Presidents

Nigel Hirst: 2023-2024

President

Nigel Hirst has been involved in process design and project management for many years, including responsibility for plant operations in the UK and Asia. His background in speciality chemicals, activated carbon and ion exchange resin manufacture equipped him well for his role in running a diverse group of companies.

David Bogle: 2022—2023

David Bogle is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Pro-Vice-Provost of the Doctoral School at University College London. He brings many years of experience in senior professional roles influencing policy and practice.

Jane Cutler: 2021—2022

Jane Cutler has over thirty years of board and senior executive experience across public, commercial and not-for-profit sectors with particular experience in resource, oil and gas, financial services, maritime, environment and technology industries. She has actively served as a member and Chair on a diverse range of board subcommittees.

Stephen Michael Richardson: 2019—2021

Stephen Richardson has spent most of his working life at Imperial College, London. He graduated there with a BSc(Eng) in chemical engineering in 1972 and a PhD in 1975, he became a Research Assistant at the Engineering Department of Cambridge University, working on computer simulation of transonic flow.

Kenneth John Rivers: 2018—2019

Ken Rivers has over 35 years experience of the international downstream oil industry with Shell. During this time, he became an expert on process safety, and Chair of the Buncefield Standards Task Group (an industry/regulatory body set up to improve safety following the Buncefield explosion in 2005).

John Martin McGagh: 2017—2018

John McGagh brings to IChemE significant experience working in and with Executive teams and Boards to deliver at scale business improvement.

Jonathan Peter Kyle Seville: 2016—2017

Jonathan Seville has degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Universities of Cambridge and Surrey and has held visiting appointments at the University of British Columbia and the Technical University of Denmark. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of both the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Andrew Jamieson OBE: 2015—2016

Andrew Jamieson completed his undergraduate and PhD studies at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He spent 35 years in the oil and gas industry with the Royal Dutch Shell Group holding managerial positions in the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia and Nigeria.

Geoffrey (Geoff) Colin Maitland: 2014—2015

Geoff Maitland, born on 25 February 1947, studied chemistry at St Catherine's College, Oxford obtaining an MA in 1969 and his doctorate in Physical Chemistry in 1972.

Judith Elizabeth Hackitt CBE: 2013—2014

Judith Hackitt was born on 1 December 1954 and studied at Imperial College London, graduating in 1975. On graduation she began her working career with Exxon Chemicals and spent 15 years at the company in various process management roles.

Russell Miles Scott: 2012—2013

Russell Scott was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1945 and obtained a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) degree from Monash University. His career in industry began as a process engineer in the Technical Department of Altona Petrochemical Co Ltd in February 1969.

Sir William Wakeham: 2011—2012

William Wakeham was born in Bristol in 1944 and studied physics at Exeter University at both undergraduate and doctoral level. He then spent a postdoctoral period at Brown University in Rhode Island, USA before returning to the UK and taking up a lectureship in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London.

Desmond Frank King: 2010—2011

Born in the UK in 1955, Desmond King obtained a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Imperial College, London in 1976 and a PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1979, after which he became a professor of chemical engineering at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia in the USA.

Ian Dermot Shott: 2009—2010

Ian Shott was born in February 1957 and after graduating in chemical engineering at Imperial College London, he began his professional career at ICI in 1978. He held various technical and production management posts in Scotland, England and France before moving into sales and marketing in 1986.

Richard Charles Darton: 2008—2009

Richard Darton was born in Port Talbot in July 1948, and after attending King's School Rochester, he graduated in chemical engineering from the University of Birmingham and then obtained a PhD from Cambridge in 1973.

Raghunath (Ramesh) Anant Mashelkar: 2007—2008

Ramesh Mashelkar was born on 1 January 1943 and graduated from the University of Bombay in 1966. On completion of his PhD studies at the same university he moved, in 1969, to the UK as Leverhume Research Fellow at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Salford.

Gregory Arthur Lewin: 2006—2007

Greg Lewin was born in Mildura, Australia in 1953. After graduating in chemical engineering from the University of Melbourne in 1975 he joined Shell and subsequently undertook an MBA at the University of Melbourne, graduating as the Clemenger Award winner in 1984.

John Stuart Archer: 2005—2006

John Archer was born in 1943 and was brought up in London, attending Chiswick Grammar School before gaining a BSc in Industrial Chemistry through a four year sandwich degree at City University London and ICI Mond Division. He continued his studies and gained his PhD and DIC in chemical engineering from Imperial College London in 1968.

Robin John Batterham: 2004—2005

Born in Brighton, Australia in April 1941, Robin Batterham was educated at Brighton Grammar School in Melbourne where he held various scholarships and was dux of the school. From there he moved to Melbourne University graduating with a degree in chemical engineering in 1965, and obtaining his PhD in 1969.

Stephen Paul Vranch: 2003—2004

Steve Vranch was born in May 1946 and gained a BSc in chemical engineering from the University of Birmingham in 1967. The following year he completed an MSc before embarking on a career working as a biochemical engineer in the pharmaceutical industry.

Julia Stretton Higgins DBE: 2002—2003

Julia Higgins was born on 1 July 1942 and having been awarded a state scholarship in physics went to Somerville College, Oxford where she graduated with a BA Honours in physics in 1964. She joined the Physical Chemistry Laboratory at the university on an SRC Research Studentship before joining Mexborough Grammar School and Sixth Form College as a physics teacher for two years in 1966.

Graham Bernard Lawson: 2001—2002

Graham Lawson was born in May 1942 and studied chemical engineering at the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology being awarded a BSc in 1963, MSc in 1969 and PhD in 1967.

John Douglas Perkins: 2000—2001

John Perkins was born on 18 March 1950 and graduated in chemical engineering from Imperial College in 1971. Through a studentship from the Salters' Institute of Industrial Chemistry he continued with his studies at Imperial College, and was awarded a PhD in February 1977.

John Harris Robinson: 1999—2000

John Robinson was born in December 1940, educated at Woodhouse Grove School and, after graduating in chemical engineering from the University of Birmingham, he began his career in industry as a Technical Officer with ICI in 1962 before moving to Fisons in 1965 where he was appointed Works Co-ordinator.

Gordon Arden Campbell: 1998—1999

Born on 16 October 1946, Gordon Campbell read chemical engineering at the University of Cambridge during the 1960s, being taught by IChemE's immediate Past President, John Bridgwater, and joined Courtauld's Research Department in 1968.

John Bridgwater: 1997—1998

John Bridgwater was born on 10 January 1938. Following an education at Solihull School, he obtained an MA in chemical engineering from St Catharine's College Cambridge in 1959, and an MSE in the same subject from Princeton University in 1961.

Keith Henry Taylor: 1995—1997

Keith Taylor was born in Brighton on 25 October 1938 and was educated at King Edward VI School in Stratford on Avon before moving to Birmingham University where he obtained a First Class Honours BSc degree followed by a PhD in chemical engineering.

John Gordon Collier: 1995

John Collier was born on 22 January 1935, was educated at St Paul's School and after completing his O Levels, joined the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell as a student apprentice in mechanical and chemical engineering.

John Garside: 1994—1995

John Garside was born in London in October 1941 and obtained a BSc in chemical engineering from University College London in 1963, and a PhD from the same university in 1966.

Anthony (Tony) Charles Barrell: 1993—1994

Tony Barrell was born on 4 June 1933 and educated at Kingston Grammar School before graduating in chemical engineering from the University of Birmingham in 1955. He spent his early years gaining design, commissioning and production experience in chemical processes with appointments in the Ministry of Defence and on secondment to Africa Explosives and Chemical Industries in South Africa.

Edward (Ted) John Bavister CBE: 1992—1993

Ted Bavister was born in April 1933 and, after graduating from Cambridge University in 1957, he joined ICI in the north-west and later moved on to the Cassell Works on Teesside.

David Harrison CBE: 1991—1992

David Harrison, born on 3 May 1930, was educated at Bede School, Sunderland and Clacton County High School before reading Natural Sciences (Chemistry) at Selwyn College Cambridge.

Robert (Robin) Cameron Paul: 1990—1991

Robin Paul was born in July 1935 and was educated at Rugby School. As the son of a doctor he was preparing to follow in his father's footsteps until he was influenced towards chemical engineering by a school master. Together they visited a production site at Oldbury owned by Albright & Wilson and that resulted in the change of career direction.

Geoffrey (Geoff) Frederick Hewitt : 1989—1990

Geoff Hewitt was born on 3 January 1934 and obtained both a BSc degree and PhD from the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (UMIST). After leaving university in 1957, he joined the UKAEA at its Harwell Laboratory as a scientist and was eventually appointed Division Head in 1976.

Edward John Cullen: 1988—1989

John Cullen was born in October 1926, and won a scholarship to Culford School in 1937. He applied for an RAF Short Course at Cambridge and spent six months at Emmanuel College before joining the RAF in 1945.

Keith Henry Walley: 1987—1988

Born in June 1923, Keith Walley, the son of a policeman and the first of his family to reach university, gained scholarships first to Hinckley Grammar School and then Loughborough College in 1946. At Loughborough he studied chemistry and then went on to complete two years' national service in the Ordnance Corps.

Rudolf (Rolf) George Herman Prince: 1986—1987

Rolf Prince was born in Chemnitz in Germany in 1928 and was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School in Christchurch, New Zealand before going on to study chemical engineering and chemistry at Canterbury University College of the University of New Zealand, from where he graduated in 1949.

Archibald (Archie) William Forster: 1985—1986

Archie Forster was born in London in 1928 and educated at Tottenham Grammar School. He then moved on to the University of Birmingham to study chemical engineering under Professor Frederic Garner, winning the Cadman Medal and graduating in 1949.

Gordon Smith Grieve Beveridge: 1984—1985

Gordon Beveridge was born in St Andrews, Fife in 1933 and was educated at Inverness Royal Academy. He graduated in 1956 with a first class honours degree in chemical engineering from the University of Glasgow and by this time was already a member of staff at Edinburgh University.

Brian Frederick Street: 1983—1984

Brian Street was born in 1927 and graduated with honours in chemical engineering from the University of Birmingham in 1948.

George Anthony (Tony) Lee: 1982—1983

Tony Lee was born in January 1923 and was educated at Stenying Grammar School where, at the age of 14, he took his School Certificate.

Peter Noel Rowe: 1981—1982

Peter Rowe was born on Christmas Day 1919 in Preston, Lancashire and was educated at Preston Grammar School. On leaving school he was first employed as a technician and then served in the RAF from 1940 to 1946.

William (Bill) Lionel Wilkinson: 1980—1981

Bill Wilkinson was born in Yorkshire on 16 February 1931, and was educated at Holgate Grammar School, Barnsley, before taking the Mechanical Engineering Sciences route to his MA in chemical engineering at the University of Cambridge.

Norman Laurence Franklin CBE: 1979—1980

"Ned" Franklin was born in Leeds in September 1924 and educated at Batley Grammar School before graduating from the University of Leeds with 1st class honours in chemical engineering in 1945.

John Morelly Solbett: 1978—1979

Born in Bucharest in 1919, John Solbett spent his school days in Romania before coming to England in 1931 to read chemical engineering at the City & Guilds College of Imperial College London, graduating in 1941.

James Richard Samuel (Dick) Morris: 1977—1978

Born in London in 1925, Dick Morris was educated at Ardingly College, Sussex and then joined the army, as was expected at the time of war, being commissioned into the Welsh Guards and serving in Palestine.

Hugh David Anderson: 1976—1977

Hugh Anderson was born in April 1915 and educated at St Paul's School, London where he held a Senior Foundation Scholarship and won a leaving exhibition to Oriel College, Oxford where he read chemistry in the School of Natural Sciences.

John (Jack) Francis Richardson: 1975—1976

Jack (as he was known to all and sundry) Richardson was born in 1920 and was educated at Franklin House Primary School and Owen's School in North London, before moving to Imperial College and then the University of Swansea.

Roger James Kingsley: 1974—1975

Roger Kingsley was born in 1922 and went to Manchester Grammar School where he obtained his school certificate as well as a number of school prizes.

Roger William Herbert Sargent: 1973—1974

Roger Sargent was born in 1926 and having gained a number of scholarships from Bedford School, joined the Chemical Technology Department at Imperial College as a student in 1944.

Herbert Ashton: 1972—1973

Herbert Ashton was born on 3 May 1911 and studied chemistry at London, where he also undertook research for his PhD in physical chemistry.

Jack Wheeler Barrett: 1971—1972

Jack Barrett was born in Cheltenham in June 1912 and was educated at Cheltenham Grammar School before entering the Royal College of Science to study chemistry, with subsidiary physics and applied mathematics.

John Frank Davidson: 1970—1971

John Davidson was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 7 February 1926. Educated during the years of World War II, he entered the University of Cambridge in 1944 and in 1947, upon gaining a BA degree.

Han Hoog: 1969—1970

Han Hoog was born in 1911 and took a degree in chemical engineering at Delft University in 1934. After working for six months at Delft on behalf of N V De Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij he entered the company's service.

George Anthony Dummett: 1968—1969

George Anthony ('Tony') Dummett, the son of a silk merchant, was born in London in October 1907. His boyhood ambition was to become a scientist and after four years at Rugby he obtained a National Coal Owners' Scholarship tenable at Birmingham University.

Charles Stanley Windebank: 1967—1968

Charles Stanley Windebank was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire in November 1912. His initial academic honours were First Class degrees in Science and Chemistry at London University.

Frederick Edward (Ned) Warner: 1966—1967

Frederick Edward ("Ned") Warner was born in 1910, the son of a detective inspector, and gained a scholarship to Bancroft's School and his boyhood ambition was to become a lawyer.

Peter Victor Danckwerts: 1965—1966

Peter Danckwerts was born in 1916, the son of Vice-Admiral Danckwerts. He was educated at Winchester College and from there went to Balliol College, Oxford in 1935.

Ernest Stanley Sellers: 1964—1965

Ernest Sellers was born in 1912 and educated in Manchester at Stand Grammar School and the College of Technology, where he took a General BSc in Science and an MSc in Applied Chemistry.

Frank Morton: 1963—1964

Frank Morton received his early education in Manchester, and entered the laboratories of the city analyst at the age of fifteen.

Colin Everett Spearing: 1961—1962

Colin Spearing's academic training was interrupted by the First World War in which he held a commission in the Royal Engineers and saw active service in France.

William Kenneth Hutchison CBE: 1959—1961

William Kenneth Hutchison was educated at Edinburgh Academy and obtained a scholarship at Corpus Christi College, Oxford where he read chemistry.

Sir Hugh Beaver KBE: 1957—1959

Hugh Beaver was educated at Wellington College on a Mathematical Scholarship and it was there that he developed an interest in the classics.

John Augustus Oriel CBE MC: 1955—1957

Born at Dowlais, South Wales in 1896, John Oriel obtained his BSc in chemistry and was still studying at Cardiff University at the outbreak of the First World War.

Stanley Robson: 1952—1954

Stanley Robson was born in Sunderland and took his degree in science at the Armstrong College (later King's College), Newcastle-on-Tyne, where he was awarded a post graduate research scholarship in chemistry and worked under Professor P P Bedson.

Sir Harold Hartley KCVO CBE MC DCL FRS: 1951—1953 and 1954—1955

Sir Harold Hartley is an academician, who began his career in chemical engineering before the profession was constituted as such, who has applied himself with distinction to the betterment of industry.

Dudley Maurice Newitt MC FRS: 1949—1951

Born in 1894, Dudley Newitt's early career was spent at Ardeer with Nobels. On the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, being a keen Territorial, he was called to the Forces and served throughout the war with the Indian Army, both in the East and in France.

Herbert William Cremer CBE: 1947—1949

Herbert William Cremer was born in 1893 at Faversham in Kent and was educated at King's School, Canterbury before entering King's College, London.

Hugh Griffiths: 1945—1947

Hugh Griffiths was born on 28 July 1891 and, at the age of fifteen, he scored a success which still remained a record at the time of his Presidency, by winning in free competition, with no age limit set, a National Scholarship in Chemistry.

Frank Arnold Greene: 1943—1945

Frank Arnold Greene was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, and was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School before studying engineering in the University of London at King's College.

Charles Samuel Garland: 1941—1943

Charles Samuel Garland was born in London on 23 June 1887. He attended Camberwell Grammar School and later went to the Royal College of Science, South Kensington, where he graduated with honours in chemistry.

Francis Heron Rogers: 1939—1941

Francis Heron Rogers was born in Birmingham on 11 November 1877, and entered the Grocers' Company's School in London at the age of 12.

William Cullen: 1937—1939

Dr William Cullen was born on 18 May 1867 at Shettleston in Scotland. He was educated locally and at Hutchinson's Grammar School and then at the Andersonian College, Glasgow, where he studied chemistry under Professor Ditmar and remained as his assistant for five years.

Herbert Levinstein: 1935—1937

Dr Herbert Levinstein was born in 1878 and was educated at Rugby School before progressing to Owens College of the Victoria University, Manchester.

William Macnab CBE: 1934—1935

William Macnab was one of the founders of the Institution and was closely associated with the formation of the Chemical Engineering Group, being regarded as a pioneer in the movement leading to the recognition of the profession of chemical engineering in the UK.

The Viscount Leverhulme: 1932—1934

William Hulme, Second Viscount Leverhulme, was born in Bolton, Lancashire on 25 March 1888, a son of William Hesketh Lever, the founder of the soap making business of Lever Brothers Ltd.

William Alexander Skeen Calder: 1931—1932

William Calder was born in London in 1874 and although he showed an early interest in science and a preference for chemistry, he first obtained commercial experience with an East India merchant, Mr H Vavasseur, in London.

James Arthur Reavell: 1929—1931

James Reavell was born at Alnwick, Northumberland in June 1872. On completing his public school education, he immediately adopted engineering as his profession, training in the true English style by apprenticeship and by academic tuition.

Sir Alexander Gibb GBE CB: 1927—1929

Sir Alexander Gibb was one of the original members of the Institution and was elected Vice President in 1925, and became President in 1927.

Sir Frederic Lewis Nathan KBE: 1925—1927

Sir Frederic Nathan was born on 10 February 1861, and was educated privately before proceeding to Woolwich and passing into the Royal Artillery in 1879.

Sir Arthur McDougall Duckham KCB: 1923—1925

Sir Arthur McDougall Duckham, first President of the Institution, was born in 1879 at Blackheath, and educated at Blackheath School and King's College London.