The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA), which represents the U.K. building controls and BEMS [building energy management system] sector, today announced Graeme Rees as its new president. Rees takes over from Terry Sharp, who has held the role for the past two years, while Paul Wetherfield will take Rees’ place as vice-president of BCIA.
With approximately 120 members, accounting for 80% of the U.K. controls market, the BCIA is an influential group that promotes better specification, application and use of buildings controls. The BCIA also offers its own training courses, and is currently promoting its new Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standard for the industry, which is being developed by the association's BEMS Employer Group.
Early in 2019, Graeme Rees was elected to BCIA’s management committee. He will now "use his years of experience gained in industry to build on his predecessor’s work in building on BCIA’s position as a leading influence on standards, professionalism and innovation for its members," the association said in a statement.
Rees is currently U.K. & Ireland digital energy marketing manager for Schneider Electric, and has been involved in the building controls industry for more than 30 years. After starting his career as a project engineer at Lidworth Ltd., Rees next worked for Bristol Management Systems, before spending 19 years at Trend Control Systems, where he rose in position from regional field services manager to marketing director.
Incoming BCIA vice president Paul Wetherfield is the CEO of Global Associates, a company which he joined in 2013 "to drive growth by taking a long-term approach to creating a business that will stand the test of time," he said. Wetherfield’s stated passion "is driven by the lack of young and talented engineers within the industry," and he has shaped Global Associates around the development of young apprentices.
On his tenure as BCIA president, the outgoing Terry Sharp said: “I would like to thank everybody for their hard work and assistance during what has been an unpredictable two years for reasons outside of our control. It now gives me great pleasure to pass the baton on to Graeme who is not only a great friend but also a hard-working and very knowledgeable colleague. I am extremely grateful for the help and support he has provided in his two years as vice-president, and I wish him the very best of luck in taking the BCIA forward.”
On his appointment, new BCIA president, Graeme Rees commented: “It is a huge honour for me to become president of the BCIA and I would like to thank Terry for helping to ensure the industry stepped up in response to what was and still remains an uncertain time. The roll out of the BEMS Controls Engineer Apprenticeship during his term will also help secure a key starting point for anybody looking to carve out a career in what can be a hugely rewarding industry. Looking ahead, I wish to build on Terry’s good work by tackling a number of issues and themes in order to keep the BCIA moving in the right direction.”
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