Elections 2021

Elections will take place in October. Voting members (Fellow, Member, Associate and Technician) will be sent their unique code to vote online and a link to the voting site from mi-voice. The results will be announced at the AGM in November.  

For more information about how the elections and nominations process works see https://ior.org.uk/about/BecomeaTrustee 

 

President-Elect Candidates  (two candidates for one vacancy)

 

  • Graeme Fox FInstR  - elected

updated Graeme Fox headshot 2019

Before taking up my present role at the BESA and REFCOM in November 2016, I ran my own contracting business for more than 25 years, mainly in building services air conditioning heat pump systems design and build, but also smaller refrigeration installations and maintenance. I was originally trained as a refrigeration engineer by my father starting out on small walk‐in cold rooms and freezers, maintenance and then installation of evaporative condensers before moving on to air conditioning installations from single split AC, through VRF/VRV and small commercial refrigeration systems.

I am a Chartered Engineer, an active member of CIBSE sitting on committees, an active member as a  Fellow of the IOR, and am honoured to have been given two awards for outstanding achievement in service to our industry – in 2014 and 2020.

I have spent 20 years representing the BESA at AREA – the European RAC contractors’ association ‐ including 4 years  as President from 2010 to 2014, developing a network of contacts across the UK, Europe and beyond which comprises contractors, manufacturers, civil servants and politicians.

I have developed a good understanding of the working and governance of trade/industry associations that will help with the role at the IOR. I have been a Trustee of the IOR for 3 years now and a member of the Service Engineers' section and the ACHP Group as well as supporting the work of the Institute over many years through seminars, Cool Talks, and events engagement.

My current work role as Technical Director at the BESA involves a considerable amount of interaction with people from all levels of the sector and has given me a unique insight to the wider industry’s requirements longer term which  I believe I can bring to the IOR to help the Institute interact on a wider scale as we look to raise awareness of our sector to the wider world and attract more engineers to our sector. For many years we have talked about how so few outside of our sector know about us or what we do. My cross-sector work and engagement with Government bodies at many levels and in many countries will help raise awareness of our role in the modern world.

As we move towards Net Zero, the impact of our sector on the wider built environment will become ever more critical, and it is important for our expertise to be heard and recognised at the highest levels of Government and NGOs. Heat Pumps in particular have an enormous role to play in our Net Zero goals and it is crucial that the legislative requirements do not create situations which exclude the most energy efficient solutions available to us.

The pandemic of 2020 proved to be a difficult time for many of us, professionally and personally, but my work at the  BESA involved a great deal of research to be able to advise and guide our members at the BESA and REFCOM - and I ensured that this guidance went out to the wider sector as well and was not only made available to our membership. That guidance has helped the sector deal with difficult questions and situations with the use of AC, heat pumps and even the ability to attend sites at the height of the pandemic.

I am currently acting as the EU partner developing global minimum competency criteria for RACHP technicians in Article 5 countries on a UNEP project titled the Refrigerant Drivers’ Licence and have been deeply involved in developing training materials for delivery across Article 5 nations. I kick-started this project in January 2014 when discussing concerns about flammable refrigerant being widely rolled out across the developing world before they have had the opportunity to develop and implement safe standards of work. This project is now at a pilot stage where we have started training the trainers in six UN Article 5 nations who signed up to the pilot programme. The programme was held up during the pandemic due to the inability of our experts to travel to the pilot countries for assessments but recent fatal incidents in Nigeria have highlighted how important and urgent this work is and I aim to drive this programme forward over the coming year.

 

  • John Skelton FInstR

JSkelton photoI am passionate about our Institute and our industry and would welcome the opportunity to help our amazing membership fulfil its potential.  I am approachable and keen to understand what is important to the membership, how we can continue to be relevant and how best we can support our industry going forward.  I believe that our Institute can evolve and improve by listening to our membership, so I will be keen to get feedback, good or bad. 

I have been a member of the Institute since I joined the industry as a refrigeration apprentice at 16, and I have been actively involved, over the last 15 years, across various Committees and Council. 

I have also held the posts of Vice President of the British Refrigeration Association, Chair of their End User Group and on the Board of ACRIB. 

I have experience working in our industry as a contractor, consultant, for an OEM and as a customer and I have established a robust network of contacts across the industry. 

I am keen to help ensure that we capitalise on the opportunities that continue to present themselves and that we play our part in the environmental and legislative challenges that the UK face.  I believe that this can only be achieved through strong leadership and guidance from our Institute. 

The Institute will need to play a key role, working closely with other bodies, to help ensure that the UK achieves its Carbon NET Zero commitments.  To do this we will need to ensure that our voice is heard, and that we have the influence we require to take a lead. The Institute will need to continue to provide its peerless RACHP technical support whilst embracing new technologies and practices at the same time.

We must not lose sight of the objectives that were set by the membership and to develop them further to guarantee we are fit for the future. Maximising our membership is a key objective and I will ensure that our Inclusion and Diversity strategy continues to encourage the right individuals to develop a career in our industry and that all our processes are transparent.  We need to provide everyone in, or new to our industry with a clear roadmap for progression and an understanding of the skills and training required at each stage of their career. I aim keen to develop the relationship we have with STEM, and capitalise on what we have learnt so far, so that we can increase awareness across Schools, Colleges, Universities, and our communities about the amazing careers that are available in our industry. 

I was lucky enough to be able to support the Employers Group that delivered the RACHP Trailblazer Apprenticeship scheme which I am confident will provide our future engineers with the appropriate skills necessary to have a rewarding career. 

As the current Chair of the Education and Training Committee I would like to ensure the team continue their amazing work and embrace any challenges the membership present. 

Finally, I am passionate about getting Chartered status for our Institute and the recognition that it and our membership deserves.

 

Trustee Candidates (three candidates for two vacancies)

 

Detailed candidate statements will be added to the online voting platform when this opens in October.

  • Ian Fisher FInstR - elected

    Supporters: G Adams FInstR, D FInstR

    Ian FisherI left school in 1988 straight and went into air conditioning and refrigeration, and to this day have enjoyed constant employment within our industry. Like most people of my era college training was a luxury that didn’t happen, instead being taught by engineers, learning on the fly, or reading any information you could get your hands on. I believe that in this day, my story is still the same story for many other people starting out, or existing in our industry.

    Which brings me onto the IOR, the information it has provided to me over the years has played a pivotal role in my development, from first joining the service engineers’ section in March 2000 right up to now, I have found it to be constant source of reliable and current information for people at all academic levels in our industry.

    Over the last few years I have become passionate about promoting our trade, and also helping technically in any way I can, which is why I have given back to the IOR, mainly joining the RACHP EngTech Section, writing the odd guide and joining in with STEM activities.  I enjoy getting involved and feel motivated by being around like-minded people, I share the same values as the IOR and its members, and wish to support it for continued success by applying to become a Trustee.

  • Ana Catarina Marques FInstR - elected

    Supporters:  J-L Cook MInstR, I Colombo FInstR

    Catarina MarquesI have been an active member of the Institute of Refrigeration for nearly 12 years and joined the Membership Papers and Publications committees, the Women in RACHP and the SIRACH working groups. 

    My career in refrigeration has been incredibly rewarding; I worked in the industry for 12 years and managed Adande Refrigeration Engineering department, leading the development of novel award-winning energy efficient products and certification to international markets (UL, NSF, CB, CCC). I was an expert in the EN and ISO technical committees for professional refrigerated storage and blast cabinets. I am now a Senior Research Fellow at London South Bank University and manage GreenSCIES, a large consortium project involving 15 partners. GreenSCIES integrates a district heating and cooling network, renewable power (PV) and transport (electric vehicles). The project is developing a blueprint for net zero carbon cities.

    The most rewarding work I do is to promote refrigeration to young people. I chaired the IOR Young Engineers network for 2 years and currently chair the Careers in Refrigeration (CaRe) working group from the International Institute of Refrigeration. CaRe provides networking opportunities to students with events held at the Chillventa exhibition and at international conferences in Europe, Asia and North America. Over the years, I presented at several IOR events, wrote 20 papers and won the 2012/13 Ted Perry award for my PhD research and the 2020 Kenneth Lightfoot medal.

    I fully recognize the importance and timing of the IOR current priorities and feel that my experience can add a valuable contribution.
  • Clive Thornley MInstR 

    Supporters:  P Cable FInstR,  P White MInstR

    clive thornleyI have been an active member of the industry for the past 25 years, starting as a mobile service engineer to my current position as MD of a firm of industrial refrigeration engineers based in East Anglia, who are active Cold Chain Federation members. In recent years we have formed a strategic partnership with an Italian company that specialise in the provision of low power consumption industrial refrigeration equipment using only natural refrigerants. My entire career in the industry has specialised in the use of natural refrigerants, and in particular ammonia.

    My passion is the part that natural refrigerants must play in the journey to Net Zero and the work that we as industry leaders need to undertake to make Net Zero a reality rather than a distant goal. I am committed to guiding my peers and tomorrow’s generation of refrigeration engineers towards the use of natural refrigerants and the Net Zero target.

    I would like to have the opportunity to help guide the industry using input from the sector that I have the most experience in, and to use that experience to help others to drive the industry in a practical compliant way. My position within the industry directly supports the IOR’s main objectives, and to that end I would like to play a bigger role within the IOR to assist with and develop the education and mentoring that our industry needs.