Our Team

Abdalla A. F. Lozon
Senior Fire Engineer
See Bio

Abdulkadir Omar
Project Consultant

Ahamed Thoufeeq
Regional Director

Alina Nathan
Marketing Specialist

Arstella Joy Silva
Executive Assistant

Armando Jr. Custado
Fire Consultant

Ashhad Siddiqui
Finance Manager

Benjamin Hughes-Brown
Director – Australia

Brad Robson
Project Engineer – Australia

Chanchal Kashyap
Fire Consultant

Chris Joseph
Project Engineer – Australia

Danielle LaFleche
Financial Controller

Elizabeth Johnson
Project Manager – Australia

Faimeen F. Shah
Managing Director

Firoz Khan
Fire Engineer
See Bio

Gopi Kannan
Senior Fire Engineer
See Bio

Heather Austin
Project Consultant

Hiren Patel
Project Consultant

Ishraat Masood
Winnipeg Lead
See Bio

Jabir Jamal
Senior Fire Engineer
See Bio

Jack Keays
Principal Canada

Jay A. Puno
Senior Fire Engineer
See Bio

Mahmoud Ehab
Fire Engineer
See Bio

Nishant Verma
Project Consultant

Oprite Bobmanuel
Project Consultant

Padmanabhan Kaushik
Principal Fire Engineer

Rahul Rawat
Fire Consultant

Ramesh Ravindranathan
Principal Fire Engineer
See Bio

Samuel A. Boadi
Project Consultant

Sarah Curl
Toronto Lead

Sheik Salahudeen
Senior Fire Consultant

Sheik Ibrahim
Senior Fire Engineer
See Bio

Tom J. Wood
Regional Director

Yolybeth Doropan
Senior Fire Engineer
See Bio

Vanessa Tantalo
Director, Special Projects
Ramesh Ravindranathan
Principal Fire Engineer
r.ramesh@vortexfec.com
Ramesh has more than 21 years of professional experience in fire safety consultancy and inspection in the UAE, Qatar and India.
He is an experienced fire consultant with expertise in preparation of fire life safety reports, risk assessments, gap analysis reports, inspections etc. for new projects and existing buildings. This includes airports, high rise buildings, residential, commercial, industrial buildings, hotels, resorts, shopping malls, hospitals, etc. He has thorough knowledge of codes & standards such as NFPA, IBC, British Standards, UAE FLS Code and civil defence authority requirements.

- Bachelor of Technology – Mechanical Engineering, University of Calicut, India
- NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS)
- Member, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Member, Society of Fire Protection Engineering (SFPE)
- Certified by Urban Planning & Development Authority – Qatar
- Approved ADCD and DCD Engineer
Rahul Rawat
Fire Consultant
r.rawat@vortexfec.com
Rahul has over 11 years of experience in fire life safety, fire protection, inspections, and testing.
He specialises in performance-based design for fire protection systems. He is conversant in UAE Fire & Life Safety Code of Practice as well as NFPA, Saudi Building Code & National Building Code of India.

- Diploma in Mechanical Engineer from Institute of Mechanical Engineers, India
- NFPA 13 Standard Installation of the Sprinkler Systems-Certificate of Completion.
- NFPA 20 Installation of Stationary Fire Pumps-Certificate of Completion
- CWBSP Certified Water-Based Systems Professional Certificate of Completion
- NFPA 25 Inspection, Testing & Maintenance Certificate of Completion
- CFPE Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems Review-Certificate of Completion
Abdulkadir Omar
Project Consultant
a.omar@vortexfec.com

- Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Mechanical – Specialization: Thermofluids Stream) with a Management Minor, University of Manitoba, 2015
- Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, Professional Engineer
Jabir Jamal
Senior Fire Engineer
j.jamal@vortexfec.com
Jabir is a fire safety engineer with over five years of consulting experience on large-scale projects in Australia and Middle East. He specialises in rail tunnels, road tunnels, stadiums, and high-rise commercial buildings.
He is a competent user of the widely used standard fire engineering software packages such as FDS, Pyrosim, Pathfinder, C-Fast and B-Risk.

- Bachelor of Engineering – Mechanical (University of New South Wales, Australia)
- Master of Engineering – Building Fire Safety and Risk (Victoria University, Australia)
- Member of the Institution of Engineers Australia
Chanchal Kashyap
Fire Consultant
c.kashyap@vortexfec.com
Chanchal has an architectural background and is competent in using AutoCAD, Revit Architecture, Bluebeam, Google Sketch-up and Sound Design.

- Bachelor of Engineering Technology, BITS Pilani WILP, India, Ongoing
- Diploma in Architecture, Meera Bai Institute of Technology, India
Elizabeth Johnson
Project Manager – Australia
canberra@vortexfec.com
Elizabeth is adept at project management, travel management, maintaining databases, billing and finance processes, overseeing branding and document review along with organizing large-scale meetings and workshops along with managing third-party vendors. As a highly self-motivated individual and team leader, she is skilled at multi-tasking and maintaining a strong attention to detail whilst demonstrating professionalism and high communication skills to meet both client and company needs.
After creating and implementing a new project management system, Elizabeth has been instrumental in developing further processes to create greater efficiencies in-house allowing our Engineers more time to focus on their clients and to easily track the progress of projects.

Brad Robson
Project Engineer – Australia
b.robson@vortexfec.com
Brad has an in-depth understanding and proven experience with the application of local and international codes and standards to suite his clients needs.

- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) – Majoring in Mechanical and Material Systems and a Minor in Electrical and Communication Systems – The Australian National University, Canberra
Chris Joseph
Project Engineer – Australia
c.joseph@vortexfec.com
Christopher began his work in Fire Safety Engineering as a student with Ignis Solutions, and after graduating, he then joined Ignis Solutions as a full-time Graduate Engineer.
His experience on projects from fire engineered solutions, product code compliance and advice, to bushfire compliance and fire testing, has allowed him to work on multiple large projects ranging from theatres, shopping centres and multistorey residential developments under the guidance of the Senior Engineers within Ignis Solutions.
Through his knowledge in the systems engineering approach, data analysis and project management, Christopher provides strong support in developing performance-based fire engineering solutions and communicating with stakeholders.

- Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Mechanical and Material Systems Engineering), Australian National University, Australia
- Bachelor of Business Administration, Australian National University, Australia
Benjamin Hughes-Brown
Director – Australia
b.hughes-brown@vortexfec.com
studies, design and application of fire safety systems for occupant life protection as well as establishing Australia’s first multi-function private fire safety testing and research facility.
Benjamin specialises in working with product manufacturers to establish their materials compliance with the Building
Code of Australia. Benjamin is a proactive engineer with good communication skills and an awareness of the importance of cost effective designs to achieve the required fire and life safety outcomes across a range of engineering projects. Benjamin has experience in communicating fire engineering issues to authorities, fire engineers, principle certifying authorities and design teams. Benjamin displays a high level of commitment to his projects and the clients, who have been impressed with his prompt follow-up and feedback on the relevant issues.

- Master of Fire Safety Engineering, University of Western Sydney
- Graduate Diploma Bushfire Engineering, University of Western Sydney
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), University of Technology, Sydney
- Diploma of Engineering Practise, University of Technology, Sydney
- Diploma of Engineering (Mechanical), Canberra Institute of Technology
- Accredited Certifier Program, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
Mahmoud Ehab
Fire Engineer
m.ihab@vortexfec.com

- Degree (BSc Mechanical Engineering), American University of Sharjah, UAE
- Degree (Minor in Applied and Computational Mathematics), American University of Sharjah, UAE
- Member, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), USA
- NFPA 101 Essentials (2021 Edition): Life Safety Code Certificate of completion
- Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Certificate
Sheik Salahudeen
Senior Fire Consultant
s.salahudeen@vortexfec.com
Salahudeen’s expertise includes coordination of architectural design with MEP systems and building fire codes as per the project requirements. He has been involved in the preparation of fire life safety drawings as per the local AHJ requirements.

- Bachelor of Architecture (First Class), Madurai Kamaraj University, India, 2001
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) & Abu Dhabi Civil Defence (ADCD) House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- Member, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), USA
- Registered with Council of Architecture (COA-India)
Sheik Ibrahim
Senior Fire Engineer
s.ibrahim@vortexfec.com
He has been involved in the design and execution of numerous projects in accordance with local and international codes and standards.

- Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (First Class), Kuvempu University of Karnataka, India, April 2002
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) & Abu Dhabi Civil Defence (ADCD) House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- Member, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), USA
Oprite Bobmanuel
Project Consultant
o.bobmanuel@vortexfec.com
Oprite has over 2 years’ experience specializing in structural engineering. Having worked on projects across Nigeria, her experience ranges from analysing and designing reinforced concrete (residential, industrial and commercial developments) in accordance with the building code, retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing structures.

- Master of Applied Science (Civil), Carleton University, 2021
- Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 2017
Heather Austin
Project Consultant
h.austin@vortexfec.com
Heather has over 10 years’ experience specializing in fire protection engineering technology, building code and fire code consulting. Having worked on projects across Canada, her experience ranges from building reviews and building condition assessments to code interpretation for alternative solutions.

- Master’s Degree – Fire Protection and Administration, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 2013
- Bachelor of Science – Fire and Safety Engineering Technology, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 2011
- Diploma – Fire Protection Engineering Technology, Seneca College, Toronto, ON, 2009
Armando Jr. Custado
Fire Consultant
a.custado@vortexfec.com
Armando has more than 10 years of experience in drafting and designing fire life safety systems as per standards and local authority requirements. His experience includes airport, mixed-use buildings, hotels, commercial, schools, industrial and residential developments.

- Certificate for Comprehensive AutoCAD 2007 with Color Rendering
- Certificate for Autodesk 3Ds Max 2010; Architectural Design and Visualization
- Certification for Autodesk AutoCAD 2D and 3D Training
- Certification for Revit 2015 Training
Ashhad Siddiqui
a.siddiqui@vortexfec.com
Ashhad has more than 13 years of diversified professional experience in finance, accounting and audit in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
His experience has included working across various industries and Big4 accounting firms.
His area of expertise is corporate finance, operational finance, financial reporting, budgeting, treasury and P&L management.

- ACCA, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, United Kingdom
- Master of Science in Professional Accountancy), University of London, United Kingdom
- Bachelor of Commerce, University of Karachi, Pakistan
Yolybeth Doropan
Senior Fire Engineer
y.doropan@vortexfec.com
Yolybeth has more than 13 years of professional experience in passive fire applications and internal inspections in the Middle East and internationally.
Her experience has included hospitals, hotels and airports for gap analysis, inspection and testing & commissioning of passive fire protection systems.
Her area of expertise is undertaking inspections of passive fire protection systems as per local AHJ requirements. This includes reviews and approvals of details prior to application onsite, advising clients and liaising with the client and project team for site issues.

- Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering), University of Southeastern, Philippines
- Certified FM 4991 DRI (Designated Responsible Individual)
- Member of Society of Engineer – UAE
Arstella Joy Silva
a.joy@vortexfec.com
Arstella has been instrumental in developing and maintaining the Vortex’s ISO 9001 certification and ISO 17020 accreditation. She is one of the qualified auditors and responsible for ensuring Vortex’s Integrated Management Systems is being implemented.

- Certified Office Administrator (American Certification Institute)
- Computer System Technology (Japan School of Advance Technology, Philippines)
- Certified Office Administrator (Blue Ocean Academy, Dubai)
- ISO QMS 9001:2015 Foundation Training (Bureau Veritas, Dubai)
- ISO QMS 9001:2015 Internal Auditor Training ( Bureau Veritas, Dubai)
- Dropbox Training (Webinar, Dubai)
- Fire Warden Training (ECDA, Dubai)
- QuickBooks – Accounting software (Webinar, Dubai)
- Apprenticeship – Management Skills training (Paragon Int’l, Philippines)
- English as a Second Language (Paragon Int’l, Philippines)
- Train the trainers – T3 (Philippines)
Firoz Khan
Fire Engineer
f.khan@vortexfec.com
Firoz is also knowledgeable in UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice, NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 codes. He has been involved in design reviews of several buildings and preparation of fire strategy drawings.

- Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering, (Ram Manohar Lohia University India)
- Diploma in Civil Engineering, (Luna Institute, Kerala, India)
- AutoCAD (Autodesk)
- Revit MEP (Autodesk)
- Passive Fire training
- Fire/smoke curtains
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD)
- House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- NFPA 101 Life safety code
- Autodesk Revit MEP Professional
Abdalla A. F. Lozon
Senior Fire Engineer
a.lozon@vortexfec.com
Abdalla is also fluent in both English and Arabic languages and has been liaising with local Authorities to obtain building approvals. He is also familiar with AutoCAD and has been involved in drafting of fire strategy drawings for numerous projects.

- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, American University of Sharjah, UAE
- NFPA 101: Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- NFPA 92: Standard for Smoke Control Systems, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- Master of Fire Protection Engineering, University of Maryland, USA (ongoing)
Padmanabhan Kaushik
p.kaushik@vortexfec.com
Kaushik has in-depth knowledge on international and local codes and standards such as NFPA, IBC, NBC, SBC and UAE Fire & Life Safety Code of Practice. He specialises in façade fire assessments, fire protection engineering and building fire & life safety code consulting.

- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), Visveswaraya Technological University, India
- NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS)
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) & Abu Dhabi Civil Defence (ADCD)
- House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- NFPA Certified online trainings courses on NFPA 13, NFPA 20, NFPA 72 and NFPA 101.
- Member, Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), USA
- Member, Fire & Security Association of India (FSAI), India
- Incorporated Engineer (IEng) Institute of Fire Engineers – under process
Gopi Kannan
Senior Fire Engineer
g.kannan@vortexfec.com
Gopi is familiar with NFPA codes and standards as well as UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice. He has been involved in several projects developing fire safety strategies, occupant load calculations, egress analysis, design reviews and preparation of fire strategy reports and drawings.

- Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (First Class), Manonmanium Sundaranar University, India, 2002
- NFPA 101: Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) & Abu Dhabi Civil Defence (ADCD) House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- Member, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), USA
Faimeen F. Shah
f.shah@vortexfec.com
Having previously worked with reputable multi-disciplinary engineering consultancies and fire testing organisations, Faimeen is currently the Managing Director and founder of Vortex Fire.
Faimeen helps developers and designers to prepare bespoke fire safety strategies to enhance life safety, protect property, improve business continuity, and reduce environmental impact. He contributes to many standards code committees such as NFPA, SFPE and ASTM.

- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Master of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Master of Fire Safety Engineering, University of Western Sydney, Australia
- Life safety code with focus on occupancies, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- Accredited certifier program, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
- Strategic leadership & service excellence, University of Melbourne, Australia
- Arabic language beginner, University of Wollongong in Dubai, UAE
- External fire spread risk in tall building design, University of Queensland, Australia
- Fire and life safety design of very tall buildings: challenges and strategies, SFPE, New Zealand
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) & Abu Dhabi Civil Defence (ADCD) House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- Chartered Professional Engineer (Fire Safety Engineering) and Fellow, The Institution of Engineers Australia
Jay A. Puno
Senior Fire Engineer
j.puno@vortexfec.com
His experience has included commercial offices, residential buildings, malls, hospitals, hotels, warehouse, rail and airports projects.
He is an experienced fire consultant with thorough knowledge of international and local codes and standards such as NFPA, IBC, SBC, ASTM and UAE Fire & Life Safety Code of Practice. He specialises in passive and active fire protection systems; façade fire inspections; witnessing testing and commissioning of fire safety systems.

- Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering), Cebu Institute of Technology, Philippines
- Certified Firestop Specialist in Passive Fire Protection (UL/FM Standard)
- FCIA Special inspection for Firestop Systems
- FCIA Protecting of Perimeter
- FCIA Barrier Management System – New Construction to Existing Buildings
- IFC Firestop Inspector Course
- General Firestop Systems and Anchor Installation (Hilti)
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD)
- House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- Member, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), USA
- IOSH Managing Safely, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health UK
- International Fire Stop Council, USA
Ahamed Thoufeeq
a.thoufeeq@vortexfec.com
He is an experienced design engineer with a thorough knowledge of international and local codes and standards such as NFPA, SBC, IBC and UAE Fire & Life Safety Code of Practice. Thoufeeq develops practical and cost-effective fire protection system designs which add value during project execution and life of the building.

- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), Madurai Kamaraj University, India
- NFPA 13: Installation of Sprinkler Systems, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signalling Code, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- NFPA 101: Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- NFPA 92: Standard for Smoke Control Systems, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- NFPA certified Fire Inspector (CFI -I)
- Associate Member of Institution of Fire Engineers (AIFireE)
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD)
- House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- Associate Member, The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), UK
- IOSH Managing Safely, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health UK
- International Fire Stop Council, USA
Tom J. Wood
t.wood@vortexfec.com
He is an experienced fire consultant with a thorough knowledge of NFPA, SBC, IBC, EN and British codes and standards. He develops practical and cost-effective fire safety strategies and alternative fire engineered solutions using relevant guidance and present these to Authorities for final approval.

- Bachelor of Engineering – Fire and Explosion (2:1) University of Leeds, UK
- NFPA 101: Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association, USA
- Associate Member of Institute of Fire Engineers (AIFireE)
- Chartered Engineer (CEng) under process
- Certified Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) & Abu Dhabi Civil Defence (ADCD)
- House of Expertise (HOE) fire consultant
- Member, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), USA
- Member, Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), USA
Jack Keays
Professional Engineer
j.keays@vortexfec.com
Jack has advanced analytical skills with the ability to recognize and address fire safety challenges while developing practical engineering solutions.
With each project, Jack engages both internal and external stakeholders in constructive and collaborative relationships. Jack brings value to each project by taking a holistic approach to fire and life safety and by working closely with a cross section of disciplines to deliver optimal solutions.

- Master of Science, Fire Safety Engineering, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, 2007
- Bachelor of Science, Manufacturing Systems, University of Limerick, Ireland
- Professional Engineers of Ontario, Professional Engineer
- Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, Professional Engineer
- Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, Professional Engineer
- Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, Professional Engineer
- Alternate, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 5000), USA
Sarah Curl
Professional Engineer
s.curl@vortexfec.com
Sarah provides building and fire code consulting services from conceptual design through to construction completion.
With each project, Sarah helps by transforming building code requirements into valuable design approaches to prescriptive building and fire code requirements.

- Masters Certificate in Project Management, Gardiner Centre (through York University), St. John’s, NL, Canada
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
- Professional Engineers of Ontario, Professional Engineer
Samuel A. Boadi
s.boadi@vortexfec.com
Over the years, Samuel has worked on various multi-disciplinary projects, providing building code assessments, conducting life safety audits, and completing third-party reviews for various industries such as healthcare, commercial, industrial, institutional, residential, and highly hazard facilities.
Samuel adds significant value through all stages of projects; he assists design teams with the planning of fire and life safety considerations for proposed design options.

- Master of Applied Science, Civil Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
- Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
- Certified in Fire Evacuation Design, Lund University, Sweden
Hiren Patel
h.patel@vortexfec.com
Hiren adds significant value to projects with his expertise in fire and explosion engineering.
Hiren is committed to delivering a code compliant design by identifying smart alternative approaches while ensuring building permit approvals.

- Master of Science, Fire & Explosion Engineering, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
- Bachelor of Science, Fire & Safety, Gujarat University, India
Nishant Verma
n.verma@vortexfec.com
Nishant assists design teams with the planning, fire, and life safety considerations of proposed design options. His project experience includes identifying building code design options, developing alternative solutions, and coordinating with the design teams.

- Master of Science, Civil Engineering, Lakehead University, Canada
- Bachelor of Technology, Civil Engineering, M.D.U Rohtak, India
Alina Nathan
a.nathan@vortexfec.com
Alina adds value to both internal and external stakeholders, with her vast experience in marketing and an in-depth knowledge of real estate development.

- Bachelor of Administration Studies, Honours Degree Marketing, York University, Toronto, Canada
- Certificate Digital Marketing, Camp Tech, Toronto, Canada
Ishraat Masood
Winnipeg Lead
Professional Engineer
i.masood@vortexfec.com
Ishraat performs building code reviews for buildings referencing the National Building Code of Canada, Ontario Building Code, and Manitoba Building Code for projects in Canada.

- Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Biosystems – Specialization: Sustainable Building Systems), University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada
- Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, Professional Engineer
- Professional Engineers Ontario, Professional Engineer
Danielle LaFleche
d.lafleche@vortexfec.com
With an educational background in Business & Administrative Studies and a keen detail for numbers, she holds several years of experience in a variety of finance roles. Danielle specializes in billing procedures, payroll, job costing & account management.

- Business & Administrative Studies, Certificate with Honours, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Canadian Certified Administrative Professional Designation Program, CCAP – Association of Administrative Professionals – Canada
Vanessa Tantalo
v.tantalo@vortexfec.com
Vanessa is an experienced registered Interior Designer with a strong focus in project management and technical design. Over the past 17 years Vanessa has focused mainly on Corporate Workplace projects while also gaining diverse experience in other sectors including residential, healthcare, seniors living and retail banking.
In addition to her design and project management experience, Vanessa obtained BCIN Large Building Certification in 2013.

- Registered Member, ARIDO
- IDC Member
- NCIDQ Certification
- BCIN Large Building 42511
- Advanced Diploma Interior Design, Sheridan Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, 2006