Charles Brand
Renowned for civil engineering & marine infrastructure projects.
- Date
- 24 March 2025
- Time
- 18:00 - 21:40 GMT
- Location
-
Institution of Civil Engineers One Great George Street Westminster London, SW1P 3AA United Kingdom
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24-03-2025 18:00
24-03-2025 21:40
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James Rennie Medal Final 2025
https://www.ice.org.uk/events/upcoming-events/james-rennie-medal-final-2025
Institution of Civil Engineers, London
In person bookings closed
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Overview
The James Rennie Medal recognises the best Chartered Professional Review candidate of the year.
This year’s final will feature ICE’s top three Chartered Professional Review (CPR) and CPR (Progressive) candidates of 2024. They will each present and defend their CPR reports to an audience.
The three finalists are:
- Carys O'Shea CEng MICE, senior design coordinator at J. Murphy and Sons Ltd, will discuss her role in the London Power Tunnels Phase 2 (LPT2), a £1 billion National Grid project designed to strengthen London’s electricity network with a 32.5km underground cable tunnel from Wimbledon to Crayford. As the most significant upgrade since the 1960s, LPT2 plays a key role in supporting the increasing integration of renewable energy into the grid.
- Capt James Wallis CEng MICE MInstRE RE, second in command specialist team royal engineers (civil engineer) at the Corps of Royal Engineers (British Army), will present on his experience working on the nuclear island of Hinkley Point C. As part of the main civil works contract, he was responsible for the delivery of the HK fuel building, a large reinforced concrete wall and slab structure. He will discuss the challenges of constructing the building, which is surrounded by a wall designed to provide protection from airplane or missile attacks. He will also explore how he has applied the lessons learned to his Army Career.
- Emma McGregor CEng MICE, senior engineer at Tony Gee and Partners LLP will present on her experience working on the Viking Wind Farm, a 103-turbine, 443MW onshore wind farm on mainland Shetland. Now operational, this pioneering development is anticipated to be one of the most productive wind farms in the world, powering 500,000 homes. She will discuss the design and construction challenges faced due to the project's remote and sensitive upland peat environment, including the risk of peat instability.
If you’re a Graduate or Student member aspiring to become a professionally qualified ICE member, you’ll find the evening invaluable. It will give an insight into some of the questions asked at Professional Review.
For all members it’s a chance to meet some of our brightest up-and-coming engineers and learn about interesting civil engineering projects.
The evening will be hosted by Prof Jim Hall, ICE President and the Q&A sessions for the finalists will be chaired by Séan Harris, ICE deputy director general and director of membership. The winner of the 2025 James Rennie Medal will be decided by the judges:
- Darren James, chief executive officer, Aureos
- Dr Gopal Srinivasan, associate director, Arup
- Jacki Bell, membership development officer, ICE North
- Giorgio Giuliani, geotechnical design lead – offshore wind, COWI
- Craig Small, managing director, Kier Nuclear & Energy
Sponsored by
Skanska
Skanska, one of the UK’s leading contractors, is an inclusive and responsible business that is helping to build a better society.
BAM Nuttall
BAM Nuttall work across many sectors including rail, tunnelling, energy, water, nuclear, flood defence and marine.
Arup
Arup is a global collective of designers, engineers and technical experts. We use imagination, technology and rigour to shape a more sustainable world.
KIER
Kier’s purpose is to sustainably deliver infrastructure which is vital to the UK.
Aureos
Aureos is a leading provider of maintenance, renewals and upgrades to critical UK Infrastructure.
Tony Gee
Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, consulting engineers, Tony Gee is renowned for delivering complex, competitive permanent and temporary infrastructure design solutions.
Venue
Institution of Civil EngineersOne Great George StreetWestminsterLondonSW1P 3AA
Programme
18:00 - 18:30
Registration and refreshments
[Registration starts at 18:00 for anyone attending in person. For those joining online, we recommend that you log into the platform at 18:15 to test the connection.]
18:30 - 18:35
Introduction
18:35 - 18:40
History of James Rennie
18:40 - 18:45
Introduction of the finalists and chair of Q&A sessions
18:45 - 20:15
Medal Final
20:15 - 20:30
Interval - Judges deliberation
20:30 - 20:40
Vote of thanks and winner announced
20:40 - 21:40
Event close for online participants and drinks reception for in person attendees
21:40
Event close
Speakers
Prof Jim Hall
Institution of Civil Engineers
President 2024-25
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Prof Jim Hall
The ICE’s 160th President, Jim Hall is professor of climate and environmental risks at the University of Oxford. He is internationally recognised for his research on risk analysis in water resource systems, flooding and coastal engineering, infrastructure systems and climate change adaptation.
Hall is a member of the prime minister’s Council for Science and Technology and a commissioner on the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC). He also served on the adaptation committee of the independent Climate Change Committee from 2009 to 2019.
Hall led the development of the national infrastructure systems model the NIC used in producing its first National Infrastructure Assessment. He invented the Data & Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure in 2017 and remains chair of its strategy board.
Among his many accolades, Hall was awarded the ICE’s George Stephenson Medal in 2001 and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water in 2018. He also contributed to the Fourth Assessment Report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Séan P F Harris
Institution of Civil Engineers
director of membership and deputy director general
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Séan P F Harris
After a distinguished career in the British Army, which concluded as Commander British Gurkhas, Séan Harris joined ICE as director of membership in 2015, bringing leadership, planning, and financial experience to the role. Séan is guided by a core principle of growing a diverse, broad, and professionally qualified membership.
By helping individuals to realise their potential and supporting employers in professionally developing their workforce, he believes that the Institution of Civil Engineers can play a powerful role in meeting the existential challenges of climate change and assuring society that its engineers are credible, current and competent. In 2023, he was also appointed deputy director general and secretary of the institution.
Darren James
Aureos
chief executive officer
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Darren James
Darren James was appointed CEO of Aureos (formerly Keltbray Infrastructure Services) in August 2024 having led the purchase by EMK of the infrastructure arm of the Keltbray group where he served as CEO from April 2020.
Prior to this, he spent 30 Years at Costain Group PLC, starting as an industrial placement student, progressing through the organisation to the Executive Board, latterly as chief operating officer. He has a wealth of experience in leading high-profile programmes for both public and private sector customers, often in highly regulated infrastructure sectors, both in the UK and internationally.
Previously, Darren served as non-executive director at the Port of London Authority and was appointed in January 2025 as the chair of the Performance and Safety Committee for Welsh Water.
A civil engineering graduate of the University of Surrey, he has undertaken further postgraduate executive programmes at Harvard, Wharton and London Business Schools. Darren is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and was the inaugural winner of the James Rennie Medal in 1996.
Dr Gopal Srinivasan
Arup
associate director
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Dr Gopal Srinivasan
Gopal is an award winning bridge and civil structures engineer. He has worked on major infrastructure projects across UK, Europe, India, Middle East and Far East.
He has worked on major infrastructure projects in the UK including HS1, HS2, Stratford City, London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He is member of a number of international technical commissions and working parties and is Fellow of the Institution, an SCE, Reviewer and member of the Awards Panel.
Jacki Bell
Institution of Civil Engineers
membership development officer
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Jacki Bell
Jacki is currently membership development officer for ICE covering West Yorkshire and York. Previous to this she has enjoyed a varied career working in academia, non-governmental client bodies, local authorities, waste management, and consultancy. She has also enjoyed several roles within the ICE as regional director for Scotland, London and the South West. She always enjoys listening and learning from the James Rennie finalists.
Giorgio Giuliani
COWI
geotechnical design lead - offshore wind
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Giorgio Giuliani
Giorgio Giuliani was appointed geotechnical design lead - offshore wind at COWI in September 2024. Prior to this, he spent one year in 2H Offshore and 8.7 years in Ramboll. He is a Chartered Engineer affiliated with the ICE and IMarEST, RoGEP advisor with a Master of Philosophy in Engineering from the University of Aberdeen. Giorgio is lead reviewer and the chair of the Offshore Engineering Society of London, a Specialist Knowledge Society of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Craig Small
Kier Nuclear & Energy
Managing Director
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Craig Small
Craig has more than 25 years’ experience as a leader in the civil engineering industry working on a diverse range of projects in the UK and overseas.
His current portfolio includes projects in the nuclear sector, in support of the UK’s Continuous at Sea Deterrent, the drive to net zero carbon energy production and distribution.
Previously, Craig served in the British Army and he’s a proud sponsor of Kier’s Armed Forces network. In 2022, Craig won the Engineering Excellence Award at the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards.
Carys O'Shea
J. Murphy & Sons Ltd
senior design coordinator
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Carys O'Shea
Carys is a Chartered Civil Engineer (CEng) with extensive experience in design coordination, sustainability, and construction management. Currently a Senior Design Coordinator at J. Murphy & Sons Ltd, she oversees multi-site projects and has led groundbreaking Earth Friendly Concrete trials, achieving an 82-ton CO2 reduction. Her expertise spans permanent works and temporary works design management, tunnelling, and site management on major infrastructure projects, including London Power Tunnels 2.
Capt James Wallis
Corps of Royal Engineers (British Army)
second in command specialist team royal engineers (civil engineer)
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Capt James Wallis
James joined the British Army in 2018, commissioning into the Royal Engineers. His early roles involved providing engineering solutions and advise to battlefield commanders including on operations in Eastern Europe, as well as project management in his unit’s headquarters.
In 2022 he began professional engineer training before undertaking an 18-month secondment to Hinkley Point C, first as a construction delivery manager and subsequently as a temporary works designer.
He now works within the Army’s specialist infrastructure delivery and consultancy teams.
Emma McGregor
Tony Gee and Partners LLP
senior engineer
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Emma McGregor
Emma began her career as a graduate geotechnical engineer with Tony Gee and Partners in Glasgow. With expertise in the power and energy renewable sector, namely onshore wind, Emma now leads the technical delivery and management of projects, from feasibility and design to construction and operation.
Career highlights include her influence in the successful delivery of Viking Wind Farm in Shetland, namely the design and construction of “floating” New Sandwater Road, 103 no. turbine foundations, and role as geotechnical clerk of works.
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