ICE NE ECNet Fireside Chat with 161st ICE President David Porter

David Porter

David Porter is director of engineering with the Department for Infrastructure, which is Northern Ireland’s highways authority. In this role, he is also the chief highways engineer and head of the civil engineering profession in the Northern Ireland civil service.

Porter is responsible for the development of the department’s professional and technical staff, engineering policies and standards, and health and safety. He also leads on procurement and the internal consultancy.

Previously, he was chief executive of the Rivers Agency, Northern Ireland’s flood defence and drainage authority.

Porter has served on the ICE Council three times, twice as the Northern Ireland representative and once as a general member. He is a trustee who, until recently, held the learning society portfolio. He has also served on several institution committees and panels.

A fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering, Porter was awarded the Poskitt Medal by ICE Northern Ireland in 2017 and the President’s Award by Engineers Ireland in 2018.

Ines Cava

Ines is excited to gain a broader perspective on the industry and help shape its future.

Throughout this year, she looks forward to supporting various initiatives, particularly those focused on sustainability and digitalisation.

She is also eager to work with David Porter and the Future Leaders team to improve communication across the profession, inspire the next generation of engineers, and collaborate on projects that deliver positive change for the ICE and the wider industry.

Adam Wilkinson

Adam is a transport engineer at Arup and co-chair of the ICE North East Early Careers Network.