Nominations open for ICE president

Members have been invited to nominate themselves or a chosen candidate for the 2029 ICE presidency.

The ICE Nomination Committee (NOMCO) will meet in January 2026 to select an individual to serve as vice president starting November 2026, and then become president in November 2029.

NOMCO’s recommendation will be put to the ICE Trustee Board and then to the ICE Council for approval in April 2026.

Those who’d like to be considered for the role of vice president, or who wish to nominate someone they believe would make a good candidate, should complete the nomination form.

What does the ICE president do?

The role of the president is to represent the profession and the institution at the highest levels of government, business and society.

The president is an authoritative voice of the profession.

The ICE's membership, the public, and key decision makers (political, economic and commercial) expect the president to have an in-depth understanding of civil and infrastructure engineering issues and how they affect society.

The president has an important and influential voice across the engineering profession inside and outside the UK.

There’s been much debate about the time the president needs to commit to the ICE.

The initial commitment is the same as for other trustees at around 20 days per year.

The year before taking up the role, as senior vice president, this increases (given that they are expected to cover for the president on occasion).

As president, the commitment rises substantially and is typically two to three days per week.

What are the requirements to be ICE president?

NOMCO will assess all candidates using the following criteria:

• must be a Chartered Civil or Infrastructure Engineer;
• must be a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers;
• be able to demonstrate successful leadership of a body comparable to the institution. Trustees recognise that there are many such bodies. But they are very clear, having consulted with the membership, that the president has to lead a complex, international organisation with multiple stakeholders, and that proven leadership competence is a pre-requisite for success;
• have made a prolonged contribution to the institution, recognising that there are many ways by which individuals can contribute to the institution;
• have a credible record of professional success in civil and/or infrastructure engineering. This could be in the public or private sector, managing projects, overseeing technical solutions, or in industry/ academia;
• have experience of chairing committees/boards;
• have experience of managing multiple stakeholders and relationship building;
• have international experience and cultural perspective; and
• have experience of public speaking.

Please note that candidates do not have to be or have been members of the ICE Trustee Board or ICE Council.

Following NOMCO’s initial assessment, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to meet with the committee.

Saxton Bampfylde, search consultants, will be supporting the ICE during this recruitment process and will meet with all candidates prior to the Nominations Committee meeting.

How to submit a nomination

Those completing the nomination form are expected to set out, explicitly, how they, or their candidate, meet the criteria set out above and in the following:

• Trustee role description
• Generic trustee person specification

Those nominating someone else must ensure that the candidate is content to be nominated.

Appointing high-calibre people from diverse backgrounds with relevant skills, knowledge and experience to the boards of the ICE will help the institution ensure that its work is more effective, resilient and accountable.

For that reason, the ICE positively welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.

Alongside the completed nomination form, please also attach a CV (two pages max) and send these items, in confidence, to [email protected].

All nominations should arrive by 12 noon (GMT) on 3 December 2025.