SUT Annual General Meeting

 

8 December 2005

 

   

 

Report

The SUT announced the election of a new president at its AGM in December. During the meeting aboard HQS Wellington moored at London’s Embankment, Gordon announced the appointment of Michael Leece OBE, who was also made Honorary Fellow during the SUT’s annual awards and new fellowship presentation, as president and spoke of his long and distinguished career.

Mike is a professional engineer whose career path has covered many areas of the marine sector. He has managed project and engineering teams delivering a range of novel and mission critical projects, including the innovative mooring system of the world’s first offshore Tension Leg Platform (TLP) – a project that in 1984 secured the Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement.  

Awarded the OBE in November 2003 for services to tourism, Mike operates his own consultancy business and is Chief Executive of the National Marine Aquarium, which has become an internationally recognised leader in the public engagement of science under his supervision.

Gordon Senior’s final act as president was to hand out the Society’s annual awards.

Cathy Huang of Imperial College, London, and Charlotte Main of the University of Southampton were awarded the Tom Patten Memorial Award for outstanding final year undergraduate students.

Luke Pinson of the University of Southampton and Laura Baxter of Heriot-Watt University received the Fugro-GEOS Applied Marine Science Undergraduate Award and the Fugro-GEOS Applied Marine Science MSc Postgraduate Award, respectively.

The Houlder Cup was awarded to Georges Arnoux for his contribution to underwater operations. The OTM Innovation Trophy and Award – a new award jointly sponsored by the SUT and OTM Consulting Ltd – was presented to the team members Iain Chirnside, Bernie Anson and Ian McEwan of Brinker Technology for their Platelet™ Technology.

The David Partridge Commemorative Award, jointly sponsored by the SUT and the Offshore Energy Technology Panel, was made to David Turner. Mr Ian Ball received the President’s Award in recognition of his very distinguished career in subsea engineering.

SUT Fellowships were awarded to Richard Binks, Ramesh Chandwani, Mike Theobald, Keith Williams and Steve Williams.

Ending the meeting was an illuminating and well received presentation titled ‘NATO Submarine Rescue System’, given by guest speaker Neville Yard, NSRS Lead Engineer of Rolls Royce Marine.