HR Wallingford announce the appointment of two Non-Executive Directors

David Rooke joins HR Wallingford this month, having recently retired from the post of Deputy Chief Executive at the Environment Agency where he has held a number of high profile roles, including Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM). His professional memberships are Fellows of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM). In 2002, David was awarded the MBE for services to Flood Defence and the Environment, and he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2013.

David has held a number of advisory roles including President of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and has been a Non-Executive Board Member of the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), since 2013.

Geoffrey French has been the Chairman of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE), the President of FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, and he was the 149th President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) from 2013-2014. In 2015, he received a CBE for services to Civil Engineering.

Geoff spent much of his career with Scott Wilson, the global design and engineering consultancy. He joined the company as a civil engineering graduate from Southampton University, and was its Chairman from 2002 until 2010, which included the company’s successful flotation in 2006. During Geoff’s 42 years, the company grew from around 600 to 6000 staff, and was consistently in the top ten UK-based consultancies. Since 2010, Geoff has taken on a number of non-executive trustee and advisory roles, among which is that of Chair of the Independent River Transport Panel for the Thames Tideway Project. He has been Chair of the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership since it was established in 2011. Geoff will join HR Wallingford in January 2017.

Commenting on the changes, Dr Sue Sharland, Chairman of the HR Wallingford Group Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome David and Geoff as members of our Board. They bring a breadth and depth of industry knowledge from their long careers in water management and civil engineering. Their skills and expertise complement the already strong Board, and we look forward to their contribution in ensuring that HR Wallingford continues to deliver our strategic plan.”

HR Wallingford is an independent civil engineering and environmental hydraulics organisation with Scientific Research Association status. The company is limited by guarantee, and instead of shareholders, has a panel of Company Members who support and guide its activities. Members come from UK-based organisations, government departments and agencies related to the water industry.

HR Wallingford has a reputation for excellence and innovation, which it sustains by re-investing profits from its operations into programmes of strategic research and development. The company reaches clients and partners globally through a network of offices, agents and alliances around the world.