Spall, who has been a member of the Institution since 1984, is a long-standing volunteer, serving as a Trustee and most recently as Chief Judge at the Formula Student racing car competition for 5 years.
With a background in the car industry in the UK and internationally, he brings a wealth of engineering and business experience to the role.
Commenting on his appointment, Spall said: “It’s an exciting and challenging moment to take over the Presidency. This last year we have been working on the governance and finance reviews and how they will be implemented, which has been a massive task.
The results of these reviews will be rolled out over the next year and we will be consulting members on how they would like the Institution to evolve. It is time for change and I’m looking forward to playing a very active role to make that happen.”
Encouraging more member involvement in the Institution’s activities and raising the profile of engineering to encourage more young people from a diverse background to consider it as a career are also priorities for this year.
Not surprisingly considering his career, Terry has chosen the future of mobility as the theme of his presidency and in his presidential address in the autumn he will look ahead to see what the transport industry may look like.
“The automotive industry is going through greatest change it has ever faced, with the challenges and opportunities electrification and automated driving bring. A truly exciting time – but how will all this play out over the next decade?”
Spall received his first degree in mechanical engineering in 1985 followed by a MSc in Engineering Programme Management from Lancaster University in 1990.
His career has included working at Leyland Trucks, Nissan and most recently at HORIBA MIRA which carries out engineering, research and testing for the automotive sector. Terry led the establishment of MIRA’s overseas operations in seven countries including China and India.
Terry was appointed Commercial Director for MIRA Technology Park Ltd in October 2010. He left the company in January 2020 to become a consultant.
Terry is a keen mountaineer and fell walker. He also enjoys restoring classic cars, with two projects currently underway -- a 1989 TVR3000S and a 1968 Morris Minor.
