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Paul Jackson, F.AIRAHPaul Jackson, F.AIRAH, is the associate director of Engineering Commissioning Services and is an AIRAH Board Director. Originally from Cambridge, UK, Jackson spent much of his youth travelling. He credits it with giving him an excellent perspective on life and priorities. Professionally, he has worked in a number of locations around the globe, predominately in project management, project completion, or commissioning roles. Over the years, Jackson has worked in contracting, consultancy, service, sales, and manufacturing in several industry sectors – from residential through to mission critical. This experience has provided him with a good understanding of different industry perspectives. Outside of work and in his younger days, Jackson enjoyed windsurfing and sailing. A grey nomad at heart, he now turns to hobbies such as caravanning and boating. Jackson provides answers to our 100 Faces Q&A below, including favourite memories from the HVAC&R industry and lessons learnt from the job. |
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What brought you to the HVAC&R industry? Strangely enough, after spending some time in the office equipment-related electronics industry, I joined a small heating company as a heating/boiler service technician. As luck would have it, the company had a significant maintenance contract with a national retailer. Air conditioning or comfort cooling was very much in its infancy in the UK at the time. Another staff member and I were sent to Carrier for training on their rooftop package unit range. I moved into refrigeration and air conditioning fairly swiftly. So, in a nutshell, I kind of fell into the industry. What’s your favourite HVAC&R-related memory? Turning up in the office one day and being asked to head off overseas to get a project started for around four to six weeks. Three years later, I was still there… What’s something everyone should know about you, your work, or the HVAC&R industry? Always expect the unexpected: don’t assume anything. It’s what I like about the industry. There are new challenges all the time, and you really do learn something new almost every day. |
How long have you been a member of AIRAH? Since 2004. I joined shortly after moving permanently to Australia and became involved in the WA Committee a few years ago – both as a member and as WA President for the past couple of years. I am currently an AIRAH Board Director as well. I assisted in getting the Big Data and Analytics Special Technical Group (STG) off the ground and, in 2020, we now have the Commissioning STG up and running. I see AIRAH as a way to give back to an industry that has provided me with a good living and a way to educate. How do you see the HVAC&R industry developing over the next 100 years? Well, the last 100 years have seen significant change in technology and, more recently, a lot of environmental challenges. I still believe we have a long way to go and there is opportunity for innovation. |