Industrial Advisory Committee

Rob Shepherd

BEng CEng MICE

Rob has managed engineering consultancies in the UK and overseas for most of his career. He spent thirty years in senior roles with Hyder Consulting, including as Director of Hyder UK’s Energy Business and in managing the property, defence and marine business of their Devon offices. Before its merger with Hyder, he opened and managed DHV’s Plymouth office. Earlier in his career, he led John Burrow’s structural practice in Botswana. Whilst at Hyder, Rob developed and managed their training programme for some 250 graduates and continues as Supervising Engineer for the Institution of Civil Engineers. Rob is now a director at the building services consultant SDS in Plymouth.

Mike Thorn

Michael Thorn holds degrees in Mechanical Sciences (Engineering) from Cambridge University, UK and in Civil Engineering Hydraulics and Numerical Methods from the University of Iowa, USA. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, UK and an RAE Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth. 

As Head of Tidal Engineering at Hydraulics Research, Wallingford he directed a broad programme of research and project studies concerning estuaries and tidal waters. His professional activities embrace UK, European and international organisations including the United Nations, and he has applied his technical knowledge to engineering projects in over ten countries worldwide. He is the author of a number of scientific papers concerning sediment properties, sedimentation processes, dredging methods and port and harbour design. He has been a Research Theme Leader and Project Manager for Defra and the Environment Agency, and involved in establishing industry and national research priorities.

He proactively supports the status and development of the Civil Engineering profession through engagement in the professional activities of the Institution of Civil Engineers and its Associated Societies and as a papers referee and former chairman of the Editorial Boards of ICE Research Focus and the ICE Civil Engineering Journal. As a member of the ICE-SW Regional Team, he supports the technical training of young professionals and the development of individuals who aspire to professional qualifications.

James King

"I graduated from the University of Plymouth in 1988 with an honours degree in Biological Sciences. I soon joined the then South West Water Authority (now privatised as South West Water and owned by the Exeter based Pennon Group), spending the first half of my career in various operational science and technical roles. More recently I have held a number of senior management positions including the leadership of the company’s day to day drinking water treatment and distribution operations. The early part of my career witnessed a fascinating period of intense investment in new water purification assets and technology in order to improve a previously neglected infrastructure and ensure compliance with various European Directives. More recently the focus has shifted towards the stewardship of our substantial asset base, ensuring excellent customer service and finding the most innovative and sustainable ways to operate in an ever-changing environment."

Gus Kaye

C.Eng., M.I.C.E.

"After schools in South Africa and Scotland, I took my degree in civil, structural and municipal engineering in London, plus a design year to achieve Chartered Status. My career has been based in the UK with a number of civil engineering contractors, covering a broad range of contracts in such areas as roads, bridges, sewage and water treatment works, airports and marine construction. Before my recent retirement, I was Regional Manager for John Mowlem (now Carillion) in South West England. Challenges included the construction of the award-winning Plymouth Theatre Royal car park, remedial work following the Boscastle flooding, and the rebuilding of Ilfracombe Harbour. I am happy to pass on some of my management skills to the University of Plymouth through my long association with the IAC."

Dominic Bostock

BEng (Hons) CEng MICE MCIHT MCIPS

Dominic is a chartered engineer and civil engineering graduate of the University of Plymouth (2000). He is the Commercial Director of CORMAC, a Cornwall Council owned Arm’s Length Company and is responsible for commercial and operational aspects of CORMAC’s growing Civil Engineering Division as well as business strategy and business development across the company. He has played key roles in public sector service evolution in Cornwall since 2008, including initial highways service integration, transition to a Unitary Authority in 2009, the creation of the Cornwall Council owned Arm’s Length Companies – CORMAC Solutions Ltd and CORMAC Contracting Ltd in 2011/12.

He has a technical engineering background commencing his career as a Graduate Engineer with Cornwall County Council, and undertook operational management roles before focusing on a commercial management career in 2005, starting with procurement and developing into wider commercial management. His current priorities and challenges include ensuring projects meet their objectives and are successfully delivered, growing the civil engineering business in challenging market conditions, ensuring bids and proposals have a cutting-edge and dealing with cultural change from Local Authority to Arm’s Length Company. 

Professor Christopher Fleming

FREng, FICE, D Eng(Hons), PhD, BSc 

Professor Christopher Fleming, now retired from full-time employment, was a Halcrow Group Board Member, Managing Director of the Maritime Business Group and Group Director for Technology and Innovation. Having been employed by Halcrow since 1970, Chris became Director of Halcrow’s maritime and offshore engineering group in 1983 and was appointed as Chief Executive of Halcrow Maritime as well as Halcrow Middle East in 1998. He then joined the Group Board of directors in 2002 and was initially Managing Director of the Water and Utilities Business Group and Group Resources Director. 

Chris has over forty years' professional experience in study and design of civil engineering works, principally in the fields of coastal, ocean and waterways engineering. He is an internationally recognised expert in coastal engineering and coastal management and co-author of several textbooks on coastal hydraulics and engineering as well as numerous published papers.

He has experience as an expert witness concerning erosion of shorelines, design of long sea outfalls and sediment scour phenomena and has also acted as an independent expert for Malaysia is a precedent-setting arbitration concerning the International Law of the Sea. He received an honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the University of Plymouth in July 2006.

Professor Fleming holds (or has held) the following positions:

• Member of the Moroccan British Business Council
• Visiting Professor in Coastal Engineering at the University of Plymouth
• Visiting Professor to the Engineering Department at the University of Strathclyde
• Past Member of the ICE Maritime Group Board and Chairman of Coastal Engineering Advisory Panel
• Past Adviser to House of Commons Environment Committee on Coastal Zone Protection and Planning
• Past Member of the British National Committee of PIANC
• Chairman, Steering Committee, CIRIA, Beach Management Manual
• Chairman, Institution of Civil Engineers Coastal Management 95 and Coastal Management 99 Conferences
• Chairman, International Conference on Coastal Engineering, Cardiff 2002
• Member Fédération Européene d'Associations Nationales d'Ingénieurs.

Brad James

Brad graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2002 with a first class BEng (Hons) and MEng with Distinction in Civil Engineering. Whilst studying at the University of Plymouth he was awarded the prestigious Engineering Leadership Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the National Concrete Society Prize for undergraduate research along with various other prevalent awards. 

Brad is a Chartered Civil Engineer (CEng MICE) and a member of the Association for Project Management (MAPM). He is a Technical Director within a multi-disciplinary design consultancy and has a broad range of national and international experience in the design and project management of civil and structural engineering related projects. He is fortunate to have worked on a wide range of public and private projects in a variety of sectors including nuclear, defence, education, water, environment, rail and building structures. He is enthusiastic about creating value through considered and collaborative design.

André Evans 

BSc (Hons) MSc CEng FICE MHKIE

André graduated from the Universities of London and Manchester. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. He has around 40 years’ experience in Civil Engineering design in the UK and in a number of locations overseas. After working for some years in local government he joined Scott Wilson, an international firm of Consultants where he rose to become a Director. He now runs a small consultancy practice in Cornwall.