SWENext invited Mr Sam Michael to speak about clean air. Mr Michael has studied and worked in Asia for over 20 years and is the Vice President and General Manager for AtmosAir Asia; he leads sales and operations, developing and implementing indoor air purification projects throughout the Asia Pacific region.

From this talk on his experience getting into the clean air field, students gained many insights into the hard work and importance of clean air. A memorable moment was his explanation for why clear air was such a necessity: breathing in dust-ridden air was comparable to drinking water that was a little bit dirty. This made us realise that there has been very little emphasis on the importance of clean air to communities, especially those more prone to reactions from the dust, pollen, etc.

Previously working in real estate, we found that his passion for indoor clean air management began later in his life. Outside his office doors, his interest expanded by working in his backyard with friends on how to manage methane – a notoriously known and potent greenhouse gas.

One of the many takeaways from his talk was about the importance of being a technical communicator. Mr Michael described how it is similar to a Venn Diagram: one half is the technical side, and the other half is the communication side. On the technical side, you need to know the underlying knowledge of ‘how’ (e.g. How the air filters from AtmosAir Asia clean the different particulate matter in the air). On the communication side, you need to be able to effectively tell clients about this, sell the product and convince them you know what you are talking about. 

Overall, I think the audience learnt a lot more about the real world of engineering and business, and everyone had their own personal life lessons from this talk. Thank you, Mr Michael!