Pleased to be part of the team

Before starting this position, I anticipated that my previous professional experience as a soldier and engineer would stand me in good stead and so it is turning out with the sheer variety and diversity of challenges that face the Institution. I am simply amazed at how far the tentacles of CIBSE stretch. I have also realised that most issues that come across my desk tend to be complex and challenging; it looks as if I am in for a very interesting time.

I have decided that my first task is to concentrate on gaining a proper understanding of the Institution, the issues we face and gaining the confidence and support of the staff, members and Council and although these tasks will take longer than I would wish, I feel I am well on the way. The overwhelming positive support I have received from every quarter has been so encouraging – many thanks to you all. I am almost completely new to the professional world of the built environment sector, yet I know that with such dedicated and well-motivated people at every level of the Institution, I will not be short of advice and support.

There are a number of key initiatives to which the Institution is committed and therefore I recently made my first visit to the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB). CIBSE is one of three institutions selected to fund our core activity of promoting Engineering Council Registration. It was good to hear the positive and supportive comments made of CIBSE by the ETB. As a dynamic and harmonious institution, we can punch above our weight and react quickly to changing circumstances. I was left in no doubt that CIBSE has an influential and key role to play in the engineering profession.

However, during my visit to ETB, I was struck by the challenge that both the ETB, responsible for the promotion of engineering, and the Engineering Council UK (EC UK) for registration, face in a complex world. The arguments for a ‘unified’ or ‘single’ voice against the fragmentation of the engineering profession can still be heard; the debate continues with those who argue that a single, or several large institutions, cannot represent the breadth of engineering. Hence CIBSE continues to represent and champion the building service engineer. Consequently we are not only part of the Construction Industry Council, but also the wider engineering fraternity, keeping our ear to the ground and monitoring issues that may affect us in the future. As I begin to take stock of where CIBSE is in this debate I realise that our strengths lie with our members and staff – working in unison, clear in our goals and determined that the ‘CIBSE voice’ will be heard.

Consequently I am very pleased to be part of the CIBSE team. The Institution is in good shape to face the future but, as is so often in engineering, our resources are finite yet there are so many issues that demand our attention.

I look forward to meeting you all in the future.