Top UK engineering honour for JCB’s Tim Burnhope

JCB’s chief innovation and growth officer elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

JCB’s chief innovation and growth officer, Tim Burnhope, has received one of the highest honours for UK engineers.

Mr Burnhope, who has worked for JCB for 16 years, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), which champions the cause of engineering in Britain.

He is only the third person in JCB’s 70-year history to receive the coveted accolade.

Lord Bamford, chairman of JCB, was made an Honorary Fellow of the Academy last year.

Mr Burnhope said: ‘I am passionate about engineering and to be recognized in this way is a fantastic honour, not only for me but for the whole engineering team at JCB.’

Prof. Dame Ann Dowling, President of the RAE, said: ‘The Royal Academy of Engineering is the national academy of engineering of the UK which, uniquely, brings together the country’s most eminent and distinguished engineers of all disciplines.’

Last year the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) granted Mr Burnhope Chartered Engineer status and made him a Fellow of the organization.

Having joined JCB in 1999, Mr Burnhope has worked in the roles of engineering manager and then managing director of the Loadall business unit, eventually becoming managing director of both the Loadall and Backhoe business units.

In June 2006 he joined JCB Sales as director of European sales and in 2008 became managing director of JCB Sales Ltd.

In January 2012 Mr Burnhope became chief innovation and growth officer with responsibility for innovation, research, product development and engineering for the JCB Group.