The UK’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers has appointed a new president in the form of Geoff Baker. Baker (MSc CEng FIMechE) is the 133rd president of the institution, and he intends to ensure that the body is relevant and fit for purpose in the 21st century.
“Our engineering profession is in the process of radical change. Change that is challenging not just people’s perspective on our profession, but also the way it has operated for the past 170 years. Society will call upon engineers to solve the challenges the world is now facing: how we will live with an exponentially increasing population, how we will feed ourselves, and how we will deal with the challenges of climate change. As president, I hope to create an environment where talent can come together to address the multi-dimensional issues which society faces.”
Baker is an entrepreneur and engineer who co-founded two successful engineering companies – the ATL Group, a technical services company in the industrial, defense, oil and gas markets which was sold to Bureau Veritas, and Plant Asset Management, which was subsequently acquired by FTSE oil services company, Petrofac. Following both acquisitions, Baker held senior executive positions within these organizations.
He started his career serving a five-year mechanical engineering apprenticeship with the British Aircraft Corporation and graduated with a Master’s Degree in mechanical engineering. Baker has been an active member of the Institution since early in his career.
In addition to his personal business interests, Baker is keen to advance and promote the engineering profession through his three major passions: the encouragement of innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering, inspiring young people into engineering, and pioneering change in the engineering profession, which he believes is required to make it more relevant and responsive to needs of society.
