French, who delivered his Presidential Address this week at ICE’s HQ in Westminster, said the perception of what it means to be a civil engineer needed to be “updated and expanded” and the idea that engineers aren’t creative “overturned”. He called on the industry to unite in better communicating the role and importance of engineers to those outside of the profession – from school children right through to communities and policy makers.
French’s call falls in the middle of Tomorrow’s Engineers week – a special week (from 4-8 November) backed by Government, ICE and other professional engineering institutions and employers, aimed to change perceptions of engineering among youngsters, parents and teachers.
Speaking to an audience of industry leaders, politicians and media, French said: “Engineers often get credit for demonstrating our technical skills – skills which allow us to improve technology and contribute to economic growth. But we’re not always good at communicating how civil engineering is relevant – and critical - to people’s lives. It’s down to us to change that.
“Civil engineers design, build and maintain the infrastructure needed for society to function effectively. Around the world and across the centuries, bridges, railways, highways, ports and airports have been built to facilitate the pace of human progress. Virtually every piece of infrastructure shapes how we live our lives day-to-day.
“Over the past few years, infrastructure has rightly gone from being one of the most important things people never thought much about – to an issue at the heart of political and public debate. Engagement with policy makers has played a key role in this, but this exposure isn’t something we can take for granted. ” he added.
“We civil engineers have a responsibility to use our integrity to communicate the reality of civil engineering - so our profession gets the recognition it deserves, we inspire the engineers of the future and also prove that we are not only shaping society today, but are prepared to tackle the challenges facing the world tomorrow.”
French was Chairman of Engineering Consultants Scott Wilson for eight years until its acquisition by URS in September 2010.
He has over 40 years’ experience providing transportation and development advice to central government, banks, major developers, local government and international funding agencies.
Projects for which he has been responsible for include the presentation of evidence at the Heathrow Terminal 5 inquiry, the Greater Nottingham Strategic Study, the Warminster Bypass, the Johannesburg LRT Study, the Baghdad Comprehensive Transportation Study and numerous studies of major retail and office developments.
Biography
Geoff is a civil engineering graduate who joined Scott Wilson in 1968. Following the transition from partnership to limited company in 1995 he was appointed to Managing Director, initially of the business in the UK. He oversaw the growth of the Scott Wilson business both in the UK and the major international business centres around the world, ensuring the Group’s continuing position in the top ten UK engineering consultancies. He was appointed Chairman in 2002 and he oversaw the tripling of the Group revenue and the highly successful flotation in March 2006. In 2008 he became Non-Executive Chairman of the Group.
In 2005 he was elected to the Executive Committee of FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers and was its President from 2011 to 2013, he is also a Past Chairman of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering in the UK.
He became a Vice President of the Institution of Civil Engineers in November 2008. Geoff has been Chair of the Enterprise M3 LEP in the UK since it was created in early 2011. The LEPs remit is to increase economic growth across its area which encompasses almost all of Hampshire and most of Surrey, a total population of 1.6 million people.
He has over 40 years’ experience providing transportation and development advice to central government, banks, major developers, local government and international funding agencies. Projects for which he has been responsible for include the presentation of evidence at the Heathrow Terminal 5 inquiry, the Lesotho National Transport Study, Greater Nottingham Strategic Study, Warminster Bypass, the Johannesburg LRT Study, the Mauritius Public Transport Study, the Baghdad Comprehensive Transportation Study, the Saudi Arabia Public Transport Study and numerous studies of major retail and office developments.
Apart from working throughout the UK, Geoff has spent time abroad on behalf of Scott Wilson working in Botswana, China, Czech Republish, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE and Vietnam.
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