– Firetrace International strengthens its renewables expertise with the appointment of a global BDM, while new Head of Marketing arrives from clean energy sector
– New hires come following a shift in the wind industry that has led to a heightened focus on safety and reliability
Scottsdale, 26th October 2021: Firetrace International, a leading provider of fire suppression technology with systems in place across 35 countries in five continents, has made two key appointments, strengthening its expertise in renewable energy. This unprecedented rise in demand for fire suppression systems shows that the wind industry, and renewables owners as a whole, are taking the risk of fire in turbines and issues pertaining to health and safety across their portfolios with increasing seriousness, recognizing the financial, reputational and operational impact that fires can have when they break out.
In line with the growing adoption of suppression systems and to continually offer the very best advice and service to turbine original equipment manufacturers and wind farm operators, Firetrace has hired Safiyyah Khan as Vice President of Marketing while Ross Paznokas joins as Global Business Development Manager for renewables.
Safiyyah comes to Firetrace with 12 years’ experience in clean energy and Software as a Service (SaaS) organisations. Most recently, she served as the Vice President for Growth Marketing at the multi award-winning BlueWave group of solar and storage companies in Boston, MA. Prior to that she worked for global utility Engie Impact as Director, Product Marketing. She’s an avid champion for sustainability and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which is fully aligned with the core values and strategies at Firetrace and its parent company Halma plc.
Ross joins the Firetrace team with over 12 years of wind industry experience, a decade of which was with Vestas, currently the world’s oldest and largest wind turbine manufacturer, Ross has held numerous management positions in wind operations leadership, account management and business development.
Rob Barcik, President, Firetrace International said: “Over the last year, there has been a significant shift within the industry, with the focus on safety and reliability in wind turbines sharpening – and it is heartening to see the industry taking fire risk seriously. As more and more wind projects are rolled out over the next decade – both onshore and offshore – turbines will be installed in locations that are hard to access quickly if a fire does occur. Detection and suppression systems are the best way to protect against the unexpected down time impacting reputation, financial and operational impact brought about blazes when fire events do occur.”
“I am delighted to be joined at Firetrace by Safiyyah and Ross, two experts who bring with them almost 30 years of combined experience in renewable energy and clean energy management. They bring a wealth of skill and knowledge that will be of great value to our customers as we work together to ensure the risk of fire doesn’t derail the world’s joined-up efforts to reach net-zero in the coming decade.”
About Firetrace
Firetrace is a global organization capable of supporting large-scale customers across industries including manufacturing, aviation, and renewable energy with suppression systems custom built for each client’s unique application.
Firetrace is owned and operated by Halma plc, a global group of life-saving companies. Halma companies provide innovative solutions to many of the key problems facing the world today, from water security to preventable blindness.
