|
FIDIC this week welcomed Palestine and Mozambique as its newest members. As it did so the new president, Geoff French, emphasised its focus on sustainability, integrity and innovation as the industry seeks to emerge from the global downturn.
The FIDIC annual conference saw British engineer, Geoff French, elected President until 2013, a period that will include FIDIC centenary celebrations in Barcelona in September 2013. While he stressed that FIDIC must focus on its core values, he also warned that the federation must move faster to address challenges facing the industry globally.
Geoff French said: “I am honoured and delighted to have been appointed president of FIDIC (the international federation of consulting engineers). The appointment reflects the importance of the UK’s consulting engineering industry in the world.”
Outgoing President Gregs Thomopulos said that his tenure had been a privilege despite the difficult economic climate the industry had endured. He laid down a challenge to industry to be more pro-active in its advocacy and to get closer to decision makers to help improve conditions for the industry.
Association for Consultancy and Engineering chief executive, Nelson Ogunshakin OBE, said: “FIDIC 2011 bought together many of the most significant figures in the industry and the message is clear. For the sake of long term growth in the global economy we must ensure our industry emerges stronger from the economic downturn. We must be sustainable, we must be innovative and we must improve how we communicate the importance of what we can achieve.”
FIDIC’s annual three day conference was relocated to Davos, Switzerland, from Tunis in Tunisia because of the Arab Spring, during which time many British engineering firms faced difficult decisions about projects they were working on.
Nelson Ogunshakin said: “The UK industry is global by nature and that was reflected in the strong representation that ACE and the UK had in Davos. We are delighted to congratulate Geoff French on his election as president of FIDIC, an act that recognises his impressive career in the industry and the influence of UK engineers around the world. Our industry remains a global leader and our member firms lead the world in innovation and effective design.”
- ENDS –
Notes to editors
Delegates with ACE included:
• ACE chairman, Graham Nicholson
• ACE International Business Group chair, Gavin English
• ACE chief executive, Nelson Ogunshakin OBE
• ACE national Progress Network chair, Warren Bradley
Further UK delegates included:
• Baroness Lynda Chalker, Africa Matters
• Hugh Blackwood, senior vice president of URS/ Scott Wilson
• Professor Paul Jowett, past president of the Institution of Civil Engineers
• Professor Peter Guthrie, University of Cambridge
FIDIC
FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (the acronym stands for the French version of the name) represents the engineering industry and promotes the business interests of firms supplying technology based intellectual services for the built and natural environment.
Founded in 1913, FIDIC membership today numbers 89 Member Associations representing more than one million professionals. ACE is the second largest FIDIC member association.
FIDIC elected three new executive members. These were:
• Alain Bentéjac. France
• Kaj Moller, Sweden
• Chris Newcombe, Canada
FIDIC 2015
A decision was taken to hold the 2015 FIDIC conference in Jordan.
For media queries please contact Gavin Pearson (gpearson@acenet.co.uk) (020 7202 0255)
Photographs are available on request.
|