How we are governed

Christopher Simpson is Managing Director of Simpson Associates, an engineering consultancy providing advice and support to companies in the UK, USA, Germany and the Netherlands on strategy, performance improvement, project management, acquisitions and other business development.

He has been Chief Executive of engineering businesses in the UK, USA and Germany. He has an in-depth knowledge and experience of Germany and is fluent in the language. His specialist areas are advanced manufacturing and financial management. He has a first degree in engineering, is both a chartered mechanical and civil engineer 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) and was instrumental in establishing MX in Germany, As Past Chairman and current Board Member of the Manufacturing Division and of the Management Group he maintains an active role at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers and a Freeman of the City of London.

James is a charted Mechanical Engineer and a leader in the Industrial Gases market. He has a 15-year career managing multi disciplined engineers, maintenance technicians, operators, drivers and functional experts in high hazardous operations both onshore and offshore. 

He has a particular background in managing COMAH facilities; with previous accountability for 8 Upper Tier facilities within the UK and over 500 personnel. Today he is the Industrial Operations Director for one the leading Industrial Gas businesses; with responsibility for engineering, maintenance, production and supply chain activities across the UK.

He has a passion for safety led leadership, developing future talent and delivering a positive impact to UK industry and economy.

Tim is a subject matter expert and active advisor in project management and investment analysis, front end planning/project shaping and benchmarking/assurance; and has deep experience of the oil, gas, petrochemical and energy industries.

He has a track record of delivering cross cultural programmes in strategy, change management and process improvement. In his last role with BP he led the back office for a major global corporate programme in the matter of safe and reliable operations which made significant improvements to operating performance across the group.

He is passionate about professional development; learning and sharing learning with a focus on the netzero agenda and the potential for a hydrogen economy alongside clean electricity. He is currently a Faculty Member of World Hydrogen Leaders, presenting courses and masterclasses on the Investment Case for Hydrogen and Project Development Best Practices. He is an experienced trainer and facilitator of live events and can work in English and French. He has strengths in facilitation and building rapport in multi-cultural environments using accomplished language skills.

He has particular experience of facilitating Front End Planning workshops using the Construction Industry Institute (CII) Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) and is affiliated to Valency Inc, a CII member, as a senior consultant.

Tim has extensive experience of developing and delivering impactful training during a 35 year career at BP; in particular the BP Way course for Project Professionals, Managing Projects in collaboration with Manchester Business School and Economic Evaluation Methodology for BP's commercial community.

He is an active committee member of the Management Group at the IMechE and is also a qualified Professional Toastmaster and Associate of the NAT (National Association of Toastmasters)

Ahmad Afiq is an accomplished and data-driven professional with over a decade of experience in optimizing operational efficiencies across diverse sectors, including human resources, highway management, and construction. Having worked in various conglomerates in Malaysia such as PETRONAS, PLUS Malaysia and UEM Group, he is a registered Professional Engineer and Professional Technologist in his home country. 

Possessing expertise in the application of Lean Six Sigma and Agile/Scrum methodologies, he is proficient in leveraging Microsoft Power Platform applications (Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate) to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and provide critical operational insights. 

He holds a Master in Engineering from The University of Sheffield and several other professional certifications such as Project Management Profesisonal (PMP), Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO). 
As an active member of the IMechE, he is the Board Member for the Management Group, Management Group’s Representative to the Young Members Board and has been appointed as the IMechE Culture Ambassador.