Peter Flinn is appointed 136th President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Peter Flinn CEng FIMechE has been appointed 136th President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Peter has been actively involved with the Institution for over 30 years, serving as Trustee and also as Chair of the Manufacturing Industries Division.

Peter brings a broad range of business, financial and engineering experience in the UK and abroad to the role. His career includes design and development work on military aircraft and commercial vehicles which led to becoming managing director in several large manufacturing businesses.

He has also worked at the interface between business, government, and universities. Peter led the initial development of The Manufacturing Technology Centre near Coventry, had a similar role at the Aerospace Technology Institute and was involved in the start-up work for the Catapult Network.

Commenting on his appointment, Peter said:

“It is an honour to head the Institution in the next phase of our journey. Engineering is at the forefront of solutions to many of the global challenges we face, including climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme of my presidential year is innovation, which reflects the Institution’s original goal to give “an impulse to invention likely to be useful to the world.” One of our most important roles is to develop the engineers of the future and influence the future direction of technological change.”

Today Peter is giving the Institution’s first online presidential address, which is called “Innovation in Engineering: Turning Ideas into New Business”.

As part of his address, Peter interviewed Lord Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and President of the Confederation of British Industry about innovation and how to encourage more engineers to become entrepreneurs.

Peter read engineering at University of Cambridge, and later in his career studied for an MBA at Strathclyde Business School and took part in the International Senior Management Program at Harvard Business School.

He is married with two children and five grandchildren. He is active in his home community in Ashbourne, Derbyshire and is a keen golfer.