About
Independent. Evidence-Based. Senior-Led
Who We Are
Verdeon is an independent building physics and sustainability consultancy based in the UAE. We combine advanced computational simulation with strategic sustainability advisory to close the gap between design intent and real-world performance, for individual buildings, portfolios, and district-scale masterplans across the region.
Led by principals with deep experience across building physics, sustainability strategy, and certification delivery. Our team has held senior positions at international consultancies including WSP, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald, AtkinsRealis, Arcadis, and KEO, as well as developer-side roles at OMNIYAT and regulatory positions within the Urban Planning Council.
Most consultancies separate strategy from technical assessment and implementation. The sustainability advisor, the certification manager, and the energy modeller sit in different teams, different offices, sometimes different companies. At Verdeon, these disciplines are delivered together by senior professionals in a single workflow. That integration, and the focus on outcomes rather than deliverables, is where real performance gains are found.
Team
Michael Aghabi
Principal, Building Physics
Building physics and energy modelling specialist with experience across Canada and the Middle East. B.Eng. from Concordia University, Montreal. Michael began his career at WSP and RWDI in Canada before relocating to Abu Dhabi, where he joined Alpin during the early development of Masdar City. He went on to hold senior positions at KEO, Arcadis, and AtkinsRealis, serving as Sustainability Principal and Building Physics Lead across landmark projects in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
At Verdeon, Michael leads all building physics engagements, specialising in dynamic thermal simulation, facade performance optimisation, daylight and glare analysis, computational fluid dynamics, whole life carbon assessment, and operational energy prediction. His approach is rooted in parametric analysis, giving architects and engineers the evidence they need to make performance-informed decisions without compromising design intent.
Francis Porter
Principal, Sustainability
Sustainability strategy specialist with experience across the Middle East and Africa. MSc from Robert Gordon University, BA from King’s College London. Francis has held senior sustainability roles at WSP, AESG, KEO, Mott MacDonald, and Jacobs, delivering net zero strategy, ESG frameworks, climate risk assessments, and sustainability policy across commercial, hospitality, healthcare, and masterplan developments. He spent 18 months embedded within the Estidama regulatory team at the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, reviewing submissions and shaping assessment criteria from the inside.
At Verdeon, Francis works across the full scope of sustainability advisory, from strategic roadmapping and ESG disclosure through to certification delivery and climate risk assessment. His regulatory experience gives Verdeon a distinct advantage in understanding how the built environment is assessed and where integrated thinking makes the difference.
Guillermo Hernández
Principal, Sustainability
Sustainability and ESG professional with experience across the UAE, the wider region, and Latin America, delivering sustainability strategies for real estate developments across the full value chain. Guillermo’s career includes contractor, consultancy, and client-side roles. At OMNIYAT, he led the integration of sustainability and ESG strategies across ultra-luxury developments, aligning LEED, WELL, WiredScore, and SmartScore with UAE regulatory frameworks. He has also independently delivered certification processes from concept through to completion, and contributed to green finance initiatives including the structuring of a Green Financing Framework and Green Sukuk.
At Verdeon, Guillermo works across sustainability strategy, certification, and ESG implementation, bringing a practical understanding of how sustainability commitments translate into asset value, performance, and investment outcomes.