The Executive Dean of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Surrey, UK, Jonathan Seville, has been named President of IChemE.

 In his inaugurational address, Seville pledged to lead a review of IChemE’s strategic direction and governance, as well as ensuring that the institution remained relevant as it reaches its centenary in 2022 by expanding into less traditional areas of the chemical engineering sphere, such as the pharmaceutical and food and drink industries.

“We know that chemical engineering is the discipline of choice in companies like Shell or BP, but is it the discipline of choice for Unilever?” he said. “Well, there are members working hard and doing good things in Unilever, but in a company like Unilever, or Procter & Gamble, chemical engineering has to compete with other disciplines in a way that it doesn’t have to in its heartlands. I think we need to be competing harder there, and training our students so they can compete harder there.”