An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

110A CHRONICLE OF THE ENGINEERING COUNCILThe Directorship of the Board for the Engineering Profession passed on 24 January from BobEade to Robert (Rob) Jones, formerly Chief Executive of the Defence Helicopter SupportAuthority in the rank of Brigadier.Ron Kirby, the last of the original team of Directors retired in May 1996. For thirteen yearshe had initiated and fostered a comprehensive public relations programme putting the EngCfirmly on the map whatever its detractors might have said. An experienced journalist, he hadused his Fleet Street contacts to good advantage and had gained the respect and co-operationof his fellow Directors and Council members alike. His OBE for that work was more thanwell deserved. Ron Kirby was replaced by Brian O’Neill who joined the EngC from theAnglo-French industrial giant, GEC ALSTHOM where he was Head of Communications.Prior to that Brian O’Neill was a Public Relations practitioner with a number of public andprivate sector organisations including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, theUnited Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and Tilbury Douglas.It is apparent that a major problem for the EngC was the huge loss of corporate memory thatit suffered as a result of the above key staff members leaving at about the same time. Thiswas in contrast to the Institutions where staff members tended to maintain continuity evenwhen Institution Officers, such as Presidents, changed more frequently.Fig. 9 The Engineering Council Logo from 1996This logo, designed by corporate identity consultants, Newell and Sorrell, highlights theimportance of the individual engineer in the discipline of engineering by throwing a spotlighton engineer in engineering council.© Engineering Council UK 2004