Replacing Didier Coulomb, who will be stepping down from the role after 20 years, Dr Allouche, a Norwegian-Tunisian refrigeration scientist, was nominated by Norway (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Norwegian Embassy in France) and appointed by vote on the eve of the 26th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration in Paris (France) over opposing candidate Yannick Mathieu, who was put forward by the French Association of Refrigeration (Association Française du Froid).
With 13 years of experience and knowledge in the field, she will officially take the lead of the IIR during the second semester of 2024.
In reaction to her appointment, Dr Allouche stated: “I am thrilled and thankful for the trust our member countries have placed in me to ensure this high-level role. As a refrigeration scientist, it is an honour for me to be elected by our member countries as the first woman to succeed the many emblematic leading figures of the IIR. I will put all my skills, knowledge and energy to ensuring a meaningful benefit and an added value for our organisation, countries and members”.
Currently head of projects at the IIR, Dr Allouche holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (Portugal) and is the author of numerous articles published in scientific journals, guides and reports.
She was a research scientist in Refrigeration Technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and holds an invited Associate Professor title in NTNU since 2021.