Executive Team
The TBWIC Team offers highly specialised and independently accredited full-scale laboratory testing, on site testing, Façade Consulting, Fire Testing, Inspection and Certification.
Thomas F. Bell-Wright, Founder and Board Member
In 1995, following the completion of the project which brought him to the UAE, Tom established the company which bears his name in Dubai to provide Façade Consulting for high rise buildings. Prior to coming to the UAE, he spent 17 years in the United States, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland as a mature student in 1988. He was born in 1947 and grew up in the West of London. He has been involved in building construction since 1978.
Tom has overseen the company’s growth since its inception and set its direction and ethos. Since 1995, the company progressed from Façade Consulting via Site Testing to Lab Testing and has become a recognised name in Fire Testing, Certification and Inspection, not just in the GCC but in many countries, near and far. Tom moved to retirement and is no longer involved in the day to day activities of the company.
Sandy Dweik, MSFE – Chief Executive Officer
Sandy joined TBWIC in 1997 as an architectural engineer in the Façade Consulting department. Since becoming a partner in the company in March 2002, she has been a pivotal part of the company’s success. For many years she was head of the Façade Consulting department but also oversaw technical elements of Curtain Wall Testing, both in the lab and on-site.
As the Fire Testing department (established in 2009) expanded, it began to converge with Façade Consulting around the requirements for building cladding systems. Sandy has been at the forefront of this drive and has taken full advantage of our unique position at the nexus of these technologies to help guide knowledge and opinion in this field.
As Tom relinquished his day-to-day duties, Sandy brought her considerable experience, maturity and judgement in assuming them and carrying the company forward to the future.
Abhishek Chhabra – Market Development Manager
Abhishek joined TBWIC in 2013 and is the driving force behind the expansion of our fire compliance activities into new markets. An engineer with a post-graduate diploma in finance, Abhishek brought with him valuable experience in other, larger TIC (Testing, Inspection & Certification) companies.
He has been advocating the need for compliance to standards for improved safety and quality across industries for most of the last 17 years. He has vast experience of how conformity is realised across supply chains of several industries, including Consumer Electronics, Industrial, Renewable and Building Products. Along with helping certification bodies expand their horizons of business in the last decade, he has been writing articles and presenting at various forums about mandatory and voluntary quality and safety compliance activities. He is primarily responsible for developing the company’s fire compliance business.
Nicholas Purcell – Director of Certification, Quality and HSSE
Nick joined TBWIC in 2016 and is responsible for the Certification, Quality and HSSE departments. He originally joined the company as the Certification and Quality Manager when the Certification Department was in its infancy, steering it through its early growth.
Nick transformed the Quality Management Systems for the laboratory, inspection and certification activities with significant enhancements. He also developed and implemented continuous improvements to the quality management systems, gaining additional accreditations and extensions to existing scopes.
Nick has over 25 years of experience in Quality, Testing, Inspection and Certification and previously worked for a worldwide Testing, Inspection and Certification body in several managerial roles.
Daisan Dippi, AIFireE – Fire Testing Manager
Daisan joined TBWIC in 2013 as a junior fire testing engineer and through our rigorous training program has worked his way to being responsible for all Fire Testing. Starting as Mechanical Engineer in the glass manufacturing industry, and has presently finished over 500 fire tests across more than 35 test methods. He has an extensive understanding of the behaviour of passive fire protection materials in building products. TBWIC’s unique exposure to American, British, Indian, European and ISO standards sets Daisan in a different league from almost anyone else in our industry. He heads a team of highly qualified engineers and has been instrumental in managing key projects to expand the lab and grow the Fire Compliance business.Clarence Facun – Curtain Wall Laboratory Testing Manager
A Civil Engineer with extensive experience in the construction industry, Clarence joined TBWIC in 2003 to assist in the preparation of our curtain wall test rigs and the interface between the clients’ mock-ups and our chambers. Over time, he became more involved in the testing itself, and since 2005 his role has included responsibility for the whole testing process from method statement to final report.
Clarence manages a team of highly experienced technicians and testing engineers. They conduct fully accredited tests to British, European and American standards according to the requirements of the project. They prepare specialised rigs for testing balustrades, skylights and ad hoc tests. They also look after the maintenance of our facilities and equipment. They have conducted hundreds of tests together with patience and equanimity in accordance with Clarence’s example.
Mutaz Saheb – Façade Consulting Manager
As head of the Façade Consulting department, Mutaz leans on his more than 19 years of experience in the façade industry. He joined TBWIC in 2006 as an architectural engineer in our Façade Consulting department. Previously with one of the largest aluminium and glazing manufacturers in the region, he brought with his hands-on experience of diverse engineering concepts and constructability of various weather, thermal, acoustic and structural details.
Mutaz has worked on numerous iconic high-rise towers and mega scale projects including airports and hospitals across the region, from the concept stage to completion. He has also carried out multiple complex forensic investigations for glazing issues. Combining façade know-how with a passion for mechanics has given him insights into the direction of the façade industry in general.
John Muse – Head of Inspections Division
John joined TBWIC in 2015 and is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist with more than 25 years of experience in the Passive Fire Protection industry. He has spent his career in large scale construction with extensive experience in commercial, industrial and healthcare segments. Having worked in one of the largest Insulation and passive fire protection companies in the US, he gained wide-ranging, hands-on experience in the building envelope and compartmentalisation concepts and has become an expert at understanding adverse building conditions and the steps necessary for creating and maintaining proper compartmentalisation.
Besides his extensive US experience, John has worked throughout the Gulf region and seen numerous iconic high-rise towers, mega-scale airports, hospitals, schools etc., to successful completion.
