IGEM Sections

The Irish Section covers Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, hosting events in Belfast, Dublin and Cork. Key themes of our events include: the activities of the gas network operators in Ireland and renewable sources of energy.

Chair: Richard Watters

Richard is a Team Manager at Evolve, which operates the gas distribution network in the west of Northern Ireland. A graduate in civil and environmental engineering, he has worked in the natural gas sector since 2008. Since joining Evolve in 2022, he has been responsible for network design and construction, and energy transition. He was the lead engineer on the first-ever direct-to-grid injection of biomethane on the island of Ireland. The biomethane connection, on Evolve’s network, can supply enough renewable energy for around 4,000 homes in the West network. Richard is passionate about sustainability and supporting the personal and professional development of IGEM colleagues.

Email: irish@igem.org.uk

A diverse region that includes the English capital and a large expanse of coastline, the London, Southern & Eastern Section offers a range of events including technical talks and tours to facilities such as the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Isle of Grain.

Chair: Dominic Cummings

Dominic has worked for SGN (and its predecessor companies going back to British Gas days) for over 35 years in a range of operations & asset management roles. He is a Chartered Gas Engineer and in his current role, running the Engineering Policy team at SGN. Dominic has been involved with IGEM for much of his career, including serving on local section committees, the Membership Committee, and the Gas Transmission & Distribution (technical) Committee.

Email: londonsouthern@igem.org.uk

The Midlands Section has the largest number of IGEM members in its region, with the vast amount of IGEM comapany members being based in this area. This provides a great opportunity for technical visits and tours, as well as the chance to hear from industry experts at technical paper evenings.

Chair: Callum Finegan

Starting his career in Civil Engineering & Design, Callum moved to a career in the Gas Industry 13 years ago. Callum is an Area Manager in Energy Operations and is responsible for assuring and managing the many Assets & Pipelines across the Gas Distribution Network. He has experience in Project Management and enjoyed different roles across Capital Delivery in the Design & Construction of Major Gas Infrastructure Projects.

Email: midlands@igem.org.uk

The North East & Yorkshire Section hosts a range of successful events and tours that review innovation and the future of gas, providing insight into the work on hydrogen taking place in the area and linking with Northern Gas Networks (NGN), operator of the gas distribution network in the region.

Chair: Lewis Kirkwood

Lewis is the Innovation Manager for Northern Gas Networks, focussing on innovation projects that facilitate a fair and just energy systems transition. Working at Northern Gas Networks for almost 4 years, he has worked in various different roles within the business. Helping build a wide range of knowledge and understanding that can be used to better do the current role as well as help out those within the YPN.

Email: northeastyorkshire@igem.org.uk

The North West Section host a series of events ranging from technical paper evenings with keynote speakers, to industry site visits across the region. Its popular Christmas lunch takes place the second week of December and is a great opportunity to network with colleagues from across the industry.

Chair: Andrew Reynolds

Andrew Reynolds is Technical Assurance Manager at United Infrastructure, specialising in weld engineering for gas pipeline asset health and upgrade projects. He began his career in 2017 as an apprentice weld engineer with Fastflow Energy Services, and has since developed a strong foundation in pipeline integrity and construction. Andrew is a Chartered Engineer with the Institute of Gas Engineers and Managers.

Email: northwest@igem.org.uk

The Scottish Section's event calendar provides a range of learning opportunities across Scotland. Our events cover a number of specialisms, and we like to vary the format by including paper evenings, showcase events, technical talks and social and networking events in our programme.  

Chair: Stuart Sherlock

Stuart is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) and leads the Governance and Performance division within SGN’s Innovation team. With over a decade of experience in the gas industry, Stuart ensures SGN’s innovation project portfolio meets the highest standards of governance and compliance.

Email: scottish@igem.org.uk

The Far East District Section covers Hong Kong and China and is an extension of the Institution designed to support members by connecting them with fellow professionals and organisations working on the gas network within their geographical area.

Chair: Desmond Cheung

Desmond is the Senior Engineering Safety & Environment Manager at The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas), a Chartered Member of IGEM and HKIE, and a Council Member of IGEM, with over 20 years of experience in the gas industry. He has broad experience across process safety management, health, safety and environment (HSE), human resources, and strategic initiatives in Hong Kong, as well as extensive safety management experience in Chinese mainland, with a strong focus on integrating safety governance with operational excellence. He has contributed to the advancement of process safety frameworks, contractor safety management, and digitalization initiatives at the Tai Po Gas Production Plant. He actively promotes continuous improvement and the adoption of international safety standards within the organization, and contributes to industry development through active engagement with IGEM and the wider engineering and HSE community.

Email: fareast@igem.org.uk

The South West Section host two showcase events a year, one in the spring and the other in the autumn. The events provide a great opportunity to hear from a range of industry speakers who will cover one particular theme at each event. These popular events also provide a wonderful opportunity to network with colleagues from across the industry.

Chair: Tony Wimpenny

Tony is the Director and co-founder of Bohr, established in 2022 to enable renewable gas production and utilisation through development and supply of blending, measurement and control technologies and solutions. Tony previously managed a leading gas systems integration company and has been in the gas industry for over 10 years, prior to which he worked for several years in aerospace engineering. He serves on numerous gas quality forums in the UK, Europe and internationally, focussing on standards and implementation approaches for natural gas, biomethane, hydrogen and other related topics. 

Email: southwest@igem.org.uk

The Welsh Section’s activities include technical paper evenings and an interesting array of site visits to facilities across the country. We try to make the most of the variety of gas related facilities within Wales, such as the Cardiff Energy Recovery Facility, peaking plants and coke ovens. Our annual dinner takes place in the autumn and is a wonderful opportunity to network with colleagues from across the industry.

Chair: Declan Spencer

Declan Spencer is a Below 7Bar Network Analyst at Wales & West Utilities, where he works closely with operational colleagues and takes a keen interest in the delivery of special projects. In 2025, Declan won the Welsh Section YPPC and presented at the final at IGEM House, gaining valuable experience and networking opportunities. Outside of work, Declan enjoys playing and watching football and golf, as well as listening to podcasts.

Email: welsh@igem.org.uk

Members aged 35 and under are automatically assigned to our Young Persons Network (YPN) in addition to their local Section. Designed specifically to support individuals early in their career, the benefits of the YPN include: career mentorship, technical paper evenings, best practice industrial visits, opportunity to enter the annual YPPC Competition formally known as the Young Persons Paper Competition, networking with like-minded peers and social events.

Chair: Shalom Amakhabi

Shalom Amakhabi is an Asset Manager at National Gas, with over three years’ experience in the energy sector. A member of IGEM since the start of her career, she is the incoming Chair of the Young Persons Network. She cares about creating a network where people feel genuinely involved, supported, and able to grow. Her focus is on opening up opportunities, reaching more young people, and building a YPN that people want to be part of.

Email: ypn@igem.org.uk

The Company Member Section is designed to support the organisations affiliated to IGEM. Whether you’re a sole trader or large multinational corporation, our Section activities can help you raise the profile of your organisation, recruit talented individuals and develop the skills and expertise of your workforce enabling you to thrive and grow.

Chair: Matthew MacLennan

Matthew has a background in mechanical engineering, starting his career in motorsport and aviation, Matthew entered the gas industry a decade ago, delivering innovation projects at Steve Vick International. After winning the IGEM YPPC, Matthew has gone on to contribute to several IGEM working groups and committees before joining the IGEM Company Member's Section Committee. In the last two years Matthew has joined Bohr Limited as Director of Innovation, pioneering game changing technology that will enable the decarbonisation of gas. Matthew now represents IGEM on the BSI Gas Detector Committee as part of his continued efforts to drive improvement in quality and safety. 

Email: companymembers@igem.org.uk