A BUSINESS owner has been appointed as chairman of a leading engineering group.
David Hodgson, managing director of Darlington-based AMP Consultants, has been named chairman of the regional committee for the Association for Consultancy and Engineering after serving on the board for three years. He replaces Raymond Davies who has been secretary and chairman since 1997.
Nelson Ogunshakin OBE, ACE chief executive, said: “I am delighted that David has stepped up to chair ACE’s regional group in the North-east. David’s experience and passion for our vital industry makes him an ideal advocate. This will benefit ACE in the North-east as our industry continues to address the challenges of 2012 and beyond.”
ACE represents the business interests of its members and the overall engineering and consultancy industry in the UK. It promotes the critical contribution that consultants and engineers, working in the built and natural environment, make to the nation’s developing infrastructure.
The organisation was launched in 1913 and now counts around 40 North-east based consultancy and engineering firms as its members. These include AECOM, Halcrow, URS and Mott MacDonald. Nationally, ACE members account for approximately 90,000 employees across 600-plus companies and contribute as much as £8bn to the UK economy.
David will be chairman for two years, meaning that he will be in office to celebrate ACE’s centenary year in 2013. David, who has been involved with the design of such iconic buildings as the MetroCentre, Teesside Retail Park and McArthur Glen in York, was proposed as chairman due to his commitment to the North-east and ACE, as well as his 31 years of experience within the built environment. He said: “I wouldn’t want to work anywhere other than the North-east as I have a passion for the region, its people and its businesses. I have had a long working career in the engineering industry and enjoy the experiences that my work entails.”