Top Table Guests

Host – Graeme Fletcher
President IES

After completing his studies at Southampton Institute of Higher Education and an engineering cadetship with BP Shipping Ltd in the 1980’s, Graeme spent the next 20 years on various ship types trading worldwide. This culminated in service as Chief Engineer on Irish Sea Ro-Ro ferries and attainment of an Open University Honours Degree. Since coming ashore he has been responsible for safety and technical operations both ashore and afloat during a period of great advancement and technical development at Western Ferries (Clyde) Limited and has overseen the design and build of the current fleet of vessels and supporting infrastructure. He Chairs the Ro-Ro Subgroup of the MCA’s Domestic Passenger Ship Steering Group and represents IES on the Lloyd’s Register Technical Committee. Graeme has a passion for all things mechanical and connected with the water. He fully supports all efforts to promote the teaching of STEM subjects and the application of sound engineering principles in all walks of life. He respects and appreciates good engineering design coupled with art and aesthetics. In his spare time, he is an enthusiastic Masters rower and Coach for Castle Semple Rowing Club, Lochwinnoch.


Patrick Draper - guest speaker

After having worked in engineering all his life, Draper first ambled onto a comedy stage in 2011; and since then he’s not looked back (mainly became of a trapped nerve which has led to a long standing neck and shoulder problem, but he does also enjoy talking nonsense into microphones)

In the intervening years he’s taken a four star reviewed show to the Edinburgh fringe, reached the finals of the prestigious English Comedian of the Year competition, and generally enjoyed acclaim from audiences around the country for his laidback and sardonic delivery of material that covers, poetry, algebra, marital advice, in fact … just about everything except engineering.


Ghayoor Abbas

Chair - Scottish Branch IMarEST

Ghayoor Abbas, a career marine engineer and graduate of the University of Strathclyde, joined City of Glasgow College in 2008 as a lecturer in marine engineering with specialisation in marine electrical systems. He has held various management position in his time at the college; positions directly linked with the management of diverse portfolio of full time and part time courses. During this time, Ghayoor, has led the design and development of the marine engineering curriculum at national level. He has the experience of managing college’s portfolio of international MCA and SQA accredited courses. As well as being a curriculum design, development, and delivery expert, Ghayoor has led and acted as project sponsor in the design, development, procurement, delivery, installation, commissioning and contracts management of college invested high value projects such as engine room simulators, ship’s working engine room, high voltage training lab, and the electronic navigation and radio communication systems training labs. Ghayoor’s current remit – Associate Dean Engineering – enables him to operate with modern apprenticeships and maritime related education and training operations.


Richard Campbell

Scotland Branch Chair, Institution of Structural Engineers

Richard is a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer and is a Fellow of both the IStructE and ICE. He has experience working on a range of exciting and challenging projects throughout the UK and abroad and is passionate about how engineering excellence can contribute to a higher calibre of building, bringing real benefits to clients and society.

Richard enjoys the design collaboration process between architect and engineer and likes to explore innovative and imaginative solutions to address the challenges faced during the design development and construction stages of a project.

Richard is a Director at Will Rudd Glasgow and is a key part of the senior leadership team, he is also a part time tutor at Glasgow University and is the current chair of the IStructE Scotland region.


Ellen Halkon

Scottish Chair - Institution of Civil Engineers

Ellen Halkon is a Chartered Fellow of the the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and current Chair of the ICE in Scotland. She is an experienced bridge engineer with recent roles including leading designs for projects including Cross Tay Link Road, Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven and the independent checking of 2022 ICE People's Choice- Stockingfield Footbridge.


Douglas Hutchison 

Education Director Glasgow

Douglas’s educational career started as a secondary RE teacher after which he moved onto working as an additional support needs teacher before re-training as an educational psychologist. He was Principal Educational Psychologist for South Ayrshire before joining HM Inspectorate of education where he worked for 5 years inspecting across early years, primary, secondary and additional support needs. After the inspectorate he returned to South Ayrshire as Head of Education, then Director and Depute Chief Executive. In January 2022 he was appointed as Executive Director of Education for Glasgow City Council. He completed the Doctorate in Educational Psychology at the University of Strathclyde in 2023 exploring the connection between relative poverty and maths outcomes for primary aged children.


Raymond Lyon

Deacon of The Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow.


I started my career within Rolls-Royce Ltd in Hillington as a technical apprentice in 1980 and moved to their East Kilbride site 2 years later, the company paid for all of my education whilst working and I gained my HNC in Productional Engineering, a HNC in Mechanical Engineering and my Degree in Mechanical Engineering (with distinction) all undertaken on a part time basis. I became a Senior Project Design engineer with responsibility for signing off the main engine structure designs that attached the aero engine to airframe wing. I work with various oversea partners on aero engine design projects, Volvo - Sweden. Pratt & Whitney - USA, Japan Airways, and BMW in Germany. I left the company to take up a lecturing position at a Further Educational college, looking after their NC, HNC and HND delivery in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic and Manufacturing engineering. I retired from FE earlier this year and now work as a consultant within East Kilbride Group Training Association bring inhouse their educational requirements for the Modern Apprenticeship award which caters for over 100 apprentices. I am also an external verifier with the Scottish Qualification Authority for engineering subjects. Outside of working life I have been a member of the (Premier trade) of ‘The Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow’ for the last 22 years and have now succeeded in gaining the position of Deacon, I am also an active member of Rotary Great Britain and Ireland, having been club president on 3 different occasions since joining in 2001 and I was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship medal for my active charity work.


Chris McNair – Acting Chairman RINA Scottish Branch – RINA Council

Chris is a trained Naval Architect, Graduating from University of Strathclyde in 2014, and joined the Babcock International Group Graduate Development Programme at Rosyth. After rotating around Naval Architecture Design in Defence and Commercial markets, Shipbuilding placements on Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, Project management and Business Development, he joined the Rosyth Naval Architecture team in 2016.

Chris then spent a number of years on the Aircraft Carrier Programme, Type 31 Functional Design programme and supporting regular site operations. He then moved on to the Polish Arrowhead 140 Programme in 2022, providing support to shipbuilding strategy and operations.

Chris became RINA Scottish Branch Chair in May 2024, after a number of years volunteering with the branch. Starting as a Student Committee member in 2011-2013, he rejoined in 2019 and became really involved in the branch’s digital programme later driving the development into the Hybrid events the branch uses today. He is also a Council member of the Institution where he is helping to develop new strategies around Career Development, improving guidance and increasing value to members.


Emmanuel Oni

Chair - IET Scotalnd South West Network

Emmanuel Oni is a chartered electrical engineer with over 12 years’ industry experience cutting across research, built environment and energy, with a background in planning, designing and delivering electrical infrastructure projects. Emmanuel has fulfilled technical lead and design engineer roles on cross-functional projects. At Scottish and Southern Energy, SSE, Emmanuel currently leads a number of low carbon energy projects geared towards decarbonising electrical and heat networks. Emmanuel seats on a number of boards helping to driving the Diversity and Inclusion within the engineering sector and support the development of the next generation of engineers, such as Association for Black and Ethnic Minority Engineers (AFBE-UK), as well as IET Scotland, where Emmanuel currently serves as the Vice Chair of IET Scotland.


Dr Malcolm Robb

Chair Scotland South West IMechE

Dr Malcolm Robb, Engineering Manager, responsible for the Afloat Capability Theme of the Naval Ships Research and Technology Department at BAE Systems Naval Ships. He has worked at Naval Ships for the past 24 years in a variety of roles in Concept Design and Research and Technology.


Cite Top