The Corrosion Engineering Division (CED) has announced that this year’s recipient of the Paul McIntyre award is Chris Lynch.
Chris Lynch is currently employed by Corrpro Companies Europe Limited as their Senior Engineering Manager. He is responsible for the Cathodic Protection Engineering, Site Services and the Power Unit Design personnel, and has been in this role for the last 8 years.
He graduated from The University of Leeds in 1990 and started working as a Junior Corrosion Engineer for Aberdeen Corrosion Engineers Limited, and stayed in the North of Scotland for over 10 years whilst travelling extensively as an ‘engineer in-learning’ taking him across Europe and the Middle East working both onshore and offshore. He now specialises in Cathodic Protection. In 2005 he returned to Teesside to work for his current employer as a Senior Projects Engineer and has worked through the ranks to his present position.
“I believe in working hard with honestly and integrity and have been fortunate to have worked on some excellent Projects with competent people. I am constantly learning and have a continual appetite to understand more and more in my field and the wider Corrosion Industry. I think it is important to put a little back into the industry that has served me so well and have taken the opportunity to do so which has rewarded me in so many ways. Throughout my career I have championed and supported the Institute of Corrosion. I have worked on the numerous training committees and as a course presenter of the ICorr CP training scheme since the mid 1990’s and continue this voluntarily to this day as a current member of the Cathodic Protection Governing Body (CPGB). I am a Level 4 CP Specialist of buried and marine structures and internal surfaces, a Fellow of the Institute of Corrosion and a Chartered Engineer”, stated Chris.
He holds the position of Chair of GEL/603 which is the British Standards Institute (BSI) committee for Cathodic Protection and works on numerous Working Group activities for ISO and CEN. He is a member of several professional bodies including CEOCOR and the Marine Corrosion Forum, and reportedly he has thrived on the open exchange of experience and learning between his peers, particularly those from overseas. He believes it is this sharing of knowledge and experience that has benefitted both himself as an individual and the wider corrosion industry. It is his ambition to communicate and to guide people, especially younger, less experienced people, into this opportunity and to encourage people to share what they know with others.
Chris continued “I would like to thank those who have voted for me to receive the Paul McIntyre Award for 2022. This is a great honour for me. I would like to dedicate it to all the people who have contributed to my success, many of whom I have met whilst doing the work that Paul himself did tirelessly and for so many years himself. It is wonderful that my work with GEL/603 and with ISO and CEN standards committees and working groups has been recognised with this award. The work is so varied and with communities such as CEOCOR, the approach is unique and informal. To be honest, it is not work at all. It is fun. There is much to be gained in international standards work and I have built up friendships with peers and experts across Europe and the wider world. I have gained so much more than can be taught on courses or read in presentations, papers or visiting exhibitions. I believe we all have something to share. Perhaps an experience we have had that is unique or a set of interesting data we have gathered, a job that went wrong that others would benefit from in hindsight.
Standards development and contribution is not mandated to be the sole right of exclusive clubs where only experts can be members. There should be no place for elitism or intellectual snobbery. I wish to encourage groups to be inclusive and friendly. Groups which are pleased to have your contribution and listen to your experiences regardless of age or experience.
When I read Paul’s contributions to BSI and ISO, it strengthens my belief that I can do more and aspire to his level of achievement. It is humbling to be in the company of the five previous winners of this award. I thank ICorr and the Corrosion Engineering Division for this recognition, having first asked, are you sure you have the right person and I look forward to continuing working alongside other volunteers in developing and improving the CP competency training courses”.
For more information on working on standards committees and working groups or joining professional institutions please contact him at, clynch@aegion.com
