I’ve always believed that our profession thrives when we share knowledge and support one another. My motivation has been to give back the guidance and opportunities I’ve received throughout my career—helping others grow whilst contributing to the advancement of our industry.
I’ve been proud to be a CIBSE member for over 30 years. Early in my career at AECOM, CIBSE design guides and research were invaluable to me, and I was delighted when asked to contribute to sections of CIBSE Guide B2 on commercial offices, auditoria, and TV and radio studios. That experience showed me how much member input shapes CIBSE’s research and guidance.
Supporting early-career engineers has always been important to me. What we now call “mentoring” was something we naturally did for apprentices and graduates, and I’m delighted to see it formalised through the CIBSE mentoring programme. Mentoring people from diverse backgrounds—BMS specialists, academics, building performance engineers—has been incredibly rewarding and a two-way learning experience.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, I reflected on how I could give back to the profession and was delighted to join CIBSE Council. It opened my eyes to the breadth of CIBSE’s work—societies, regions, research, events, and global membership support—and the opportunities to debate and shape discussions on key subjects including climate change, building performance, and decarbonisation.
While on Council, I helped launch the Fellows Network and later became its chair, encouraging Fellows to “pay forward” through mentoring and technical support for the regions, societies, and groups. I was intrigued by the CIBSE Patrons, and joined the committee, working with over 200 corporate members to support initiatives like YEN, STEM, awards, and research. These roles have connected me with a wide range of industry professionals, from contractors, specialists, and manufacturers, and helped strengthen relationships within our sector.
After my time on Council, I was honoured to join the CIBSE Board as a trustee. This role has been both challenging and fulfilling—being involved with the move to our new Farringdon headquarters, advising on its subsequent refurbishment. I recently lead the development of CIBSE’s new five-year strategy, consulting with members and Council. It’s a privilege to help shape the future of an organisation that has given me so much throughout my career.
I believe it’s important to use my experience and passion to support others, strengthen our profession, and ensure CIBSE continues to lead in inspiring people, and transforming buildings and places.