News

Excellence celebrated at 41st GAI Education Awards

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.

Story for AIJ? Get in touch via email: [email protected]

Latest articles in News