A former chief executive of dairy automation company Dairymaster has taken over at the helm of Engineers Ireland.
Engineer and entrepreneur, Dr. Edmond Harty was inaugurated as the 131st president of Engineers Ireland at the professional membership body’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday (Thursday, June 1).
Established in 1835, Engineers Ireland currently represents around 25,000 engineers in Ireland, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Engineers Ireland
Dr. Edmond Harty holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Limerick (UL), and a PhD in biosystems engineering from University College Dublin (UCD).
He has also studied at some of the world’s leading universities, including Stanford University, California and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland.
Dr. Harty, who is a former EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Ireland, has filed over 130 patent applications and commercialising technologies across the globe.
Along with a number of non-executive roles, Dr. Harty is also the founder of investment and consultancy firm, Innovalogix.
Previously, he was the chief executive and largest shareholder of Dairymaster, the dairy innovation and technology company based in Co. Kerry, over a 22-year period.
Commenting on his appointment as president of Engineers Ireland, Dr. Harty said: “I am an engineer first and foremost.
“My engineering background has enabled me to build a fantastic career, travel the world, develop new products, and achieve things I could have never imagined.
“Being an engineer means that you have a logical disposition, you always want to do things better and these characteristics also happen to be important in business.
“Engineers are natural problem solvers, leaders, and innovators,” he added.
“I hope to be a role model for others in my capacity as president, making the great work we do more visible and inspiring others to choose a career in engineering.
“I want to highlight the importance of engineering in our daily lives to the general public and to broaden the reach of our professional membership to cover both urban and rural communities,” Dr. Harty said.
The Engineers Ireland AGM also saw the inauguration of John Jordan to the role of vice-president.
Jordan is managing director of Wirtgen Ireland Ltd. which specialises in road construction equipment and plant for the mining and processing of minerals.
He joins Laura Burke, director general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as vice-president of the professional membership body.