Top transport solicitor joins SOE!

Ian Jones, Director of transport solicitors Backhouse Jones has been co-opted to the governing body of the (British) Society of Operations Engineers (SOE).

Ian Jones

Ian specialised in representing PCV and HGV operators early on in his legal career, an interest which eventually led him to co-found Backhouse Jones in 2000. The firm has since taken the lead in dealing with road transport regulatory work, boasting the biggest market share of any firm in this field.

Ian was co-opted onto SOE’s Trustee Board in March, bringing his expert knowledge of transport legislation to the Society, which focuses on promoting safety and compliance in road transport through its Professional Sector the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE).

On accepting the position, Ian says: “Coming from a different background to the other members of the Trustee Board I feel I’ll be able to bring a fresh perspective and add a legalistic viewpoint to the Society’s activities. The bar of legal compliance within the transport industry is being increasingly raised by the Traffic Commissioners, and IRTE plays a critical role in educating and training industry professionals on their increasing responsibilities and requirements. At Backhouse Jones we see clients after problems have already occurred and they are called to public inquiry; I firmly believe that prevention is better than cure and want to assist IRTE and SOE in educating the industry on safe and compliant operations.”

SOE President Gerry Fleming says: “As a founding partner of Backhouse Jones, Ian shares a common goal with IRTE in promoting compliance and improving safety across the road transport industry. Ian has used his wealth of legal knowledge to support many of IRTE’s activities in the past; his appointment to SOE’s Trustee Board will strengthen the Professional Sector’s position as one of the leading bodies working to professionalise road transport today.”

SOE works to advance Operations Engineering for the benefit of everyone through education, training, study and research. Incorporating IRTE as well as the Institution of Plant Engineers (IPlantE) and Bureau of Engineer Surveyors (BES), SOE also represents more than 13,000 individuals and companies in the road transport, plant, and engineering surveying sectors

Father of Tribology recognised by Britain's Royal Academy of Engineering

The Academy’s Sustained Achievement Award, one of its highest honours, is to go to Dr Peter Jost for his ground-breaking work in tribology, the science and engineering of interacting moving surfaces.

Tribology includes the study of the principles of friction, lubrication and wear, and its application has huge implications on efficiency and cost in the manufacturing industry and far beyond.

Dr Peter Jost.

Dr Jost, a member of IPlantE (Institution of Plant Engineers) and its umbrella organisation SOE (Society of Operations Engineers), brought tribology into the public sphere when his 1966 study, the Jost Report, demonstrated that substantial financial losses were incurred as a result of friction, wear and corrosion.

The early focus of tribological principles and practices was on improving operation and extending the lifecycle of machinery; today, however, tribology has huge implications in a variety of modern applications such as biomedicine, nanotechnology, alternative energies, and green methodologies.

Dr Jost was elected an Honorary Member of IPlantE in 1969, and was awarded Companionship of SOE after IPlantE merged with IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) to form the Society in 2000.  Dr Jost says: “The Honorary Membership of IPlantE was the very first of many, but I valued it highly and still do. The SOE is performing an important function for industry and I am proud to have been associated with it for all these years.”

Dr Jost will receive the award on 29 October at the Academy's annual Hinton Lecture. SOE Chief Executive, Peter Walsh, says: “In founding the discipline of tribology Dr Jost quite simply revolutionised the scientific basis of maintenance. His sustained efforts over the years have professionalised plant engineering, and we are delighted he has been formally honoured in this manner.”

Operations engineers have new Patron!

The Society of Operations Engineers (SOE) has announced that former FirstGroup chief executive Sir Moir Lockhead OBE has been named the organisation’s next patron.

Sir Lockhead will take on the role when current SOE patron and co-founder of the Ratcliff Group, John Ratcliff CBE, retires from his duties later this summer.

Sir Moir Lockhead

He was previously awarded an Honorary Fellowship of SOE for services to transport, and will be responsible for representing the membership organisation in promoting the advancement of engineering and supporting engineering professionals. Sir Lockhead will join incoming SOE chief executive Peter Walsh, who joins the Society at the beginning of July.

Commenting on the appointment, current SOE chief executive Nick Jones says: “We are honoured Sir Moir has agreed to take on the patronage of SOE. With an illustrious career in transport to his name, I have no doubt that he will help to shape the future of the Society and further our pursuit of excellence in engineering.”

Sir Lockhead left school at 15 to become an apprentice mechanic, joining Grampian Regional Transport in 1985 as general manager and going on to lead the successful employee buy-out of the company. Since then, as founding director and CEO of FirstGroup, he saw the company grow to be the largest provider of rail and bus services in the UK, USA and Canada.

On accepting the position, Sir Lockhead says: “It is an honour and a privilege to become patron of the SOE, especially having spent all of my working life in transport starting as an apprentice more than 50 years ago.

“It is hard to believe how much things have changed for our new engineers as technology continues to progress with more and more stringent safety requirements; the SOE have a crucial role to play.”

New head appointed for Society of Operations Engineers

The Society of Operations Engineers (SOE) has announced that Peter Walsh has been named as the organisation’s next Chief Executive.

Walsh is to be responsible for leading the membership organisation in promoting the advancement of engineering and supporting engineering professionals. He brings to the role experience that spans a broad spectrum of engineering and a keen interest in professional development.

A Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist, Walsh is presently employed as a Senior Project Manager for GBM Minerals Engineering Consultants Ltd. He will join SOE at the beginning of July before taking on his new role in August.

Current SOE Chief Executive Nick Jones, who retires this summer, says: “SOE is pleased to welcome Peter as a valuable addition to the organisation. I am confident that he will use his wealth of experience and passion for professional development to the great benefit of the Society and its members.”

Walsh is a fellow of SOE and its Professional Sector IPlantE, and has extensive experience in facilities management, power generation and mineral processing industries. He also holds qualifications in business administration and law, being admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2008. No stranger to membership organisations, Walsh has served as Honorary Secretary and Honorary Chair on the management committee of the UK Chapter of Engineers Australia.

On accepting the position, Walsh says: “I am very proud to call myself an engineer, and am passionate about the recognition of engineering as a profession. I look forward to engaging with SOE members to increase their participation in the Society’s activities, and make membership of the institution as relevant for engineers as possible. I want to see the Society of Operations Engineers thrive and grow as a professional engineering institution as we enter this next phase of our life, and I am very pleased to be able to help drive this growth.”