Several things become apparent about the new IMechE president Jon Hilton after just a short while chatting to him. The joy he gets from discussing technology and, specifically, how it’s developed is obvious. He’s passionate and knowledgeable about the opportunities and challenges in engineering – and can discuss them in easy-to-understand ways.
Hilton is also grounded by a strong commercial nous, earned the hard way in business. He has a strong belief in entrepreneurialism and the positive role engineers can play in society. But overall he’s a pragmatist constantly seeking to improve things. It’s this trait, alongside a philanthropic desire to give back to the institution and the profession, that will most likely shape his next year as the IMechE’s president. However, Hilton is well aware of the expectations that go with the role, and does not intend to shake things up.
“I’m not coming in with the intention of changing everything on the first day. A lot of my time will be spent carrying on the good work of Richard [Folkson] and the other previous presidents,” he says. “The major decisions are made by a much bigger group of people than just me.”
As well representing the institution at numerous events, something he’s looking forward to, there are parts of the IMechE’s affairs that will demand close attention. Hilton anticipates that much of his time will be spent on efforts to collaborate more closely with the other institutions. “I thoroughly approve of collaborating wherever we reasonably can,” he says. “But we have to be sure that our partners are going in the same direction, so we have to work on our shared aims.”
There are also some “big ticket” projects in the near future of the institution that will take up a lot of time. Number one on that list, he says, is continuing its digital transformation.
“There’s a serious plan to update our digital infrastructure in terms of hardware and software, so we can deliver all the things we want to do. It’s about more than the website. It’s about being able to deliver the service you would expect from the IMechE to our members, wherever they are – Aberdeen, Kuala Lumpur or London.”
Focus on engines
Hilton is prepared to invest a large amount of time in the office of president over the next year, and his track record in industry proves he’s very capable. He recounts the early years of his career with a smile on his face. After a stint at Rolls-Royce, where he worked on helicopter engine design, he went into motorsport, starting at Cosworth in 1991.
“Cosworth was fun,” he says. “You would work on three different engines in one year. You got to quickly improve your own knowledge and your eye for what is and isn’t going to work.”
The next move was to the TWR Arrows team as chief engineer of the engines group, until in 2003 he and his team moved to Renault F1, where he became technical director of the engine division. Again, he remembers the time fondly: “It was the kind of place where every bit of the company contributed to the overall result. You never had to chase people, and nobody was ever looking over your shoulder. You don’t realise how good it was until you’ve left,” he says.
Renault won both the F1 Driver’s and the Constructor’s challenge in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. But this high was tempered by a low. The engine homologation rule change introduced from the 2007 season meant that he and most of his team were made redundant. This prompted Hilton and his colleague Doug Cross to set up Flybrid, with the aim of developing and commercialising a flywheel-based kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) for automotive applications.
“I’ve been in the position twice where I’ve had the option to start up on my own,” says Hilton. “But both times I was also confident that I had skills that made me worth recruiting elsewhere.
“There shouldn’t be anything scary about starting your own business, because you should be fully confident about what you are doing and where you’re going.”
Business challenges
This entrepreneurial streak saw him pour time into Flybrid Systems to make it a success, culminating in its sale to Torotrak in January 2014 in a £16 million deal. He now sits on the board of Torotrak as non-executive deputy chairman.
The management of Flybrid and development of its flywheel KERS technology was a challenging, stressful time, financially and technically. The job demanded someone who, through Hilton’s own admission, is “addicted to technology development”. It also helped to take the focus and rigour of F1 engine development and transfer it to the commercial world. “Corporate deadlines aren’t much different from a race meeting on a Sunday. You can use the same techniques and working practices in both,” he says.
Whether it’s Flybrid’s KERS, engines or some other area, Hilton is animated and engaging when talking about technology. But he’s most interested in the actual process and methodology of development and innovation. “The key thing is to not be afraid of failure,” he says. “It’s OK to make a mistake so long as you don’t make the same one twice. Learn something and move on.”
“We’re in a very interesting period for technology development in the world. Everything is changing so rapidly and I’m certain that the next 50 years will have more change than the last 50. Keeping up with that pace of change is a significant challenge, and the institution has to be ready for that.”
Hilton sees the institution’s future role as continuing to provide support for engineers in this fast-changing world. “That means addressing the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of most projects,” he explains. “Mechanical engineers need to have a good appreciation of what’s in the other box, even if they don’t know how to use every tool. Electronics and control systems will only become more and more critical to mechanical things.
“For example, fully autonomous cars are only a few years away, and require full integration of mechanical and electrical and controls and communication. We need to make sure the institutional landscape is aligned with that type of requirement.”
Giving something back
Suitably, the other important area to Hilton is the institution, which has been part of his career since 1982. Latterly, he managed to combined his involvement with the institution with his motorsport career, and has been a staunch supporter of the Formula Student event since its early days. “I love Formula Student, it’s close to my heart and it’s part of why I’m involved with the IMechE – I want to give something back,” he says. “Other people helped me when I was younger, my IMechE mentor at Rolls-Royce was really supportive.
“I’ve had a great career out of engineering since, and I hope others do too. We need to encourage others into the industry and help those already in it to make the most of the opportunity they’ve got.”
However, to Hilton, there is a danger that the profession spends too long soul searching about skills shortages. “I’m not as worried as others by the sheer numbers. There are lots of possible ways to cover the shortfall. It’s the quality I’m most concerned about,” he says.
But he does agree that there is a legitimate need to ensure that the nature of the profession is communicated in the right way to young people. He has a straightforward approach to this – that engineering proves its worth and becomes more desirable by deed and action primarily. “So long as we keep making fantastic products, and keep winning F1 world titles with German cars engineered in the UK, that will be great. There’s some great projects, such as Bloodhound, which are inspiring things to be doing.”
Issue of diversity
He applies the same no-nonsense approach to the issue of diversity in the engineering profession. Although, like most people, he struggles to provide an exact answer as to why there aren’t more women in engineering, he has no problem with positive action to increase their numbers in the profession. “There’s no debate! We’d love to have many more women in industry,” he says. “I’ve nothing bad to say about the women I’ve worked with. They bring a unique perspective to some areas.
“But, let’s be clear, I want to see engineering done at the highest level everywhere and for everyone to get better at being an engineer.”
So what technology excites him the most outside of the automotive industry? Here, Hilton betrays his latest technology obsession, marine engineering. Born from the recent acquisition of a yacht, he says he was surprised by how basic some of the technology was.
“It’s a brand-new boat, but the control system is dreadful. It wouldn’t be acceptable in a car. If you do something silly while driving, the electronics catch you and help. In a boat they don’t, but they could, and they should, and they will soon.
“I’m fascinated by the work they’re doing at Ben Ainslie Racing on the America’s Cup boat. It’s a great example of a multidisciplinary approach – they have automotive, aerospace and marine people working on a sailing project. The engineers are mostly from other industries and the technology is leaping forward.”
The Hilton vision for the future of engineering and the institution is hard to disagree with, and is based on a strong desire to improve things and give back to the profession. The job is to ensure that the profession continues to evolve and remains relevant. It’s a challenge that requires energy and dedication and, for the next year, an outward-looking strategy that welcomes collaboration can only help the cause.