Statements from our President & Chair

Pipeline Industries Guild President: Jon Butterworth - Chief Executive Officer, National Grid Gas Transmission and Metering

 

Jon Butterworth presidential address for Pipeline Industries Guild, January 2023

A warm welcome to everyone involved in the Pipeline Industries Guild, and anyone with an interest in the critical work it does – creating and maintaining essential infrastructure, keeping the lights on, water flowing and warming homes across the UK. Our role is nothing less than underpinning society, family life and business.

It is a tremendous honour for me to write as the 31st President of our Guild, building on the legacy of John Murphy, Steve Fraser and other past presidents stretching back over 60 years.

As I look forward to my tenure as President, I can’t help but look back and remember the apprentice that I once was. He could have had no idea that after 43 years in the energy sector, he could be given this honour to help amplify the voice of an entire industry at one of the most important and challenging times in its existence. We in the Guild deserve far more acknowledgment and respect; the infrastructure of our towns and cities and so much more is down to the toil of our members. 

However, that reflection also reminds me that young people entering the industry are still the lifeblood of our profession. It's an inconvenient but continuing truth, reinforced by the Institution of Engineering and Technology research last month, that the UK now needs to attract more than 173,000 new people into the sector to have a hope of meeting our own future society's needs. That is before we even think about sustaining and improving our nation’s international competitiveness.

The Institution cited an average of 10 unfilled roles per business in the UK, and said 49% of engineering businesses are experiencing difficulties recruiting workers with the skills they need.

Yet more than ever before, your Guild is central to the UK economy, and as a country we need to develop the long-term view which will enable us to meet the Government's net zero ambitions. In the water sector for example, we need to think again about whether infrastructure stretching back into the 19th Century can continue to provide for a future of water scarcity as global warming becomes a reality.

In my own sector, gas, we have the Herculean programme ahead of us to deliver the repurposing of the entire network to run on a different, low-carbon fuel - hydrogen.

Throughout, "Your Guild" is crucial to the sectors that give comfort to our way of life and I intend to amplify the criticality of our industry over the coming months.

I look forward to this endeavour, knowing that I will build on the solid legacy of past presidents, and reassured of your support as I do so. Thank you for your valuable contribution to our essential collective mission.

 

Pipeline Industries Guild Chair: Rachel Bridge - Partner, Fisher German

I’m delighted to have been elected as Chair by the members. I was first introduced to the Guild in 2007 during my time as a placement student at Fisher German, I entered the Sir John Parker competition during the same year.  After graduating, I joined the Midlands Branch of the Guild, taking on the active role on the committee as Secretary in 2017 progressing to DC2 the following year.  I was later nominated to become Chair of the Midlands Branch and faced the challenge of maintaining a vibrant committee throughout COVID-19 whilst delivering some excellent technical events.

As a Partner at Fisher German and during my time with the consultancy, I have led several major projects including the property management and asset protection of 2,500km of high-pressure oil pipelines, as well as being responsible for the property management of a 2,000km fibre optic cable network.

To be the Chair of the Guild at such a pivotal time when we need to embrace and deliver on the Net Zero challenges but also manage the security and supply of our essential energy and water and waste water networks, to be involved at such an exciting time is a real honour. Through the technical panels and our Branches the Guild can contribute positively to the roll-out of key infrastructure through expertise, knowledge sharing and innovation.

Through the continued promotion of the utilities and infrastructure sector, it is vital to ensure the industry does not miss out on recruiting talented individuals especially when the pipeline industry is facing several challenges, particularly in recruitment. One of my aims for the next 12 months is to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion within the sector putting the Guild at the heart of the discussion for sustainable and secure energy and increasing its work with universities and other educational establishments to recruit the best talent into this sector and highlight that our industry is for everyone is something I’d like to continue in my role as Chair.

I also hope to encourage people from all backgrounds into the Guild  and enable individuals and companies to build their networks, and improve the industry. With a renewed focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion I see recruiting the best into the infrastructure sector as a crucial element for the industry to flourish.