Our People

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As CEO of AESG, Saeed founded and built AESG into one of the Middle East and Europe’s largest and most respected specialist consultancy, engineering and advisory firms with a core focus on sustainable urban development. Under Saeed’s direction, AESG has developed a strong reputation for delivering the highest quality consultancy in sustainability, energy management, fire and life safety, façade engineering, environmental consultancy, waste management, commissioning, government advisory, project development and building consultancy and acoustic consultancy services.

In his role at AESG, Saeed has been involved in managing and directing some of the world’s most prestigious projects through design, construction, commissioning and operation. Projects have included large prestigious master plan developments, high rise buildings, housing development and critical infrastructure.

As well as his professional role as CEO of AESG, Saeed also served as Chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council between 2013-2020 and has been a Board Member of the World Green Building Council between 2015 – 2021 providing leadership to the global sustainable building movement. Saeed has been influential in the advancement of sustainable buildings and cities globally and in the MENA region by working with industry, academia and government departments to develop collaborative solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges.

Scott is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of AESG, an award winning, Specialist Consultancy, Engineering and Advisory firm headquartered in London and Dubai, working throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Under Scott’s leadership, AESG has grown to be a highly recommended consultancy of choice with unparalleled experience in Sustainability, Facade Engineering, Acoustics, Fire & Life Safety Engineering, Environmental Planning, Waste Management, Building Performance, Energy Management, Cost Management, Strategy and Advisory and Commissioning.

With an honors degree in Architecture from the University of Nottingham, Scott has firmly established expertise in sustainable development & passive design and is recognised as an industry thought leader through his involvement in industry events as keynote speaker.

As a resident of the UAE for over 30 years, his first-hand experience of fast-paced, high-rise construction has fuelled his passion for sustainable architecture. He is committed to supporting the industry regionally & globally in furthering the net zero agenda and helping clients solve their greatest challenges through collaboration, innovation and advanced technical solutions.

As Managing Partner, Scott has directed the delivery of some of the world’s most impressive projects across multiple sectors, including master planning, critical infrastructure, healthcare, hospitality, residential, commercial, retail and high rise.

He has spearheaded the growth of AESG, which has received international recognition for being an industry leading specialist consultancy, that has influenced the design, construction and operation of hundreds of projects to date, and for its investment in construction technology such as parametric design, AI, digital twins, computational design and BIM.

Scott also sits on the CTBUH Height and Data Committee and is the Chairman of the American University in Dubai (AUD) ID Advisory Board under the School of Architecture, Art and Design.

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Lead Consulting and Supervision at AESG, leading the delivery of complex engineering solutions across the Middle East. He specialises in large-scale mixed-use, residential, hospitality and landmark developments, supporting clients through early strategy, design-to-budget delivery and fast-tracked programmes.

With over 25 years’ experience in the built environment, Matthew has held senior leadership roles at AECOM and Arcadis, overseeing multi-disciplinary teams of more than 250 professionals and directing major giga and high-profile projects across Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honors) from Griffith University and is a Chartered Structural Engineer in Australia.

Matthew is passionate about commercially driven design, collaborative delivery and developing high-performing teams. Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor adventures.

Reading Time: < 1 minuteWith 18 years of experience in structural engineering, Gavin is the technical leader of the Structures department, bringing expertise in structural design, digital engineering, and structural dynamics. He has delivered complex projects across multiple sectors, applying a rigorous technical approach and a strong focus on integrated design delivery. Gavin is known for using digital workflows to streamline the structural design process, aligning engineering input seamlessly with architectural and client requirements to support efficient decision-making and practical, high-quality solutions. His project experience includes landmark developments such as Dubai Frame, Sheybara Resort, and the ILMI Museum in Riyadh.

Adam Muggleton is AESG’s Chief Technical Officer. With over 35 years experience on projects in 21 countries Adam is passionate about delivering operationally ready buildings. Adam is a chartered project management surveyor with RICS and a certified building commissioning authority. He also has unique knowledge and experience leading digital solutions for building commissioning and building information asset management. 

As well as being an industry speaker, philosopher, blogger and podcaster, Adam has contributed to several UK and USA commissioning codes & guides. Adam is a member of ASHRAE’s Standing Standards Project Committee 300 and is deeply involved in writing ASHRAE Guideline 0.3, Ongoing Commissioning Process.

Adam has a unique skill set derived from experience in property development, design team and project management plus building commissioning. He is passionate about promoting the concept of commissioning management as an effective project management tool, to hand over high performance buildings. Adam devises and delivers successful project, leadership and testing strategies that achieve optimum outcomes for all involved and affected.

No matter the country or project, the question is, “why are zero defect, high-performance buildings the exception and not business as usual?” This is the issue Adam seeks to address through his work at AESG.

With 40+ year of experience Jim has worked on and led major projects across the USA and globally. In addition, Jim has deep experience with project and business team leadership. In a world that values deep experience for safe, mission critical building engineering Jim is an industry “go to” thought leader.

Jim has worked for respected firms such as Rolf Jenson & Associates and Arup. During his career to date, Jim has worked on over 1,000 projects in hospitality, healthcare, federal facilities, and courthouses. Notable projects include the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, NV and the U.S. Bank Tower (formerly Library Tower and First Interstate Bank World Center), known for being the tallest building in California. Jim also worked on the challenging New York 2^nd Avenue Subway project.

In addition to being a thought leader and conference speaker, Jim works with NFPA to contribute to the evolution of NFPA standards and delivers CPD training courses for SPFE.

Nicholas is AESG’s Director of Building Services. He is a Fellow of CIBSE with 14 years’ experience in the Middle East leading the Engineering teams in the design of high value projects across a range of sectors, particularly hospitality, residential, public amenities and retail.

Nicholas has extensive experience managing large teams in multiple geographical locations with experience in the delivery of diverse projects from a 500,000m2 Hospital projects,  signature buildings at the Expo 2020 site and an iconic Museum project currently under construction.

At every opportunity Nicholas has embraced low energy building design with sometimes pioneering use of a range of sustainable building techniques including natural ventilation, solar thermal, PV, Rain water recycling, concrete core cooling and advanced chiller system integrated controls. During his career he has led MEP teams to deliver multiple LEED gold and Platinum projects achieving major energy savings through carefully engineered solutions tailored to the specific project need. A focus on option selection and testing ensured all ideas were robustly assessed to deliver the sustainable, operational and commercial aspirations of the projects undertaken.

Marina serves as AESG’s Façades Director for the Middle East, holding a Master’s Degree in Architecture with a specialisation in Sustainable Facades. With over a decade of global experience spanning Korea, the UK, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, she adeptly streamlines façade design processes and possesses a robust understanding of façade systems. Since joining AESG in 2017, Marina has contributed to prestigious projects such as MC2 in Masdar, CIEL Tower, Sindalah Island, and Misk City.

Currently, Marina leads a diverse team of façade engineers, designers, and access consultants. She actively participates in the CTBUH Middle East Steering Committee, advocating for sustainable urban development. Committed to advancing sustainable, efficient, and resilient facades, Marina also shares her expertise as a guest faculty member at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Hani is Director of Sustainability at AESG. He is Civil Engineer by background with over 15 years of experience in sustainable design and construction. Hani led the development of KSA’s green building rating system (Mostadam) as well as provided strategy advisory support in relation to its operations. He has been involved in providing strategy consultancy to various developers in relation to sustainable cities and master planning. His experience includes development of sustainability guidelines, policies, as well as implementation of corporate sustainability strategies.

Abdullah holds a Bachelor of Science with Honour degree in Fire Safety Engineering from University of Central Lancashire, UK. He is a graduate member of the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health.

He is an experienced fire engineer with high skills and knowledge in fire & life safety design, fire & gas mapping, façade assessment, inspection and risk assessment. He delivered landmark projects in UAE and GCC countries such as Al Wasl 2020 tower, A2/A3 towers, UAE Pavilion Expo 2020, Wafi Tower, MBR Library, Dubai Frame, Riyadh DAMAC Towers, Riyadh Avenues Project, and others.

In addition to the engineering experience, Abdullah was a fire safety instructor delivering fire safety awareness courses for a variety of candidates.

Brent Ridgard joins AESG as Director of Environment. Brent has an impressive background with over 25 years of experience in the environmental industry. His most recent role was as the National Director of Environmental Assessment & Planning at WSP in Australia, where he was responsible for overseeing complex environmental projects across various sectors, including property and development, infrastructure, industrial, mining, and power generation. Prior to this, Brent was the Middle East Director of WSP Environment and Energy from 2005 to 2013, overseeing WSP’s Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change and Energy services in the region. Leading a multidisciplinary team, Brent was the project lead for Dubai’s Green Building Regulations in 2008 and has strong regional experience in both Environment and Sustainability.

Brent’s career has been marked by his expertise in environmental and social impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, environmental management, permitting, compliance, monitoring, due diligence, and risk assessment. He has successfully led high-performing teams in Africa, the Middle East, and Australia, fostering a culture of collaboration, excellence, and camaraderie.

Brent is known for his strong leadership, technical acumen, and exceptional project management skills. His vision for nurturing a collaborative and innovative environment aligns perfectly with AESG’s values and goals. We are confident that Brent will be a great addition to our team and will help us continue to excel in our environmental leadership.

Devan joins AESG as Director of Sustainability for Australia. With over a decade of dedicated experience in the realm of sustainability across three continents, Devan Valenti holds a deep understanding of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices within the property sector.

He previously served the Asia Pacific market as Senior Manager and ESG Lead for the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) where he provided strategic ESG guidance to both institutional investors and property developers. With a keen understanding of the evolving landscape of sustainability, Devan has leveraged his expertise to guide clients through the intricacies of ESG integration, helping them identify and capitalise on opportunities for long-term value creation.

Throughout Devan’s career, he has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability across various sectors, the most notable being his involvement in the development of Green Star Buildings, the largest overhaul in the rating tool’s 20-year history. Leading the transformative three-year endeavour, which involved input from over 2,000 influential stakeholders, Green Star Buildings now stands as a cornerstone embraced by most Australian property developers. Noteworthy contributions under Devan’s leadership include the successful introduction of Net Zero requirements and a heightened focus on embodied carbon in building materials within the Green Star framework.

Devan holds a Master’s degree from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, where his thesis delved into the complexities of clean energy policy. Committed to driving tangible impact through ESG integration, he aspires to equip clients with the tools necessary to leverage ESG performance as a catalyst for both business success and positive societal change.