Professor Joe McGeough appointed President of IMechE

Commenting on his appointment, Professor McGeough said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the 134th President of the Institution. During my year in office, I want to concentrate on developing professional engineers and ensuring that the broadest possible range of people have a chance to experience all the fantastic opportunities that my career in engineering has been able to offer me.

"There has never been a better time to be an engineer. I look forward to working to ensure that our Institution continues to deliver on our vision of ‘improving the world through engineering’”.

Professor McGeough, whose main area of research is manufacturing, began his career as an undergraduate engineering apprentice and worked in teaching positions at several universities before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 1983.

In his inaugural lecture, the new President highlighted the career of Edinburgh-born Theo Williamson, one of the most creative manufacturing engineers of the second part of the 20th century.

Williamson, he said, was an inspiration as he succeeded in having a highly influential career despite the earlier part of his life being marred by life-threatening illness, failure and rejection.

“Theo Williamson is an example of what can be achieved in engineering despite set-backs. He is a shining of those qualities which best capture the essence of what it is to be an engineer: creativity, problem-solving and the need for perseverance.”