Meet our new IET President

We are thrilled to introduce our new President, whose passion for engineering and nature, combined with a vision for a sustainable future, promises an exciting year ahead.

We caught up with Warren to find out more about him and what he has planned for his presidential year.

Despite initially wanting to become a barrister, Warren’s path to becoming an engineer started at 14. His father, a lab technician, and his mother, a chemistry teacher, fostered a love for science and nature so, by 18, his curiosity shifted from science to understanding how the world works and how business generates the funds required to support society. This led him to study engineering at Oxford, where he then became a member of the IET.

It was only when his role as the CEO of ARM got him involved in promoting STEM in schools that he returned to the IET as a trustee, allowing him to continue advocating for engineering careers.

Passion for both nature and engineering

His passion for both nature and engineering is what drives him to discover how we can use engineering inspired by nature to make the world better for humanity now and for generations to come. For Warren, “engineering is about taming science for the benefit of humanity”, and the way energy is produced and transferred will be key in combating climate change.

“There cannot be one single approach to solving climate change – nature doesn’t work like that, and we, as engineers, have to respect the laws of nature. We must also address mitigation of the impacts and causes of climate change because we cannot afford to wait for ideal solutions.”

Among his impressive list of successes, and after achieving record cashflows for Rolls-Royce, which, building on the foundations of modernisation implemented under his leadership have subsequently been substantially exceeded, Warren steered the business successfully through the Covid-19 disruption. Under his leadership Rolls-Royce also achieved the world speed record for electric flight and demonstrated hydrogen combustion in an existing aero engine.

These are just two examples of his passion for advocating innovative ways to transfer energy from production to practical use.

Vision for the IET

Warren’s vision for the IET is for us to be a “fit for the future” organisation. This means ensuring we are financially sustainable, with energised, curious and ambitious people at our heart. He wants our voice to be distinct, challenge the status quo, and evolve ahead of trends so that we can continue to serve our mission for the next 150 years.

Our global engineering community is a big part of this aim. “If I could tell our members one thing, it’s that I need them to help me make a difference to the IET. I can’t do that without them.” For Warren, collaboration is key, and by extending this to how we work with other organisations on our collective aims, will ensure increasing impact now and into the future.

One of these areas is maintaining a pipeline of young engineers open to challenges and eager to lead in business and technology. Warren advises young engineers to embrace the profession’s potential to make a positive impact, learn from mistakes, share knowledge and seek help when needed.

“The next several generations will be instrumental to the future of humanity as engineering is key to the future of our world - you’ve joined a profession where you can make a huge positive impact on the world and its future. My advice to you is enjoy it and good luck.”