The IMechE: Institution of Mechanical Engineers has announced that Matt Garside CEng FIMechE has been elected as 140th President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Matt became a member of IMechE in 1999 and has been an active volunteer since the start of his membership. He has been elected four times to the Institution’s Trustee Board and three times to Council, and most recently served as Deputy President.
Matt started his career at engineering company Alstec, based in Whetstone, Leicestershire – the site where Frank Whittle’s factory developed jet engines. Following a number of placements at Alstec, Matt chose to focus his career on the nuclear industry. Since 2014, he has been working as an independent contractor with clients including Wood Plc Nuvia (part of the Vinci Group), AWE and Costain.
The theme of Matt’s presidential year is trust, with surveys showing engineers are among the most trusted professionals in society. In his presidential address titled ‘Trust Me, I’m an Engineer’, Matt will explore why trust in engineers is essential in an era of rapid technological change which affects everyone’s lives. This trust, he argues, is key for public acceptance of new technologies.
Reflecting on this, Matt said: “Why are engineers trusted? In a word: impact. We live in a world where technology is continuously and rapidly advancing – this impacts people’s lives. When we look around us, virtually everything we touch, or use has been engineered. If we purchase a vehicle, there are a vast number of codes, standards and regulations that engineers have to meet or satisfy before the vehicle can be openly sold to the public. If the public don’t understand or trust the engineers who create or drive technology advancements, then the take-up or acceptance of the technology is likely to be low.”
Matt succeeds Clive Hickman OBE, the 139th President of the Institution.
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