Drew C. Azzara is the Executive Director, Middle East & North Africa for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). His responsibilities focus on supporting codes & standards adoptions, training, and advocacy initiatives. He has been instrumental in the adopting and management efforts for codes, standards, and conformity programs throughout the GCC Region.
Prior to joining NFPA, Azzara held the position of Vice President, Global Services for the International Code Council (ICC) where he managed their global operations. One of his primary responsibilities focused on operational and strategic initiatives in the Middle East. This included leading the initiatives for code adoption and supporting conformance programs in Abu Dhabi and the greater GCC region.
Prior to ICC, Drew Azzara held the position of Vice President, Corporate Development for ASTM International where the new worldwide standardization activities done for the organization included fire, life safety, environmental, and advanced material initiatives for aerospace, petrochemical, construction industry, and environmental compliance.
Drew has 35 years of experience with technical information development, standard related programs, conformity assessment, and strategic market relevancy initiatives for both private enterprises and governmental agencies, globally. Drew holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry, and an M.Sc. in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. He also pursued advanced studies in Executive Management at the Wharton School.