Process People & Skills Tracker - May 2011

Alfa Laval has appointed Jerome Maguire as sales engineer for its complete product portfolio in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Maguire is a qualified mechanical engineer with a degree in mechanical engineering from Queens University, Belfast. Prior to joining Alfa Laval, he worked for companies in the vacuum pump and compressed air fields, most recently as sales manager for Compair.

Manchester-based engineering and consultancy company Haden Freeman Ltd has appointed Wayne Baxter as its new managing director. Baxter, who previously held the role of director, has worked for the company since 1994. He replaces Nigel Hirst, who becomes group managing director of the HFL Group initiative.

Kurt Bock, on 6 May, became the new chairman of BASF SE, succeeding Juergen Hambrecht, who has retired. Bock started his career at BASF in the finance department in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in 1985. From 1992-97 he worked for Robert Bosch GmbH in Germany, and Brazil. In 1998, he returned to BASF as CFO of its North American subsidiary, before becoming president of logistics & information services for BASF in Ludwigshafen in 2000. Bock was named to BASF’s executive board as CFO in 2003 and since 2007 was also chairman and CEO of BASF Corp., based in New Jersey.

Alan Gray has recently joined pipeline, riser and subsea engineering and training company Jee as its business development director, based in Aberdeen. Gray has 28 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry. This, combined with his entrepreneurial instinct, team leader skills and knowledge of improving profitability and turnover mean he will be an asset to Jee’s growing workforce, the company said.

John Derbyshire has been appointed as president of KBR’s technology business unit. Based in Houston, Texas, Derbyshire will be responsible for KBR’s global technology licensing business which is active in refining, petrochemical, chemical, coal monetisation and synthesis gas segments. He succeeds Tim Challand, who has led the business unit since its inception in 2007 and is retiring after 23 years of service to KBR. Prior to his appointment, Derbyshire served as senior vice president, commercial management for KBR Technology responsible for the business unit’s sales, marketing, strategy and acquisitions roles. He previously served in leadership capacities with Invensys plc and Aspen Technology Inc.

John Forrest has been appointed to EPC Offshore’s board as a non-executive director. Forrest recently retired from Talisman Energy (UK) Ltd, where he held the position of senior vice president and UK country manager. A chemical engineering graduate of Heriot Watt University, Forrest has held a series of senior positions in the UK, The Netherlands and Norway. He was with Talisman Energy for more than a decade and before that held senior roles at Mobil.

Semta has recently announced its new role as the Issuing Authority for Apprenticeships in the science, engineering and manufacturing technology sectors in England. The appointment gives Semta sole responsibility for issuing Apprenticeship frameworks, which outline the statutory requirements of individual apprenticeship programmes. The recent Budget outlined 50,000 new apprenticeship places to help address the ongoing skills gaps in Semta’s sectors.

Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology has promoted Dan Ayres to general manager. With over 10 years’ experience at Oxford Instruments, Ayres was operations director at Plasma Technology before being promoted to this newly created role, and prior to that held roles in the fields of supply chain, product management and project management within the Oxford Instruments Group. He gained an engineering degree before joining Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) to work in roles covering supply chain and new product introduction, and was awarded an MBA from Warwick Business School while working for Oxford Instruments.

Foster Wheeler AG has promoted Jon Nield to vice president, project risk management group (PRMG). Nield was previously project executive on FW’s Pluto I LNG project in Australia, having previously been operations director of Foster Wheeler-UK. He has also worked on large international projects and led operations groups in South Africa and in FW’s Reading, England, office. Nield has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, an MSc in project management from Cranfield University, and is a chartered engineer and a fellow of the IMechE. He succeeds David Wardlaw, who has retired, but will serve as a consultant to FW during 2011.

John Mills Valves, a non-ferrous valve manufacturer for offshore, marine and industrial valve solutions, has appointed Brett Armer as sales manager to extend the range of customers that they supply, both in the UK and overseas. Armer has wide industrial experience, much of it in the power generation industry. After gaining an apprenticeship in marine engineering at BAE Marine Systems, he studyied mechanical engineering and business at Sunderland University. Prior to working at John Mills Valves, Armer worked as business development engineer for CAPARO Forge and Metal Spinners Group where he was responsible for managing existing accounts and generating new global business.

Representatives from the water and process industries helped raise over £10,000 for Corporal Simon Vaughan during a special event at Hawkstone Park in Shrewsbury, organised by pump and mixer manufacturer Landia. The money from the golf day, auctions and raffles will go towards building a fully equipped bungalow for Simon, who suffered serious injuries whilst serving in Afghanistan in December 2008. Simon’s Dad, Hugh Vaughan (Landia UK & Eire’s director) said: “I must say a very big and heartfelt thank you to everyone in the industry for making it such a great day.  It was fantastic that Simon was able to be there just a few days after being released from hospital for the first time since he returned to the UK.”

Brighouse, UK-based lubricants and fuel treatments manufacturer, Millers Oils, has recently made four new appointments. Jamie Ryan has been appointed as operations director and will oversee operational strategy, quality, engineering, production and logistics. He has recently completed an MBA, and brings experience from previous roles including global operations director at an international chemical manufacturer, and operations director at a UK PLC. Lisa Sheppardson, quality manager, and Karolina Piwowarczyk, operations team administrator, have both been promoted from within the Millers Oils ranks as part of a wider initiative that aims to help develop the company’s existing talent. The operations team will also be bolstered by the appointment of Andy Gent as electrical engineer.

Refrigeration and air conditioning contractor Cold Service Group, has appointed Andrew Baxendine as its new group managing director. This appointment is part of a senior management rejig, which also sees Adrian Westrup promoted to commercial director, Peter Cutcliffe become engineering director, Gary Mallet move to service director and Danny Ryan take on the role of operations director at the Ringwood-based business. Baxendine brings management experience from a range of industry sectors to his new position. His background includes senior executive experience gained in defence design and manufacturing, food marketing and manufacturing, IT and telecoms distribution and service provision, and fabric design and wholesale.

KBR has recently appointed Roy Oelking, Dennis Calton and John Rose to new leadership roles. Oelking becomes group president, KBR Hydrocarbons, which covers four business units: downstream, gas monetization, oil & gas, and technology. He previously served as president, KBR Oil & Gas, having joined KBR in 2008 and previously held leadership role at Worley Parsons and J. Ray McDermott. Calton, who becomes president, KBR Oil & Gas, previously served as executive VP, KBR Operations. He joined KBR in 1975 and has served in many capacities, including working offshore, managing the company’s Singapore office and overseeing KBR resource centers and project management oversight activities. Ahead of his retirement in June 2012, Rose will assume the role of executive VP, KBR Operations. A 40-year KBR veteran, he previously served as group president, KBR Hydrocarbons.

SIAC Wind Energy has appointed Patrick Dormon as managing director. Dormon has more than two decades of strategic business development experience. He joins SIAC from a similar role at a diversified entrepreneurial group where he was instrumental in establishing new strategic businesses in the materials industry and securing seven-figure venture capital investment. He also secured a number of patents for the group. Prior to this, Dormon was MD of a UK producer of off-site manufactured timber frame composite structures to the house construction sector. His previous roles include a range of key operational and commercial business development roles with some major names within the automotive industry. From an engineering background, he holds both a BSc in from Loughborough University and an MSc from Warwick University.

Manufacturer of gas detection and safety monitoring systems Trolex has appointed Mark Moreton as sales manager and Keith Bloomer as sales support engineer. Moreton joins with previous experience working with British Coal and a background in senior sales management roles at a number of process engineering companies specialising in environmental and safety services. Bloomer has a background in wireless communications, radio systems and GSM architecture.

Victaulic has appointed Tony Carter as territory manager East and West Midlands. Carter started out as a storeman for a supplier of components for use in HVAC, plumbing and heating applications, before moving to a technical sales role. He then joined a specialist valve maker as a project engineer. For the past five years Carter has worked as a technical sales engineer, selling heating and cooling products into markets which include HVAC, process heating and cooling, food & beverage, medical, automotive and aerospace.

Invensys plc has recently announced that Wayne Edmunds, who had been chief financial officer of the company since 2009, has been appointed chief executive. He has replaced Ulf Henriksson who stepped down as CEO and as a director of the company. David Thomas, who had held senior financial roles within the group since 2002, has been appointed acting CFO.

Emerson Process Management has recently appointed Owen Bonner as sales and marketing director for Ireland. He will be based out of Emerson’s facility in Cork. He brings automation, control and instrumentation experience from previous engineering and project management roles in Ireland. These include work as a consulting business manager, automation engineering manager and sales manager - with a focus on the life science sector. Bonner holds a bachelor degree in electrical engineering from University College Dublin and a post-grad diploma in computers for engineers from Trinity College Dublin.

Salford-based ENER-G has appointed Yan Evans as group business development director. He was previously technical director of Baxi’s commercial division, which he helped to establish in 2007. He also helped to develop Baxi’s UK combined heat and power (CHP) business and its commercial product and services portfolio. A chartered engineer Evans has also held senior roles within GEC Alstom, Volvo Aero Corp. and Advantica Technologies and has experience of large gas turbine, micro-turbine and reciprocating engine based power generation and CHP.

The University of Strathclyde and Babcock International Group plc have signed a two-way secondment agreement, under which staff, from both the university and company will learn from work at their respective partner organisation. Under the Neil Grant Secondment Scheme, staff from the university will participate in activities at the engineering support services group. Babcock employees will participate in specific university activities and share their industrial perspectives and experiences with university colleagues and students. Read more

GMB trade union listing of UK power projects awaiting government (Section 36) approval, as of 1 March 2011: Acorn Power Developments… Anglesey Aluminium … Blythe Park Power … Brunner Mond … Dalkia bioEnergy … DRAX/Siemens … DRAX Biomass (Selby) Ltd … E.ON (3 projects) … InterGen MGT Teesside Ltd … RWE Npower … SSE … Welsh Power. Full details

Reneweable energy company Eco2 has appointed Adel Al-Shaibani as its adviser for the Middle East. The Cardiff-based company is in discussions with investors in the region with a view to raising funding to achieve its biomass business plan.

Peter Brown has been named as NCE/ACE Young Consultant of the Year for 2011. Brown, from Epsom in Surrey, is a senior mechanical engineer with engineering and design consultancy Atkins. The award reflected his “infectious enthusiasm” for the profession and commitment to the future of engineering. Following the announcement, he said: “As engineers and designers we need faith in our convictions to collaborate, try new things and keep the UK at the forefront of technology.”

Cogent has appointed Jenny Clucas as strategy director for chemicals and petrochemicals. She will lead on skills strategy development for these industries, working closely with Cogent’s employer-led Advisory Councils for Chemicals and Downstream. Clucas joins Cogent from Chemicals Northwest, the industry-led chemical cluster support organisation for the £10.2 billion North West chemical sector, where she was CEO for the last three years. She joined the board of Chemicals Northwest in March 2008 and is also a trustee of Catalyst, an interactive science centre devoted to chemistry.

UK chemical companies are increasingly committing to the Gold Standard competency framework for their industry, according to Cogent SSC. This involves working with the National Skills Academy Process Industries to: Benchmark workforce skills to the industry Gold Standard; Identify skills gaps and opportunities for performance improvement: and ensure training is fit-for-purpose. Employers already on signed up include: BASF, Innospec, Murco, Pentagon, Sembcorp, Total Petrochemicals and Vopak, among others,

Hi-Line, a supplier of compressed air equipment, has appointed Nigel Winfield to its management team. Winfield joins Hi-Line with a logistics and transportation background and was recently the operations manager for a large international transport company. His new role is to interface between the directors and the management team to implement business strategy and corporate policy while also heading up the office staff.

The Fieldbus Foundation has appointed Larry O’Brien, formerly of ARC Advisory Group, as global marketing manager. He brings 18 years’ experience in the process automation business as a research director and analyst at ARC, and has reported on developments surrounding FOUNDATION fieldbus for much of his career.

Cogent and London Metropolitan University have created an industry-standard foundation degree in polymer technology for those looking to develop their careers as polymer scientists and technologists. The course was launched with its first cohort of students in February and is now recruiting for a September 2011 intake. Read more

Heating and combustion manufacturer Enertech Group has appointed Nick Whitwell as its new chief operating officer. Whitwell’s career started with Potterton Myson as business development director and was later Potterton marketing director. In 1990 he left Potterton to become business unit director of Ideal Stelrad before moving on to become MD of Glow-worm. The subsequent sale of the company led him to take up the role of MD of Vaillant Group Western Europe. In 2003 he left the heating sector to work for Laird where he was divisional MD.

Jody Markopoulos has been appointed president and CEO of GE Intelligent Platforms, replacing Maryrose Sylvester who was recently named as president and CEO of GE Lighting. Markopoulos, a 17-year GE veteran, has led the sourcing organization for GE Energy since 2005: responsible for the management and procurement of over $16bn in materials and services worldwide. During her tenure at GE Energy, Markopoulos held a variety of roles with increasing responsibility in supply chain and quality. Prior to her current role, Markopoulos was general manager of quality.

Industrial construction and maintenance services company, Hertel has restructured its UK management team. John Salkeld, regional director is now to cover the south and west Wales, as well as the Stanlow Oil Refiner. Alan Gosling is promoted from regional manager to regional director, with responsibility for the north west and north Wales. Dave McLoughlin becomes regional director - east, which includes the south east. His previous role of regional manager - east, is taken by Dave Briggs,promoted from within the company. Sites Hertel works on include Grangemouth oil refineries, the nuclear facilities Sellafield, Hinkley A and Dungeness as well as the recently completed Isle of Grain power station.

Cogent and Manchester Metropolitan University have developed an industry standard foundation degree in chemical science. Designed in collaboration with employers, the Cogent Gold Standard-rated course is intended for laboratory technicians in chemistry-based careers and process staff looking to move into supervisory and plant/operational management. It integrates technical and work-based skills with academic knowledge, while distance learning minimising time off site

Pat Kieran, senior control & instrument engineer, Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) has received the third Cogent SSC Award for Outstanding Leadership in Nuclear Skills. The award recognises people who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to ensuring that the UK nuclear sector has the skills it needs. Kieran has worked on the Dounreay site for over seven years and is currently supporting the decommissioning of the Dounreay Fast Reactor. He has helped to build up a network of around 120 registered STEM ambassadors in the local area both from DSRL and other local science and engineering firms, and an initiative that has resulted in around 100 STEM ambassadors in the Caithness area alone. Kieran was awarded an MBE for Services to Science in the 2010 New Years’ Honours.

A team of graduates and trainees from AMEC’s Power & Process Europe (PPE) business has won the ECITB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) ACTIVE Cup Competition.The ’AMECable’ team from PPE won the ACTIVE Cup, with a team from Stopford Projects Ltd receiving the Gold Award for second place and Saipem Ltd taking the Silver Award. Run on behalf of the ECITB by Cranfield University School of Management, the ACTIVE Cup Competition is a competition-based learning event in project management. Read more

Sandvik Materials Technology UK has appointed Helen Harvey, as its technical sales manager, tubular products. Harvey, who has been at Sandvik for over 11 years, has extensive knowledge of its products and services.  To her new role, she brings managerial experience, plus an understanding of the Sandvik Materials Technology business platform, having worked as a member of the global team developing more efficient ways of working in the customer-market chain.

Michael Broadbent has joined the Manchester office of Thomasons as associate. Formerly an associate director of Capita Symonds, Broadbent brings over 30 years of civil and structural engineering experience, specialising in large, high profile retail, commercial and leisure schemes. He has been responsible for major schemes such as the Gloucester Quays dockside development, B&Q distribution warehouse at Worksop and Yearsley’s Cold Store at Heywood.

Test equipment rental, contract hire and asset management organisation Microlease has appointed Stephanie Coleman as strategy and planning director to support the company’s growth aims. Coleman joins from the banking giant Citi Bank, where she was head of customer experience for the UK Consumer Business, having spent more than 10 years working across both Citi and Egg brands and products. During her time at Citi Bank, Coleman transformed the company’s approach to customer insight and improvement action across the whole organisation

The IChemE has announced its first associate fellows - a new membership grade for people in senior roles in the chemical, biochemical or process engineering industries, but without a formal chemical engineering qualification. They are: Andy Brown, engineering director at Progressive Energy (FIMechE); Janice Crawford, director of engineering operations at Foster Wheeler (FIMechE); Mike Green, head of school and chair of chemistry at Newcastle University (FRSC); Ronny Lardner, director of the Keil Centre (chartered occupational psychologist); Dave Price, MD of GexCon (FIIRSM) Brian Tyler, head of S&T consultants (FRSC); Graeme Armstrong, corporate director at Azko Nobel (FRSC); Jonathan Atkinson, patent attorney and partner at Harrison Goddard Foote (FRSC); Steve Elliott, CEO at the Chemical Industries Association; Herman Feise, senior research manager at BASF (VP of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering); John Sofranko, president and CEO of Bio2Electric (former executive director at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers).

Oil services group Aker Solutions has appointed Mark Riding to the newly created position of head of corporate strategic marketing. Riding is an oil industry professional with 28 years’ experience in senior roles and international assignments. He joins from Schlumberger where he has been responsible for deepwater corporate strategic planning, sales, and technology development worldwide. Aker has also appointed Wolfgang Puennelas head of its new well intervention services business area, and promoted Valborg Lundegaard to lead a new engineering business area within Aker Solutions.

Aspen Technology Inc. has appointed Dr Simon Orebi Gann to its board of directors. Dr. Orebi Gann has more than 30 years of executive management experience in IT, including several years as executive committee member and CIO of BP Integrated Supply and Trading. He was also MD of technology and business strategy at the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange and held senior IT roles at Marks & Spencer. Dr. Orebi Gann holds a BA in Physics, MA (Oxon) and a D.Phil in Physics from Oxford University.

Eco-Solids International has appointed Chris Newman as its new manager, sales & business development. Bringing experience from the engineering/technology sector, he now heads up Eco-Solids’ sales & business development activities in the waste-to-energy, sludge treatment and wastewater markets. Previously at PML Flightlink, Newman established a commercial base for a start-up company in the area of novel energy recovery.

EMSc (UK) Ltd has recently appointed Steve Curtis as international business development manager. Curtis, who has worked in the energy industry for over 22 years, brings with him a wealth of experience and a thorough understanding of the sector. Most recently, he worked for six years as business development manager for MeterPlus, npower’s metering business, a role that required him to negotiate, secure and manage new contracts.

At a recent meeting of the Chemical Industry All Party Parliamentary Group, industry apprentices Sarah Porter and Richard Davies gave MPs an insight into what a modern apprenticeship is like. They also urged MPs to do more to transform the image of apprenticeships and to campaign for a shakeup in careers advice to ensure that apprenticeships are better promoted to school leavers and sixth formers. Read more

Underwater acoustics company Chelsea Technologies has appointed acoustics specialist Kimberley Walrond. She is a graduate of Kings College London, where she gained a first in physics with astrophysics.

CDE Global has appointed Terry Ashby to its board of directors. He moves to the new position having been general manager for CDE with specific responsibility for their operations in the GB market for the last 10 years.Having worked in the quarrying and construction materials industry for over 30 years, Ashby is one of the most respected and well known personalities within the industry in the UK and beyond. In addition to the extensive knowledge of the GB market he has also been pivotal in the development of many export markets for CDE having spent considerable time in North America and the Middle East.

Francisco Carlos Verza assumed responsibility for the Industrial Coatings Solutions Europe unit at BASF Coatings. He succeeded Peter-Alexander Fischer, who took over the management of the Coatings business in Asia Pacific.

Pipe measurement company Optical Metrology Services Ltd (OMS) has expanded its capability: adding two full-time CSWIP-qualified weld inspectors to its weld inspection services team. The newly qualified weld inspectors are its director of technology Dr Richard Gooch and Neil Mitchinson, quality control manager at OMS. CSWIP is an internationally recognised mark of competence for people engaged in welding and/or inspection related jobs in manufacturing, constructing, operating or repairing high integrity welded structures, plant or components.

Sandvik Materials Technology in the UK has appointed James Cunningham as account manager for Scotland. An engineering graduate, Cunningham has extensive industry knowledge having previously worked within Sandvik at Kanthal in Perth on technical applications and internal sales. He has significant experience in a number of market sectors, including oil and gas.

UK distributor of compressed air products and process systems Thorite, has appointed Ian Colquhoun to the position of key accounts manager. He brings considerable pneumatics experience to his new role, having previously been employed by Economatics, Norgren and SMC Colquhoun will now be responsible for servicing existing Thorite industrial, manufacturing and processing customers and developing new business opportunities, in an area which covers the north east from the Scottish border to Teesside, working out of Thorite’s North Shields Sales and Service Centre.

Recruitment firm Roevin Engineering has appointed Mark Tully as its new head. A respected engineering recruitment specialist, Tully returns to Roevin after more than 16 years at NES, the engineering recruitment agency, most recently as managing director from 2004-2009. At NES, he led the implementation of a complete strategic review which saw the company’s turnover more than double from £135m in 2003 to £278m in 2009. Tully also played a key role in the senior management team during Graphite Capital’s MBO in 2006. Prior to NES, he worked in engineering recruitment at Hitec Engineering.

Reverend Martin Grashoff has been appointed as chaplain to the UK offshore oil and gas industry. Replacing the late Rev. Andrew J Jolly MBE, who died in September, Grashoff is the UK oil and gas industry’s fourth chaplain since the role was officially established following the Piper Alpha offshore disaster in 1988. Brian Wilkie, chairman of the Aberdeen Oil Industry Chaplaincy Trust, said: “The chaplain’s role is to provide spiritual and pastoral care for all who work in this complex, geographically diverse and dynamic industry of ours.”

GAMBICA has appointed ex-MTL Instruments supremo Dr Graeme Philp as its new chief executive. Dr Philp takes over from Geoff Young, who led the organisation for 25 years and who is retiring.

Further to our recent comment piece on the subject on the Process Engineering website, the UK government has now confirmed that it will remove the Default Retirement Age, which is to be phased out by 1 Oct 2011. Read more

Prof. Mike Bradley from the Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology at the University of Greenwich is the new chairman of the Solids Handling & Processing Association’s technical committee. He succeeds Gus Bishop following his retirement from Dantherm Filtration, and a long spell in the SHAPA role. Bishop is to remain active in the Association’s PR activities.

The end is nigh for many permanent engineering jobs according to SJD Accountancy, which has reported a 70% rise in the number of contractors coming into the market and going limited. Read more

Arc Energy Resources MD Alan Robinson is to take on the role of company welding engineer following an expansion that has seen the company add a second welding engineer, a new sales team, and strengthen its production team – along with a £500k investment in two new rotating head welding machines and a patent application for a pipe manipulation system. The programme, said Robinson, has resulted in an improved management system, which has allowed him to take on the new role. “This is the most effective and productive contribution I can make,” said Robinson – one of very few UK-registered European Welding Engineers, who also has a Masters degree in welding, is a Chartered Engineer, a European Engineer and a senior member of the Welding Institute.

Andy Inglis has joined Petrofac as chief executive of its energy developments and production solutions businesses. He will join the board of Petrofac in March and will re-locate to London on a permanent basis in April. Inglis was previously chief executive of BP’s Exploration & Production business and served on the board of BP plc between 2007 and 2010 – departing in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. He was also a non-executive director of BAE Systems plc from 2007 to 2010 and a director of TNK-BP Ltd from 2008 to 2010.

Foster Wheeler AG has announced three executive promotions in its global engineering and construction group: Roberto Penno, previously MD, global sales and marketing, has been named CEO of FW’s Asia Pacific operating unit, based in Singapore; Chris Brown, previously senior VP of operations for Foster Wheeler USA, has been named MD, global sales and marketing, based in Reading, UK. Filippo Abba’, currently acting as project executive for an FW refinery and petchem project in Singapore, has been named MD of operations for Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd, based in Reading. Read more

Atkins’ chief executive Keith Clarke has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to engineering and to the construction industry, in the New Year Honours List. Clarke has over 30 years’ experience in urban regeneration, policy development and the implementation of large scale projects in construction and engineering as well as extensive international experience, having worked in the USA, Asia, India and Europe. He has led a move to encourage engineers to change the way they plan, design and build vital new infrastructure to address the challenge of climate change.

ECITB apprentice James Wild has won the Apprentice Technician of the Year award at engineering company Fabricom GDF Suez. Wild is an apprentice technician electrician based at Fabricom’s Immingham facility and currently working onsite on a project for Total UK at Lindsey oil refinery. Runner up, ECITB apprentice Tom Drant, is an apprentice technician pipefitter, and also based at Immingham working at Lindsey oil refinery.

Philip Asherman, president and CEO of CB&I, has been named to Arrow Electronics’ board of directors. With over 30 years of industry experience, Asherman has served as CEO of CB&I since 2006, previously holding a series of executive level positions at the company since 2001. He also serves on the supervisory board for CB&I, and is a member of the National Petroleum Council and the American Petroleum Institute.

Co-inventor of overspill technology Matthew Sayer has been appointed as technical director for Cinpres following a number of years in a consultancy role with the company.

Aspen Technology has appointed John Hague as senior vice president and managing director for the Middle East and North Africa. Hague has over 25 years of process industry experience in sales and business development. He joined AspenTech in 1995 and has served in several senior management roles, most recently as senior VP and head of global accounts.

Richard Sizer has recently joined Boge Compressors as area sales manager, responsible for developing direct sales in theregion of Humberside and south Yorkshire. He has spent over 20 years in the engineering industry and brings extensive experience and knowledge to his new role.

The International IECEx Certificate of Personnel Competence for people working in hazardous areas, has been awarded to Ian Harrison, who has become the world’s first to be recognised for area classification of gas vapours and combustible dusts atmospheres without limitation. Harrison of Ex-Solutions Consulting, part of Pyroban, has extensive experience in risk management of potentially explosive atmospheres and in helping companies meet DSEAR/ATEX requirements. He has an MSc in health and safety management, is a chartered electrical engineer and chartered health and safety practitioner.