Council, Board and Committee Biographies A-G

BEng IEng MIMechE

• Trustee Board

Abbey graduated with a BEng Joint Honours in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from the University of Birmingham and has 10 years’ experience in the Royal Air Force as an Engineering Officer. She has maintained aircraft and led teams of engineers in austere and dynamic environments across the globe, deployed on military operations.

Passionate about her role as a STEM and WISE ambassador, she leads activities in primary schools encouraging young children to take a keen interest in engineering. Now a veteran, she is establishing strong links between the IMechE Support Network and STEM returners in industry. Working on a major infrastructure project in London, she brings current and relevant experience of historic building renovation to One Birdcage Walk.

Abbey has joined the Trustee Board in 2023 as an Ordinary Member in a volunteer capacity, sitting on the Trustee Board Awards Committee and Steering Groups for the Institution.

• Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Bims is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development with many years of HR experience under her belt from both commercial and not for profit sector. Bims joined IMechE in 2018. Her interest in diversity was first sparked while working at BT where she was mentored by the Head of Equality and was tasked to write the equality articles for the 3,000 plus BT personnel community. She also joined the ethnic minority network whose goal was to see an increase in managers from ethnic minorities in BT.

Bims has always championed the diversity agenda, she led a transformation training project tasked with eradicating sexism from workplaces while working for a subsidiary of Ford Europe. Bims and her HR team also organised and hosted the first diversity and inclusion forum on behalf of YMCA in England and Wales to promote the diversity and inclusion agenda within the YMCA community.

• Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Roy attained Chartered status in 2007 after joining the Institution and has contributed to the Diversity and Inclusion committee since 2021. In the same year, he began serving as an Observer on the Trustee Board, focusing on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and aiding the Leadership team and Trustee Board during the introduction of the Institution's new values.

A graduate of the University of Aberdeen with an MBA from Vlerick Business School in Belgium, Roy is a certified leadership and team coach. His professional journey includes senior roles in technical, management, and consulting within Upstream Energy, where he has been involved in global exploration and development initiatives.

Roy's commitment to the IMechE started with a local Young Member panel and evolved to mentoring developing engineers through MPDS and participating as a Professional Review Interview Panellist.

• Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Ladi is a mechanical engineer at Arup with several years of experience in design and construction both within the public and private sectors. As well as being an active STEM ambassador, and diversity and inclusion facilitator.

Ladi is passionate about sustainability, education and empowering marginalised groups in society. He has contributed to several large-scale projects encompassing the fields of transport, data centres and education. He also serves as the IMechE's Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

MA CEng MIMechE ACMA

• Nomination Committee

Andrew joined the IMechE when he started his engineering training with the MoD in 1983. He joined ICI in 1987, became a Chartered Engineer in the mid-90s and performed various engineering roles in ICI and ABB until 2004 when he took on a Commercial Manager role for ABB’s Consulting business.

In his spare time he completed his CIMA qualifications and was rewarded with his first appointment as a Business Controller. In 2011 he became a Chartered Management Accountant and took on a series of larger Controller roles before retiring in 2020.

Andrew stayed in the engineering sector throughout his career and always took an interest in the development of engineering apprentices, students, and graduates. Since retiring he has become a Governor of a local FE College with a particular interest in developing the STEM facilities and offerings. He also contributed to the independent review of the proposal for refurbishing OBW.

• Audit and Risk Committee

Geoff is a recent Past President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). During his long involvement with the IMechE, throughout his career, he has served on many Boards and Committees, Council, Trustee Board, and also on the Audit and Risk Committee.

Geoff has had a distinguished international career and has founded, built up and sold several successful engineering businesses. The subsequent acquisition of these companies led to senior executive positions, of CEO and Senior Vice President respectively, in the multinational plcs of Bureau Veritas and BVQI, and Petrofac providing him with experience of the risk issues across a broad range of companies and industries.

Geoff now works independently to help establish and advise businesses at all stages of their development and holds several non-executive positions in this role. Geoff also has a passion for supporting young entrepreneurs and is an active mentor with Southampton University’s Business Accelerator Programme, Future Worlds and gives guest lectures on their Management and MBA courses and sits on several Advisory Boards.

Geoff has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cranfield University and in his early career served a 5-year apprenticeship with the British Aircraft Corporation and worked with National Nuclear Corporation and with the US Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (SDRC), an early pioneer in the field of computer aided engineering.

• Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Farah Baksh joined the Institution in 2012 and is the Global Relationship Manager for the Midlands region and the Institution's Global Key Accounts.

Farah guides engineers in industry and academia, through the process of gaining registration. This includes encouraging students and apprentices to sign up for their free membership to coaching engineers to achieve Chartered, Incorporated or Engineering Technician registration and Fellowship.

Farah has a degree in economics and an MBA in international business. She has over twenty years of business development experience, working with a variety of organisations including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Spirax Sarco and Alfa Laval. She is passionate about engineering and manufacturing, having been involved in it throughout her career in Sweden and the UK.

Farah really enjoys the interaction with individuals and companies, and finds it rewarding to help and support engineers as they progress in their careers.

Outside of work, Farah has done several charity treks, including one to Everest Base Camp, Darjeeling, Simian Mountains in Ethiopia and Mount Kenya. She has also donated her time to Habitat for Humanity doing house builds. She is a keen advocate of hot yoga.

BEng(Hons) PGDIP FIMechE FMAPM FWES

• Strategy Committee

Kate Barnard is Founder & Director of two successful start-ups, WhatBox Consulting Ltd and Enjoy The Air Limited. Along with NED roles for Syndem and Eye Dream.

Kate is a Professional Chartered Engineer bringing together technical and entrepreneurship skills. Built on a foundation of over two decades as a manager in the engineering and technology group within Rolls-Royce Plc, having led one of the largest global industry-academic research networks, and driven multi-million pound, multi-national research programmes.

Kate recognises the linkage between new research, social progress and the sustainability of our planet and has become a key person of influence.

Kate is a Fellow of the IMechE, Women’s Engineering Society and Association of Project Managers, an active Honorary Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Nottingham, published author and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers.

Kate brings a diversity of thought, skilled in business growth, financial modelling and the grant environment. With a passion for the UK to become the science superpower and driven to make a difference ‘for the better good’ Kate brings focused strategic direction in line with corporate and national needs.

• Finance Board

Before retiring from full time work in 2013, Jitendra held senior finance positions in FTSE 100 companies. Since 2013, Jitendra has been a member of Audit and Risk and Finance Committees of many Professional Institutions and charities, specialising in accounting and audit matters.

• Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Emma has been an IMechE member since graduating, gained chartership in 2012 and became a Fellow in 2020. The IMechE has featured in her life since she can remember – Emma’s dad joined the IMechE in 1965 and has been as member since 1973. As a child she flicked the pages of the PE magazine (mostly for the pictures!).

Emma completed her engineering Degree in New Zealand at Massey University, majoring in Mechatronics before moving to the UK in 2005. In 2008 she joined the Royal Navy, served as a Weapons Engineer Officer for 5 years, including two operational tours in the Middle East as well as a training position at HMS Collingwood as the Type 23 Systems Engineer.

Her “next” career has spanned a variety of industries, a brief period working for a construction company before joining GSK in 2016 as an Engineering Operations Manager. In addition to her operational role in GSK, Emma was responsible for Engineering Early Talent at the Ware Site, leading the Engineering Apprentices & developing the Junior Engineers graduate programme. Diversity & Inclusion was a strong feature throughout her time with GSK, leading and contributing to a variety of site and global initiatives during her 7-year tenure.

Following completion of her MBA, in 2022 Emma joined Alvarez & Marsal’s Corporate Transformation Services Business as a Director. Additionally to being IMechE’s Culture Ambassador Lead, Emma is a PRI assessor.

• Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Anni is Chief Executive Officer of IMechE's Support Network

B.Eng (Hons), MBA, PGDipLaw, FIMechE, MCQI

• Nomination Committee

Ian currently works as Vice President for Hartford Steam Boiler, an Authorized Inspection Agency and Notified Body for the inspection of pressurized equipment, with responsibility for the EMEA region. Managing five office locations and staff in ten different countries, he maintains an international view on working practices and cultural issues. He has held this position for over six years.

Prior to this, he ran two software companies providing timetabling software and consultancy services to the global rail industry and worked as a Director for Bombardier Transportation supporting international maintenance and refurbishment contracts on rolling stock.

He has lived in the Netherlands whilst working for Rontgen Technische Dienst bv providing commercial support for global pipeline inspection contracts and advanced NDE services.

Ian is a Chartered Engineer with the IMechE, a registered European Engineer with FEANI and Chartered Quality Professional with the CQI.

BSc (Hons) CEng FIMechE

• Finance Board

Steve started his first technology business Nova Weigh at 29 employing 40 engineers and technicians and is the cited inventor of numerous patented products.

Appointed Managing Director of Rolls-Royce subsidiary Stresswave Technology later purchased in a management buyout with venture capital funding and built the business to become the UK market leader in ultrasonic level measurement. Sold the business to a public USA technology conglomerate in 2018.

Founder Director of Strathdon Investments plc. Acquired, built, and profitably sold >40 investee companies. Founder Director of Shackleton Ventures Ltd. Five funds investing in technology businesses with 25 profitable exits in the UK, USA and Europe.

• Strategy Committee

Michele Angelo Cecchi is a Global Engineering Manager in Eaton Corporation. He has more than 10 years NPD/NPI experience in the automotive, aerospace, and electrical sectors, where he held roles in product engineering and program management in the Netherlands, the UK and Italy. As a part time Leadership and Management PhD researcher at Cranfield School of Management, his current research focuses on knowledge management in global NPD projects. He has an aerospace engineering background; holds an MSc in aeronautical engineering from Sapienza, University of Rome, and an MSc in thermal power from Cranfield University. Michele is a chartered engineer with the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers; he joined IMechE in 2015 and has since collaborated with IMechE’s Italy group first as Young Members Representative and more recently as Honorary Secretary.

MA CEng FIMechE MAPM

• Strategy Committee

After studying Engineering at Oxford Simon joined Unilever’s Graduate Engineering programme, working in factories, central Engineering and R&D in UK and Germany and global process Engineering in Holland. Becoming an expert in delivering Innovation projects led to developing the global foods Innovation process with Clayton Christensen of HBS.

In Deloitte Strategy and Operations Consulting Simon worked on a range of projects helping global organisations tackle issues from Supply Chain and Innovation processes to total business Strategy and transformation.

Following Deloitte he joined the NHS as a Non-Executive Deputy Chair of a CCG working at board level chairing and participating in committees and holding Execs to account. Supporting the CCG team though financial and governance crisis and then merger into a £1Bn organisation.

Keen to support the IMechE currently Member of Stratcomm, chair Sussex and Surrey IMechE Area comm and member of South East region, previously on Food Engineering Committee.

MEng MBA CEng MIMechE

• Strategy Committee

Dennis is an International Young Member of the Strategy Committee, bringing a voice from these demographics to IMechE’s strategy.

After studying Sports Engineering at the University of Bath and a short stint at Adidas in Germany, Dennis established himself at an engineering consultancy specialising in façade engineering with a focus on the APAC region. He has worked across the whole spectrum of technical delivery, covering design, construction and commissioning stages, gaining extensive experience leading to Chartered Engineer status in 2017.

Wanting to have more purpose and far-reaching impact, Dennis transitioned into design and innovation consulting after an MBA at IESE Business School in Spain. He helps organisations implement their strategy by aligning it with their customers to co-create solutions that benefit all stakeholders.

In his role with the IMechE, Dennis aims to use his skillset to help IMechE achieve its strategy and implementation ambitions.

CEng FIMechE

• Council Leadership Committee

Jim has over 40 years’ experience in industrial noise/vibration control, initially with NEI Parsons in Newcastle, UK and from 1988-2019 with KBR in Houston, Texas.

He is Board Certified with the Institute of Noise Control Engineering in the USA and a is acknowledged expert in noise control design for major energy and oil/gas projects. He is also a recognized technical authority on acoustically and flow induced vibration (AIV/FIV) in piping systems. He has published extensively at technical society and industry conferences.

Within IMechE Jim is Chair of Texas Branch, Americas Region Chair and member of Council. He is a member of the International Strategy Board and the Ethics and Principles Committee.

• Real Estate Strategy Group

A chartered member of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management and as Head of building Services for the Institution Philip has been responsible for both Health and Safety and the hard and soft facilities services at its central London headquarters on Birdcage Walk for almost 10 years. Prior to taking over his current role at IMechE in 2011 he was Facilities Manager for a US based study abroad program operating a 300 bed student residence hall in Chelsea and Building Manager at the London Lighthouse, an HIV centre in Ladbroke Grove. Before moving into the world of building management Philip spent over 10 years in the hotel and hospitality industry. After nearly 10 years at the Institution the biggest challenge is meeting the needs of our members and staff while preserving the heritage of the building.

B.Eng, MBA, C.Eng, FIMechE

• Nominations Committee

Richard is currently an interim Managing Director/ CEO and has spent the past 24 years as MD of exporting engineering businesses located in the UK and overseas.

After university, Richard joined Davy McKee in 1986 which manufactured aluminium rolling mills and process plant, immediately gaining significant international exposure in the far east, particularly China. He then moved into the EPC arena with Courtaulds Group in the UK before moving into the power-generation & marine sectors with Brush Group and MAN Energy Solutions, spending significant time overseas. This included working at a wind turbine company in Germany for a year. Richard also spent 6 years in the automotive and aerospace sector leading a company manufacturing test equipment.

Since becoming a Fellow of IMechE in 2000, Richard has championed the MPDS scheme in the businesses he has worked at, and has been involved participating as interviewer and Chair in Professional Registration Interviews.