Tom Sallis, Senior Policy Adviser, CBI Brussels to speak on the Changing Structure of European Commission

Tom Sallis, Senior Policy Adviser, CBI Brussels

Tom is responsible for representing the CBI in Brussels on priority EU issues for UK business, with a particular focus on trade policy and employment legislation. He played a key role in developing the CBI’s position on EU membership, as laid out in a major recent CBI report, ‘Our Global Future – the business vision for a reformed EU’. Tom is also an account manager for the CBI's British Business Bureau (BBB), advising UK trade associations on their EU legislative priorities. Tom holds a BSc in Economics and International Development from the University of Bath and a MSc in Political Economy from the London School of Economics.

Tony Frost, Chair - Industry Consortium for Products in Contact with Drinking Water (ICPDW).

Tony Frost is a consultant in the water treatment industry.

He graduated in 1966 with a degree in chemical engineering and, after 14 years in the heavy chemical industry, diverted into contracting for industrial water treatment plant and then into the domestic water treatment equipment industry. In 1994 he set up Aqua Focus Ltd, a consultancy in water treatment providing a technical and regulatory service to manufacturers of domestic water treatment equipment.

He serves on a number of BSI and CEN committees and has served as chair and/or board member on a number of national, European and American trade associations.

Peter Caplehorn of the Construction Products Association to speak about BIM (Building Information Modelling)

Peter Caplehorn is the Policy Director and Deputy Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association.

Formerly Technical Director at the award-winning design practice Scott Brownrigg, Peter has been involved in many industry and government programmes, particularly on the technical and health and safety side of the industry.  Peter is the deputy chair of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) and currently chairs CB- (the British Standards Institution’s strategic committee for construction).  His main focus recently has been the new CDM Regulations, application of Building Information Modelling (“BIM”) within construction regulations and future building regulations.  Peter is a Chartered Architect with 33 years experience and has worked largely in the commercial sector on a range of projects such as offices, housing, schools, industrial plants and airports.

Jacob Tompkins, Waterwise, joins to discuss Research and Development in Water Efficiency

After qualifying as a civil engineer at University College London, Jacob went on to study hydrogeology at Imperial College London. He was an environmental adviser to the National Farmers' Union and a water resources and water efficiency specialist at Water UK, before founding Waterwise in 2005.

Jacob has sat on a number of European Commission working groups on issues ranging from drought planning to groundwater protection, and spent five years as the UK representative on the Eurea (pan-European water industry body) Drinking Water Commission.

Christophe Sykes Joins as congress Speaker - European Construction Industry

Christophe Sykes is Director General of Construction Products Europe and has been working for Brussels-based European non-profit associations for over a decade.

He started his EU career with the raw material industry and was then invited to re-launch a construction product association. Having successfully expanded this organisation and its corresponding network, Christophe was invited in 2012 to bring Construction Products Europe, then known as CEPMC, to a position of European public affairs eminence.

As the Director General of Construction Products Europe, Christophe’s main task is to identify, report and help define industry positions vis-à-vis EU legislative initiatives that may impact the EU construction industry.  He accomplishes this though the development and execution of public affairs strategies, network development and coalition-building, and team management of the secretariat. 

First Speaker Announced

KEVIN HARRIS

Kevin Harris is employed by Eaton Electric Ltd at their Birmingham facility in UK as their Export Sales Manager and was Chairman of BEAMA Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group from 2000-2014 www.beama.org.uk

During this period, he has attended many factory and trade fair raids in China at distributors' premises in the Middle East and Africa, plus activities here in the UK. He has first-hand experience of how companies with effective Intellectual Property helps them to combat the manufacture and trade of counterfeit products.

Dear colleagues and friends,

 

On behalf of the CEIR Board, it is a pleasure to announce that the CEIR 2015 Congress will be hosted by our UK member BMA, the Bathroom Manufacturers Association, and will take place in Rudding Park Hotel, Follifoot, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, from Thursday 11th June to Saturday 13th June 2015. 

 

The economic, financial, social or environmental challenges remain numerous and complex in 2015. As the year begins, we expect many of these to influence our valve businesses in some way. This is why CEIR exists and pursues its mission to apprehend and embrace these challenges together with all its members, and shape the future of our industry. This is also why, once a year, it is important to gather, exchange, analyse and give impetus to our sector. 

 

This 2015 event will bring presentations and discussions addressed to all technologies, sanitary, building and industrial valves on sustainability, the internal market, intellectual property rights, innovation, market access and the economic outlook.

 

CEIR members, associate members and sister associations worldwide are all welcome to join us. Together with the BMA, we are finalising an attractive programme with varied and comprehensive presentations, all necessary conditions for effective working sessions as well as enjoyable gatherings for both partners and spouses. 

 

See you in June in Harrogate,

 

Klaus Schneider, CEIR President