders, researchers, and experts who are shaping the future of fire safety

Birgitte Messerschmidt is Director, Research, National Fire Protection Association. She is responsible for NFPA’s Research Strategy, Research on fire problems and other safety issues, Data collection efforts to maintain NFPA’s fire incident and fire service databases and the NFPA Research library. She has a M. Sc. In Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark and has spent her entire career working on fire safety issues. Making our built environment more resilient to fire through better understanding of the impact of construction products and methods, as well as testing procedures and policy has been a career long passion. She has been involved in testing and research as well as standardization and advocacy. She has published and presented numerous papers on fire safety issues.
View Details

Birgitte Messerschmidt

Director, Research | NFPA

Gabriele Vigne is an engineer and researcher, currently Director of JVVA in Madrid, Spain. Gabriele has extensive international experience in fire safety engineering, with expertise ranging from CFD modeling and tunnel ventilation to performance-based design, evacuation management, and human behavior analysis. He has worked in complex contexts and highly specialized sectors, including airports, transport infrastructures, high-rise buildings, hospitality facilities, and sports venues, providing advanced technical solutions and tailored strategies for each type of project. Before leading JVVA, Gabriele worked for Arup Fire in various European offices (Madrid, Amsterdam, and London), serving as the European representative for Fire and Smoke Modelling and for pedestrian simulation software MassMotion. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Padua, furthered his studies at Lund University in Sweden, and earned a PhD in Fluid Mechanics from the University of Jaén (Spain), with a dissertation titled “Fluid Dynamics of Smoke from Enclosure Fires,” in collaboration with Imperial College London and the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid. He has worked on international projects and lived in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. He is the Spanish and Italian point of contact for NIST on FDS and Smokeview and a certified international FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) instructor. He has lectured in Human Behaviour and Evacuation Modelling at Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICAI) and Universidad Europea (UEM) in Madrid. He serves on the Board of the SFPE Spanish Chapter and is a reviewer for several international scientific journals, including Fire Safety Journal, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Fire Technology, Fire and Materials, Structural Fire Engineering Journal, Fire, Sustainability, Building Simulation, and the Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences: Technical Sciences. Since 2012, he has been a member of the SFPE European Chapter Coordinating Group (ECCG). Since 2016, he has served on the SFPE Subcommittee on Standards Oversight (SCSO) and the Subcommittee on Handbook Development (SCHD) and contributes to the Long-Range Planning Working Group and the Fire Modelling Task Group. He is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of SFPE Europe magazine. In 2017, he was appointed Expert Witness by the association representing victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London, with the aim of investigating the causes of the event and identifying potential preventive measures. In 2024, he was named Fellow of SFPE.
View Details

Gabriele Vigne

Fire Safety Engineer and Scientist, Director of JVVA in Madrid, Spain

Grunde Jomaas is the FRISSBE ERA Chair holder and the Head of the Department for Research for Fire-Safe Sustainable Environment at the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG). He is also a professor at the University of Primorska in the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies (FAMNIT). Professor Jomaas has a BSc (Summa Cum Laude) in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland (2001) and a MSc (2005) and PhD (2008) in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. Professor Jomaas has a broad experience in experimental combustion and fire safety research, including high pressure premixed flame research and flammability in microgravity. In the FRISSBE project, he focuses on the link between fire safety and sustainability, both from a theoretical and experimental
View Details

Grunde Jomaas

FRISSBE ERA Chair holder and the Head of the Department for Research for Fire-Safe Sustainable Environment at the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG)

Michael Luckner
View Details

Michael Luckner

EMEA Chief Engineer Köln, Deutschland

Paulo Ramos is Managing Partner at ETU Fire Safety Consultants and President of the Board of SFPE Portugal. He holds a Master’s degree in Architecture and a Postgraduate degree in Fire Safety Engineering. He is certified by ANEPC (the Portuguese National Fire Safety Authority) as a Fire Safety Specialist, which qualifies him to design fire safety systems for very high-risk buildings. He represents the Portuguese Chamber of Architects on the National Fire Safety Authority’s Code Committee and is also a member of the Strategic Fire Safety Committee of APSEI (the Portuguese Safety and Security Association). Paulo has published several articles on fire safety in both technical and scientific journals. His main areas of expertise are fire safety in heritage buildings and performance-based design. Over the past fifteen years, he has served as Responsible Charge for more than 500 fire safety projects in Portugal, France, Algeria, and Angola.
View Details

Paulo Ramos

Managing Partner at ETU Fire Safety Consultants and President of the Board of SFPE Portugal

Dr. Robert McNamee serves as the Chairman of SFPE Europe and holds the position of Research Developer and Senior Researcher within the Fire and Safety department at RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden. He is also an Associate Editor for the peer-reviewed journal Fire and Materials and involved in international standardization at different levels. In the area of façade fire safety, Robert has worked both practically, performing standardized façade fire testing earlier in his career, and academically, through a variety of research projects on the topic.
View Details

Robert McNamee

Chairman SFPE Europe and research developer at the fire and Safety Department of Research Institutes of Sweden

Dr. Zhuojun Nan is an Assistant Professor specialising in structural fire engineering, with a focus on understanding, predicting, and responding to fires and structural failures to make cities safer and more resilient. Her research combines advanced structure–fire modelling, multi-scale experiments, and emerging technologies such as AI to reformulate fire safety. Her current research lines include: · Fire performance of emerging construction materials · Scalable fire scenario libraries for digital twins · AI applications in fire safety She holds a First-Class Honours BSc in Civil Engineering from Guilin University of Technology and an MSc from the University of Edinburgh, where she first realised how fire can compromise even the most robust structures. As a fire engineer at Arup, she contributed to major projects such as Xiaoshan International Airport. Her PhD at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Towards Safer Buildings: An Integrated Approach for Structural Fire Analysis, Design, and Collapse Prediction, pioneered the first AI-assisted framework that integrates realistic fire scenarios (e.g., travelling fires) into structural fire analysis, developed within the Smart Urban Resilience and Firefighting (SureFire) project. Her doctoral research earned the SFPE Foundation Student Scholar Award.
View Details

Dr. Zhuojun Nan

Assistant Professor, First-Class Honours BSc in Civil Engineering from Guilin University of Technology and an MSc from the University of Edinburgh

Prof. Dr. Kathrin Grewolls is a German fire protection engineer, academic, and founder of BSKT GmbH, with over 20 years of experience in fire science, simulation, and safety engineering. She holds a Doctorate from the University of Central Lancashire (UK), specializing in modelling sensitivity in fire simulations, and Master’s degrees in Fire Protection Engineering and Civil Engineering. She currently serves as Professor of Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Regensburg (OTH Regensburg), where she lectures in fire dynamics, evacuation modelling, and disaster control, and contributes to national and international research and education initiatives (e.g., SFPE Europe, VIB, BMBF). As Director and Founder of BSKT GmbH, she leads projects in fire protection design, simulation, and expert certification. Prof. Dr. Grewolls is a publicly appointed and sworn expert in preventive fire protection (IHK Ulm) and an active member of several professional engineering and fire safety organizations (SFPE, VIB, vfdb, VDI, DGNB). She has authored numerous scientific publications and conference papers on fire safety, simulation, and risk analysis, and regularly presents at national and international fire engineering conferences. Fluent in German, English, and French, she is also committed to sustainability and social engagement, supporting educational and environmental initiatives.
View Details

Prof. Dr. Kathrin Grewolls

Managing Director BSKT GmbH; Professorship Fire Engineering at OTH Regensburg; SFPE

Matteo Alessandro Baleni is nVent Business Development Manager for CADDY Seismic Protection products, responsible for EMEA regions. A graduated civil engineer at Politecnico di Milano University, with specialization in hydraulic systems engineering, he spent almost his entire work career in struts and construction business, working 6 years for Hilti Italia (manufacturer of construction and building products) as technical helpdesk and then territory solution engineer, 1 year for Knauf Italia (plasterboard manufacturer) as solution engineer, 6 years for Tyco Fire Protection Products Italia (water based fire protection products manufacturer) as technical product manager and, before joining ERICO, few months for MEFA Italia (fastening system manufacturer) as support engineer. Matteo also deepened his marketing skills and competences working four years as product manager for Antalis Italia (paper merchant company). Once joined ERICO (then evolved into Pentair and, finally, into nVent) in the CADDY division, Matteo managed his own sales and technical role supporting fire protection engineering firms and contractors in the seismic protection design and organizing and delivering more than 100 technical seismic seminars (focused on seismic protection for sprinkler systems) across Europe for engineers in the last ten years. He is a speaker/lecturer at national (AIIA - Italian association of fire protection engineering; IFSN – Italian Fire Sprinkler Network) and international conferences (HUZOP - Croatian fire protection engineering association; TUYAK – Turkish fire protection engineering association; VdS – German institute for security and safety; ELYPIKA – Hellenic Institute for the fire protection of structures; FOUR ESSENTIALS – Turkish engineering meeting) and is currently member of the EFSN (European Fire Sprinkler Network) and IFSN (Italian Fire Sprinkler Network)Technical Committee. Matteo Alessandro Baleni is 53 and lives in Padova (North-East Italy) with his sweetheart, his nine years old son and his dog.
View Details

Matteo Baleni

nVent Business Development Manager for CADDY Seismic Protection products

Oscar is a Technical Service Specialist at Johnson Controls, with over 25 years of experience in fire protection systems across the EMEA region. He provides expert support for both sprinkler and gas extinguishing systems, specializing in hardware and standards compliance under FM, NFPA, and UNE 12845. With deep knowledge of Spanish fire safety regulations, he actively contributes to national working groups and interpretation committees. He coordinates the Manufacturer Working Group on Extinguishing Systems within Tecniguego Aespi and is a member of the European Fire Sprinkler Network (EFSN). As a certified trainer, he regularly delivers technical courses on NFPA 13 and UNE 12845 to fire brigades, control entities, and engineering firms. His mechanical engineering background from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia is complemented by advanced training in fire resistance, smoke exhaust systems, and ATEX environments, making him a respected authority in fire protection engineering.
View Details

Oscar Rosique Hernandez

Technical Service Specialist – Sprinkler System Europe in Johnson Controls / Tyco

Harry Wright is Regional Sales Manager for Siemens in the UK and Ireland. With 8 years of experience in the water mist industry, he specializes in high-pressure water mist fire protection. He leads technical projects across diverse applications—including data centers, healthcare facilities, high-rise environments, and heritage buildings—providing expert guidance and documentation tailored to each sector’s unique requirements.
View Details

Harry Wright

Regional Sales Manager for Siemens in the UK and Ireland

Günter Dirnberger is Global Business Development Manager for e-House solutions at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, specializing in fire safety applications. With over a decade of experience in technical sales, project management, and strategic growth across the energy and infrastructure sectors, he has led international initiatives in battery energy storage systems, smart metering, and fire protection innovation. Günter holds a Master’s degree in Sales Management for Technical Products and is recognized for his leadership in sustainable technology development, including award-winning projects in fire suppression and energy systems.
View Details

Günter Dirnberger

Global Business Development Manager e-House Siemens

Dr. Marija Jelčić Rukavina is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb where she earned Ph.D. in Technical Sciences in 2014, focusing on the characterization of self-compacting concrete exposed to high temperatures. Nowadays, her research focuses on the fire performance, durability, and environmental impact of building materials and composites. Actively engaged in professional and scientific communities, she is a member of RILEM, the Croatian Fire Protection Association, and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. At her faculty, she leads the university professional study Fire Engineering. Her work contributes to the advancement of fire-safe, energy-efficient, and sustainable construction practices.
View Details

Marija Jelčić Rukavina

Ph.D. Associate Professor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Materials, University of Zagreb

Alex Playfair is Head of Fire Pumps at SPP. SPP are the Global leader in Fire Pumps and Fire pump systems with factories in the UK, USA, Thailand, South Africa, and India supplying Fire Pump packages all over the world. He has served as Chairman of the European standard EN12259-12 when the standard was being developed and was also a committee member for EN17451. He is also a member of the FM advisory council, contributing to the advancement of fire safety standards across Europe. Alex will talk about pumps packaging standard EN17451 and Pump listing standard EN12259-12 standards.
View Details

Alex Playfair

Head of Fire Pumps at SPP

Assoc. Prof. Kamila Cábová is a civil engineer and researcher at the Department of Steel and Timber Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. She specializes in structural fire safety design, focusing on steel and timber structures, their connections, and numerical modelling using CFD, FE, and coupled approaches. She received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering in 2015 and completed her habilitation (Doc.) in 2023 at CTU in Prague. Over her academic career, she has participated in numerous national and international research projects, including those supported by the Czech Science Foundation and the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS). She currently leads the project “Ductility and strength demands for connecting plates and bolts in bearing type connections of normal and high-strength steels.” Assoc. Prof. Cábová is a member of CEN/TC250/SC1 WG4 for Eurocode 1 and the ECCS TC10 Task Group on the Design of Gusset Plates. She has authored over 35 scientific papers indexed in WoS and Scopus, with an h-index of 5, and regularly serves as a reviewer for international journals in fire safety and structural engineering. Her teaching activities include courses on steel and timber structures and structural fire design. Her recent work is devoted to advanced modelling and validation of fire-exposed steel and timber elements, bridging experimental and computational research. Further details can be found on her Google Scholar and ORCID profiles or LinkedIn.
View Details

Kamila Cábová

Assoc. Prof. at Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague

Assoc. Prof. Kamila Cábová is a civil engineer and researcher at the Department of Steel and Timber Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. She specializes in structural fire safety design, focusing on steel and timber structures, their connections, and numerical modelling using CFD, FE, and coupled approaches. She received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering in 2015 and completed her habilitation (Doc.) in 2023 at CTU in Prague. Over her academic career, she has participated in numerous national and international research projects, including those supported by the Czech Science Foundation and the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS). She currently leads the project “Ductility and strength demands for connecting plates and bolts in bearing type connections of normal and high-strength steels.” Assoc. Prof. Cábová is a member of CEN/TC250/SC1 WG4 for Eurocode 1 and the ECCS TC10 Task Group on the Design of Gusset Plates. She has authored over 35 scientific papers indexed in WoS and Scopus, with an h-index of 5, and regularly serves as a reviewer for international journals in fire safety and structural engineering. Her teaching activities include courses on steel and timber structures and structural fire design. Her recent work is devoted to advanced modelling and validation of fire-exposed steel and timber elements, bridging experimental and computational research. Further details can be found on her Google Scholar and ORCID profiles or LinkedIn.
View Details

Jacek Ćwikliński

Fire Safety Engineer & Tunnel Protection Specialist