The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) has presented diplomas and awards to industry professionals in a glittering ceremony at London’s Tower Hotel.
The 41st GAI Education Awards on Thursday 3 March celebrated the outstanding educational achievements of students who passed the prestigious GAI Diploma in 2020 and 2021, as well as those who had secured prizes as the top students worldwide.
Joining nearly 400 guests from across the architectural ironmongery industry was guest speaker Ollie Ollerton, an ex-Special Forces soldier turned television star and author. The event, hosted by GAI Chief Executive Simon Forrester, was sponsored by ASSA ABLOY, with the prestigious Pinnacle Awards for the top student in each year sponsored by CES (2020) and Norseal (2021).
This year’s event was a unique double celebration, the 2020 event having been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Welcoming guests, GAI President Mario Del-Signore said: “Never before have we needed to combine two awards ceremonies in one, but perhaps this has been the least of the challenges we have had to navigate in the last two years.
“Education is a central pillar of the Guild, and it was crucial for us to ensure training and diploma courses continued to be available throughout the height of the pandemic – something which required new teaching formats and methods of support.
“To have successfully gained a qualification during the last two years is huge. I have the utmost respect for these students and the teams who delivered the training and supported them in their studies.
“Today for me is a celebration not just for our students, but for the whole industry to give ourselves a pat on the back, because the fact we’re all still here shows great resilience and tenacity.”
Further emphasising the importance of the GAI education programme, Eryl Jones, Managing Director of main sponsor ASSA ABLOY, said: “Education must be the bedrock of our industry, and as business leaders we must make sure we invest in our people today and tomorrow, maintaining the skill levels required to carry out our roles.
“The advice we give, the knowledge we impart, the products that we make and sell, must keep people safe and secure. In the schools, offices, hospitals and homes, in all the places where our friends and family live and work each day, our part is to ensure they do so in the safest possible way.
“Getting it wrong is simply not an option, and that is why education and the work of the Guild is so important.”
2020 Awards
The following diplomas were presented for the 2020 year:
Ziayad Abdul Azeez, Aqfal Trading & services Co W.L.L
Mohammad Abuzar, Laidlaw Gulf LLC
Rebecca Akroyd, Aspex UK
Ganeshkumar Andavar, DORMA Gulf Door Controls FZE – Dubai
Liam Anthony Arnold, T&A Architectural Ironmongery Ltd
Wai Tao Ben Au, Hong Kong Hardware Supplier Ltd
Beata Balazs, SDS (London) Ltd
Siliki (Andy) Baloyi, Hafele South Africa Pty Ltd
Mariarita Bella, ize Ltd
Craig Broughton, Carlisle Brass Ltd
Alfie Chino, Access2
Kyra Coombs, Hafele (UK) Ltd
Lucy Crocker, 3v Architectural Hardware Ltd
Kyle Davies, d line Eisenware Ltd
Jonathan Dial Mas, ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions Middle East
Nigel Ephgrave, Lloyd Worrall – Milton Keynes
Justin T Everall, Williams Ironmongery Ltd
Lindsay Forsythe, KCC Architectural – Belfast
Thomas Griffiths, Elite Architectural Ironmongery Ltd
Ali Haider Tariq, DORMA Gulf Door Controls FZE – Dubai
Samir Hassaine, Allgood plc – Birmingham
Jason Jacob, GEZE Middle East FZE
Matthew Jukes, CBS (Midlands) Ltd
Mohammad Yasir Kamal, Abdulaziz & Saad Al Moajil Co.
Marcos Karefyllides, ES.VI.EM DECORATIONS LTD
Joseph Lander, Scotdor – trading as Dorsuite
Faye Leadbeater, Leadbeater Locks
Andrew Marshall, ASSA ABLOY NZ Ltd
Gareth Moore, KCC Architectural – Belfast
Ajikumar Nair, Hafele GmbH & Co KG – Dubai
Conor O’Loughlin, ASSA ABLOY NZ Ltd
David Oake, Poyntell Limited
Needi Venthan Palanichamy, DORMA Gulf Door Controls FZE – Dubai
David Payne, Allgood plc – Birmingham
Matthew Pentland, Sitemaster Supplies Ltd
Ngoc Cuong Pham, Häfele Vietnam LLC.
Andrew Poffley, ASSA ABLOY NZ Ltd
Priya Premkumar, Sole Trader
Lim Jun Han Raymond, Allegion (Southeast Asia) Pte. Ltd.
Hanna Rose, HOPPE (UK) Ltd
Mohd Sajid, Hafele GmbH & Co KG – Qatar
Samir Salaam, D. Purdue & Sons (PTY) LTD
Ajish Sashidharan, ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions Middle East
Imran Shareef, Sole Trader
Hardik Shelat, Sole Trader
Shabu Koodampilly Sivaraman, Hormann Middle East and Africa FZE
Mohammed Hassan Syed, Hormann Middle East and Africa FZE
Rosie Trinick, SDS (London) Ltd
Amadito Tuazon, Laidlaw Gulf LLC
Anil Vanjani, KICH Architectural Products Pvt Ltd
Clare Walsh, HOPPE (UK) Ltd
Neil Webb, Norseal Ltd
Joshua Wright, Hi-Tec Architectural Ironmongery Ltd
Huixian Zhou, Hafele Hardware Technology (China) Co., Ltd.
The following prizes were awarded to the top performing students in the 2020 Certificate in Architectural Hardware Stage 2 (CiAH):
Juliet Sindol, dormakaba Gulf Door Controls FZE – Saudi Arabia
Phedros Elia, Panicos Ph. Elia Ltd
Neil Smeatom, Norseal Ltd
The following prizes were awarded to the top performing students in the 2020 GAI Diploma:
Conor O’Loughlin, ASSA ABLOY NZ Ltd
Andrew Poffley, ASSA ABLOY NZ Ltd
Kyle Davies, d line Eisenware Ltd
The 2020 Pinnacle Award for the highest aggregate results across the Certificate in Architectural Hardware and Diploma programme, sponsored by CES, was awarded to Andrew Marshall of ASSA ABLOY NZ Ltd.
2021 Awards
The following diplomas were presented for the 2021 year:
Azmat Ali, Abdulaziz & Saad Al Moajil Co.
Mansoor Ali, dormakaba India Private Limited.
Angus Anderson, Interior Hardware Ltd
Mei Ting Aw, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Christian Badran, Consort Middle East LLC
Padmavathi Balasubramanian, ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions Middle East
Jordan Bell, Ironmongery Innovations
Isha Bocock, Viking Hardware Ltd
Jessica Calpin, Unico Locksmiths
Douglas Chin, Deltaprise Sdn. Bhd.
Leung Chun Pong, ASSA ABLOY Hong Kong Limited
Robert Dearden, C & W Berry Limited
Phedros Elia, Panicos Ph. Elia Ltd
John Farrell, Lloyd Worrall
Gary Frost, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland
Chris Gadd, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland
Eswar Ganesh, Simonswerk GMBH (DMCC Branch)
Tom Grainger, Securefast Plc
Keith Harvey, Lloyd Worrall
Po Cheong Heung, Key Technologies International Limited
Mark King, Caldwell Wright & Co Ltd
Pang Tat Lim, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Shayla Lue, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland
Sivaraj Madakkavil, Hafele SE & Co KG – Dubai
Tsz Fung Mak, Key Technologies International Limited
Tracy Marfell, Hi-Tec Architectural Ironmongery Ltd
Kay Mason, Proline Sales Ltd
Talapula Khaja Moinuddin, Abdul Aziz & Saad Almoajil Co.
Michelle Myers, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland
Khai Tzer Ng, Heiken Building Material Consortium Sdn Bhd
Feng Qiuying, Häfele Hardware Technology (China) Co., Ltd.
David Rawlinson, Lincoln Security Ltd
Duncan Rigby, Abloy UK
Hollie Rowe, John Planck Ltd – Kent
William Rushton, Hanson & Beards Ltd
Kevin Ryan, Proline Sales Ltd
Shahbaz Salim, Hafele SE & Co KG – Dubai
Niel Sangalang, Laidlaw Gulf LLC
Abby Sergent, Youngs Doors Ltd
Juliet Sindol, dormakaba Gulf FZE
David Smart, Aspex UK
Sophie Smith, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland
Sridhar Velusamy, dormakaba India Private Limited
Jaime Jr Viray, ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions Middle East
Gareth Ward, CBS (Midlands) Ltd
Simon Weatherer, Hafele (UK) Ltd
Jason Wilford, Aspex UK
Richard Wilson, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland
John Wykes, Allgood Plc
The following prizes were awarded to the top performing students in the 2021 Certificate in Architectural Hardware Stage 2 (CiAH):
Gowtham Raj Malaisamy, Hormann Middle East and Africa FZE
Mei Tseung, Higrade Limited
Jonathan Walker, HOPPE (UK) Ltd
The following prizes were awarded to the top performing students in the 2021 GAI Diploma:
Jessica Calpin, Unico Locksmiths
Gareth Ward, CBS (Midlands) Ltd
Tom Grainger, Securefast Plc
The 2021 Pinnacle Award for the highest aggregate results across the Certificate in Architectural Hardware and Diploma programme, sponsored by Norseal, was awarded to Jessica Calpin of Unico Locksmiths.
