Manufacturing Industries Division: How we are governed

Professor Konstantinos Salonitis (Dip Eng, MSc, PhD, MBA, PGCAP, CEng FIMechE, FHEA) is the head of Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Centre at Cranfield University. Professor Salonitis current research interests include the simulation and modelling of manufacturing processes and systems; the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes and systems; the environmental impact assessment of manufacturing processes; and the lean manufacturing and management. He has a broad track record in funded research projects, having been involved in a number of research projects funded by the EC, the EPSRC, Innovate UK and Newton-Fund. He has published more than 250 research papers in major international journals and internationally referred conferences and authored two books.

Martin is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and has been actively involved with the Manufacturing Industries Division since 2015.

He has a first class engineering degree from Brunel University and a PhD in developing company-specific design processes.

He has 20 years’ industry experience at Niftylift Ltd, a privately owned UK mobile elevating work platform manufacturer. Martin is skilled in engineering design & development, project management, innovation management, and product compliance. He has helped the business grow many times over and contributed to the company’s four Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in the categories of Innovation and International Trade.

Martin setup the accredited Niftylift Monitored Professional Development Scheme and has mentored developing engineers to achieve professional registration, as well as supporting many more engineers during their placements in industry.

Martin is proactive, pragmatic, and strategic, and strives to achieve excellence by embracing best practice and new technology.

After leaving grammar school Peter Gale joined Cincinnati Milacron as a student apprentice. Whilst employed by them he gained a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Aston in Birmingham and subsequently an MSc in Machine Tool Technology from UMIST. After leaving Cincinnati his career continued in the Machine Tool sector with senior technical positions at Bridgeport Machines, Thorn EMI Machine Tools and Marbaix Lapointe. Subsequently Peter managed the new product design functions at several high profile companies in the sectors of Air Compressors, Lasers, Tobacco Machinery and Fluid Systems. He then spent 10 years as General Manager of Electro Controls Ltd.

A member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers since 1967 Peter was elected a fellow in 1990. He is now a member of the Manufacturing Industries Division Board. He is the holder of a private pilot’s licence and has also worked as a volunteer Civilian Instructor at the Air Training Corps.

A Chartered Mechanical Engineer with a wealth of experience gain from motorsport, defence, aerospace and policy development. Joining the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) in January 2018 she thrives on working with a wide range of stakeholders from government, industry and academia to create visionary solutions, with the ability to challenge existing silos across the sectors. Her role as Stakeholder Engagement Director allows her to offer oversight into the challenges faced both locally and internationally within the manufacturing and transport realms. This work sustains and develops UK supply chains supporting job creation and growth in exportable products and services to enable the UK to fulfill its net-zero ambition. Before joining the APC Philippa was Head of Manufacturing and Transport at the IMechE. She has been a member of the MID for three years.

Educated at Brighton (Mech.Eng), Imperial (Thermo), Warwick (Management). Spent career in manufacturing companies mainly associated with vehicles and machine tools. Held a variety of positions but majority of time in design and manufacture of small batch specials, with profit responsibility. Contributed to IMechE over a number of years being Past Vice Chairman of the Manufacturing Industries Divisional Board and a supporter of MX awards.

Now retired and main interest is being Leader of Imagineering Foundation; aim to promote technology and manufacturing through Fun to young people by means of Imagineering Fairs and Imagineering Clubs. Despite this does occasional consulting on management and manufacturing.

Managing Director of Simpson Associates, an international engineering consultancy providing advice and support to companies in the UK, USA, Germany and other European countries.

He has held directorships with major manufacturing corporations in the UK and Germany and has wide experience of working in the USA and Europe. He has in depth knowledge of Germany and is fluent in the language. His specialist areas are advanced manufacturing and financial management. He has a first degree in engineering and is a Sloan Fellow at the London Business School.

Apart from his direct business activities, he is past Chairman of the UK Manufacturing Excellence Awards (MX), a Member of the Board of MX Germany, Past Chairman and current Board Member of the Manufacturing Division and of the Management Group at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers and a Freeman of the City of London.

Ted has spent his life working in the high tech industries – beginning his career as a student apprentice with Philips Electronics and ultimately rising to become manufacturing manager in Philips and DuPont Optical manufacturing optical media.

Ted then moved to Motorola in the early days of mobile phones where Ted was manufacturing operations manager.

Ted then became Operations Director at Zetex Semiconductors in Oldham, where he ran plants in the UK, Germany and Chengdu, China.

After 13 years at Zetex Ted moved to Cambridge Semiconductors where, as COO, Ted implemented a supply chain supplying control chips world wide.

Ted’s final move was to Xaar plc, a manufacturer of ink jet print heads. As COO at Xaar Ted was responsible for R&D, manufacturing, engineering and logistics, with plants in the UK and Sweden. Following his retirement Ted became chairman of Evince Technology, a start up company developing breakthrough electron devices.

After working in the aerospace and metrology sectors David moved into manufacturing research. He has spent the last 30 years specialising in the field of Additive Manufacturing, establishing research activities at both Warwick and DeMontfort Universities. He joined the newly constructed Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry in 2011where he set-up the Net Shape and Additive Manufacturing research theme which has grown to be one of the largest activities in the MTC, driven by demand from some of the world’s leading industrial organisations. He is the author of over 90 publications in the field of AM and is an honorary professor at the University of Nottingham.

Jason started his engineering career at the University of Southampton, obtaining a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering / Mechatronics in June 2012.

In August 2012, he joined the graduate scheme at Delphi Diesel Systems, completing placements on fuel systems within design and manufacturing.

After completing the graduate scheme, Jason has had roles as a lead design engineer for a dual fuel injector and as the lead design engineer for a Euro 7 diesel injector.

In November 2019, Jason became a Chartered Engineer through professional registration with the IMechE. Jason has recently moved onto his next challenge joining Rolls-Royce as a Design Engineer in Defence - Strategy and Future Programmes.

Jason started volunteering for the IMechE in 2015, as an active member on the Manufacturing Industries Division and Young Member’s Board. Supporting the creation of the Apprentice Automation Challenge and chairing the steering group since 2018.