IFHE LEADERSHIP
The activities and direction of the International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) are steered by an executive committee.
IFHE executive committee members
Kevin Poggenpoel Kevin Poggenpoel lived and was educated in Cape Town, South Africa. He obtained a National Higher Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 1985, qualified as a shipbuilder in the Simons town Naval Dockyard, and later held positions in the ships design offices of the South African Navy as a design draughtsman. He joined the Mediclinic SA in 1990 and held positions as technical manager, regional technical operations manager, and general technical operations manager over a period of thirty one years. He was responsible for employing a full team to create and implement planned maintenance systems for medical equipment as well as building related systems such as HVAC and medical gases. In 2007 he took responsibility for the
group’s 52 facilities in Southern Africa. He retired in 2021 after the pandemic, only to be recalled back to the group’s Middle East business to drive the carbon initiative. The group has an objective to be carbon neutral by 2030 – this project involves the implementation of renewable technologies such as solar and adsorption chillers as well as ensuring that all hospital infrastructure operates efficiently to reduce the group’s carbon load. Kevin is a member of SAFHE (South
African Federation of Healthcare Engineering) and has served as president and chairperson in the different regions in South Africa.
Walt Vernon Walt Vernon is the CEO of Mazzetti, an international programme management, strategic advisory services, consulting and engineering firm. He serves on, and is the former chair of, the NFPA99 Electrical Systems Technical Committee. He is a founding member of the Built
Environment Network. In addition, Walt is a member of The Center for Health Design’s Research Coalition, served on the board of both Practice Greenhealth and Health Care without Harm and wrote the section on hospitals for CALGreen. He also served as principal author for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health in the Green Economy, as well as developing and leading AHA’s Sustainability Roadmap for Hospitals – A guide to achieving your sustainability goals.
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Kevin Poggenpoel South Africa IFHE President
Fábio Bitencourt Fábio Bitencourt gained a doctorate in sciences of architecture (2007) and a master’s in environmental comfort (2002). He was president of the Brazilian Association for Development of the Hospital Building (ABDEH) 2011/2014 and vice president of technical and scientific development of The ABDEH from 2005 to 2008 and has been titular emeritus of the Brazilian Academy of Hospital Administration (ABAH) since 2012. He is also a professor on post graduate courses in architecture, ergonomics, environmental comfort and hospital administration in Brazil. Fabio is the author of various books, articles and publications
Walt Vernon USA IFHE First Vice President
on healthcare architecture, human comfort, healthcare design, hospital history, environments and ergonomics and is the honorary partner of the Chilean Association of Architectural and Healthcare Facilities (AARKHOS).
Steve Rees Steve Rees is the former chief program officer of Capital Management at Alberta Health Services. He is a certified facility manager, holds three trade certificates and is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s construction administration programme. He has worked in healthcare facilities management for over 40 years and is a past
Fábio Bitencourt Brazil IFHE Second Vice President
Steve Rees Canada IFHE Immediate Past President IFHE DIGEST 2025
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