Dame Judith Hackitt awarded 2024 President’s Medal by Royal Academy of Engineering

DAME JUDITH HACKITT, safety expert and a former president of IChemE, is the 2024 recipient of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s President’s Medal in recognition of her enormous contribution to its work.

Dame Judith was elected a Fellow of the RAEng in 2010. The RAEng said she has made a deep and sustained contribution to its work. As a Trustee and Chair of the External Affairs Committee she has helped to shape the organisation’s long-term strategy and fostered the launch of the This is Engineering campaign to encourage young people to consider engineering as a career.

For the last five years, Dame Judith has chaired the Steering Group for the Safer Complex Systems programme that supports researchers and practicing engineers to identify and mitigate risks in complex engineering systems.

Dame Judith will be awarded the medal at a ceremony held in London on 9 July. She said: “Feeling both proud and humbled to be the recipient of the RAEng President’s Medal this year. Like many engineers I do what I do because of my passion to make the world a better place, but it feels very special to be recognised for that.”

Sir Jim McDonald, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Dame Judith has made enormous contributions to chemical and systems engineering and to engineering safety over many years. She has served the country as chair of the UK’s Health and Safety Executive and has an unrivalled record of service to society through her advocacy for the process and manufacturing industries, her holistic approach to culture change and to the promotion of the engineering profession.”

Dame Judith was president of IChemE from 2013–2014. A chemical engineer, she was formerly the chair of the manufacturers’ trade group Make UK. She is currently interim chair of the Office for Nuclear Regulation, chair of the engineering and manufacturing skills body Enginuity, and an independent advisor on building safety matters for the UK and Australian (Victoria) governments. In 2017, Dame Judith led the independent review of building regulations and fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire, making a series of recommendations which have been implemented to address issues with construction.