Board, leaders, and governance

Mikaila is a Director and part-owner at GWA Consultants Australia. She is a mechanical engineer and is actively involved in the design and construction management of various projects ranging from main plant and controls upgrades to essential services and fit-outs across all industry sectors. Mikaila specialises in whole building energy upgrades and is passionate about improving the energy performance of existing buildings.

Mikaila is the Associate Director of the Women of AIRAH STG.

Adam McIntosh is a Senior Engineer at Benmax, with over a decade of experience in the HVAC&R industry. His career has encompassed design consulting and management. Since joining Benmax in 2021, he has played a key role across all aspects of mechanical contracting, including tendering, design, project management, commissioning, building optimization and tuning, as well as service and maintenance.

A committed AIRAH member since the start of his HVAC&R journey, Adam is the Associate Director on the ACT Division Committee and contributes to the Electrification STG driving innovation in sustainable building solutions.

Chris is the director of CopperTree Analytics Australia. With over 10 years' experience in the HVAC industry, he has worked across multiple disciplines including mechanical design, building automation, and service. This has helped him understand the inner workings of air conditioning systems and how to analyse them.

He is passionate about building analytics and is continually working with building owners, maintenance providers, and consultants to improve how analytics is used in the industry.

Dr Michael Riese is Manager for Defence Business and Reserch & Development for industrial refrigeration company Cold Logic. After completing his initial trade qualifications in Germany, Riese moved to Cardiff, Wales to undertake his engineering degree. He subsequently moved to Australia to complete a PhD in experimental fluid dynamics.

Since leaving research in 2007, Riese has held positions as a consultant in the defence industry, managed the construction of Southeast Asia’s second largest wind tunnel, and worked as the principal engineer and business development manager for a company in the sheet metal fabrication industry. He also taught product development and operations management at the University of Adelaide for close to a decade.

He is also the Associate Director of the South Australia division committee, a member of the Refrigeration and Commissiong STGs and represents AIRAH on a number of committees to the IIAR..

With over 25 years of experience in HVAC and building services-spanning consultancy, technical sales and project management, Chris made a purposeful career transition to education. Now a lecturer at SMTAFE, He is passionate about teaching and fostering student learning, bringing the latest HVAC&R engineering solutions and technologies into his courses to help bridge the knowledge gap between Education Institution and the industry.

As a member of the AIRAH board, Chris applies his strategic insight and industry expertise to shape and oversee the organisation’s training and education initiatives. He is also the Associate Director of the WA division committee.

Sonia Holzheimer is a Chartered Mechanical and Building Services Engineer with over 20 years of experience in sustainable building design, HVAC engineering, and building services consulting. A recognised industry leader, she has co-founded SEQUAL, serves as a Partner at STP Consultants, and is a passionate advocate for STEM, sustainability, and the advancement of women in engineering. Her work focuses on designing healthier, more energy-efficient buildings while helping shape the future of the engineering profession through leadership, mentoring, and industry engagement.

Sami is a business executive with extensive experience in financial and operational management and an outstanding track record in transforming business performance. Experienced in strategic planning, business development, revenue improvement, system enablement, and process transformation. A well-rounded and effective leader with excellent people management skills and a strong belief in integrity and work ethic.