What to expect at EEC 2021

Robert (Bob) Ruddlestone

Executive Consultant, Materials Processing Institute

Bob started work in the Yorkshire Steel Industry in 1964 at the Parkgate Iron and Steel Company in Rotherham as a Junior Metallographer. During the next 42 years he progressed through the various management levels to Works Manager of the Stocksbridge Steelworks from 1994 to 2001. This was followed by 2 years as Works Manager at the Aldwarke Steelworks in Rotherham finally ending his career with Corus as Works Manager at Stocksbridge from 2003 to 2006. During his early career he worked and studied part time gaining an HNC in Metallurgy followed by a three-year degree course at the Sheffield Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University) where he graduated with an honor’s degree in Metallurgy.

On leaving Corus in 2006 he obtained the position of Technical and European Affairs Manager for UK Steel the trade Association for the UK Steel Industry. In December 2014 he became non-executive chair of the newly formed Materials Processing Institute and retired from UK Steel at the end of 2015.  Now semi-retired he continues his association with the Institute as Executive Consultant.

In summary he has spent his entire career associated with the steel industry and has a wide ranging technical knowledge of electric steelmaking and continuous casting. Through his work for UK Steels and the IOM³ he has knowledge of and contacts in all the major steelmaking plants in the UK. He still has a desire to contribute to the industry and to continue working in some capacity that allows him to apply the knowledge gained over a long and successful career.

Richard Thackray

Lecturer, University of Sheffield

Richard Thackray holds a degree in Materials Science and a PhD in Metallurgy from Imperial College London. He joined the University of Sheffield in 2003 as Tata (Corus) Steel sponsored Lecturer in Steelmaking. His current research interests are related to the production of steel, including the development and optimisation of mould powders for the continuous casting of steel, the role of thermomechanical processing on inclusion behavior, the effect of process route on inclusion distribution and the effect of residual elements on steel processing and properties.

Alan Scholes

Chief Technology Officer , Materials Processing Institute

Alan is the Chief Technology Officer the Materials Processing Institute. The Institute develops new technologies, primarily for the steel and metals industries, in the areas of decarbonisation, circular economy, advanced materials and digital technologies. Alan’s background encompasses over 30 years of research in the steel sector, particularly for liquid steelmaking and casting where he has worked internationally developing and implementing new processes on a variety of steel plants. He has a strong interest in both operational and process safety and environmental impact based on knowledge of both existing processes and the challenges associated with process change.

Chris McDonald

Chief Executive Officer, Materials Processing Institute

Chris McDonald is the Chief Executive Officer of the Materials Processing Institute.  The Institute is a not-for-profit, industrial research institute, which has develops new technologies, primarily for the steel and metals sector in the areas of advanced materials, digital technologies, industrial decarbonisation and the circular economy.  Chris led the divestment of the 75yr old Institute in 2014 from its then parent company, returning the organisation to independent ownership.

Chris’s background is in industrial research and manufacturing, where he has worked internationally.  A graduate of Cambridge University, Chris is a Fellow the Institute of Chemical Engineers and of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. He is Chair of the UK Metals Council, a member of the North East Council of the CBI and policy chair for Innovation & Enterprise at the Federation of Small Businesses.

Chris is often called on to commentate in the media and speak on topics such as industrial strategy, digital technologies, steel and decarbonisation.  He provides expert opinion and support to companies, government and non-governmental organisations in these areas, to support policy development, growth and inward investment.  He has a strong interest in the wider social impact of business, including issues such as employee participation, community involvement and environmental sustainability, all of which are covered on his Youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/chrismcdonald

: www.mpiuk.com
: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mcdonald-7292676
: @MrChrisMcDonald

Louis Brimacombe

Chairman , British Standards Committee on Sustainable Performance, Consumption and Production (SCP/1)

Louis is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, commonly known as IOM3, and he is a chartered Chemical Engineer. He is currently Chairman of the IOM3’s, Sustainable Development Group, a group with members across all materials sectors, supply chains and markets, and which also tries to unravel the complexities of trying to achieve ‘sustainability’ in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

He spent 35 years in the steel industry, the last 15 years of which as Head of Environmental Technology at Tata Steel, leading a research team which made cost effective environmental improvements for both the manufacturing processes and new product development areas. Louis is an experienced assessor of applications for funding grants for new and innovative research projects submitted to the UK Government Innovate UK competitions.