As of 1st January 2014 Youcef Ouammou will become the EFSN Country Manager for France. Youcef began his career in the inspection department with the French laboratory and contractor accreditation body CNPP. He then joined the Vinci group, which is one of the largest sprinkler contracting companies in France, and was promoted to Technical Director. He also became the chairman of the French sprinkler contractor association, GIS. Youcef has now set up his own consulting company, focussing on North Africa, and will represent the EFSN in France on a part-time basis.

Also on 1st January, Dr Reinhold Herbst will become the EFSN Country Manager for Germany, a position that is jointly funded by the German fire protection trade association BVFA. Reinhold recently retired as the Managing Director of Tyco’s fire protection contracting business in Germany. He began his career in academia, rising to become an Associate Professor at the Technical University of Darmstadt. He next worked in R&D and business management with steam turbines and ventilation systems for power stations and tunnels, before joining Tyco. He is well-known in the German fire protection industry and was a board member of BVFA.