Directors
The day-to-day running of the organisation is managed by directorates and led by a Chief Executive. Here you can find out more about our people.
Martin Powell: Chief Executive
Martin joined the Institution of Structural Engineers in February 2009 after seven years as Chief Executive at The UK Concrete Society.
He is an honours graduate of the UK’s Leicester University where he majored in Earth Sciences from where he developed his career in the quarrying extractive industry initially with Australian corporation Pioneer International before joining Redland in 1991, a world leading manufacturer of bricks and roof-tiles who were in the process of increasing their exposure in aggregates and concrete related products.
Much of the next 6 years were involved with business acquisitions, mergers and restructuring until 1997, when Redland itself was acquired by Lafarge, a French multi-national heavy building materials group. Martin joined the Lafarge world-wide business performance team supporting knowledge transfer and best practice amongst Lafarge’s international concrete operations until joining the Concrete Society as Chief Executive in 2002.
He is a member of Engineering UK’s Professional Panel and a policy group member of the Royal Academy of Engineers sponsored Education for Engineering programme.
Vipan Narang: Corporate Services Director
Vipan joined the Institution from his role as the Director of Finance & Resources at the Churches Conservation Trust, England's third largest building conservation and regeneration charity. During his 5 years, the Trust experienced rapid change, with the Finance & Resources team providing professional support, reporting and delivery to an increasingly devolved organisation.
He’s been a Chartered Accountant for the past 16 years, and built his experience in audit and risk roles in commerce and industry.
Vipans remit at the Institution includes directorial responsibilities for finance; human resources; IT; facilities and internal administration.
Darren Byrne: Membership & Education Services Director
Darren joined the Institution of Structural Engineers in November 1999, following a period of almost five years employment with the Institution of Civil Engineers.
During his extensive involvement with professional engineering institutions Darren has gained experience in all aspects of the professional membership qualifying process from academic qualifications, through to Initial Professional Development (IPD) and finally the Professional Review.
During his time at the Institution of Structural Engineers Darren has overseen the drafting of the IPD regulations, the introduction of the new Professional Review Interview and the development of new routes to membership.
He was appointed Director of Membership & Education in February 2008 and with his team continues to develop resources and initiatives to better support members, throughout the world, through the qualifying process.
Dr Susan Doran: Company Secretary and Director of Regulations
Susan gained an honours degree in Civil Engineering at King’s College London after which she remained at the College undertaking research which led to the award of a PhD in 1985.
Following a short period as a university lecturer in Scotland, she joined Arup in 1987 where she spent eight years working with multidisciplinary teams on the structural design of major building engineering projects. During this time she became a Chartered Civil Engineer.
Susan joined the Institution of Structural Engineers in April 1995 as Manager, Technical Activities - promoted to Technical Director in 2000 - and was responsible for the Institution’s technical work until taking up her current post of Company Secretary and Director of Regulations in July 2009. Whilst working at the Institution she qualified as a Chartered Secretary.
In addition Susan is Company Secretary for Structural Engineers Registration Limited (SER) a wholly owned subsidiary company of the Institution currently operating in Scotland and Jersey.
Sarah Fray: Engineering & Technical Services Director
Sarah Fray joined the Institution of Structural Engineers as the Director: Engineering and Technical Services in October 2009.
Sarah’s career began in the public sector, working for five years as a trainee civil engineering technician engineer. This period was followed by a return to full time education when she gained an honours degree in Civil Engineering at University of Plymouth. After graduating she returned to industry working for consulting engineering practices in Devon, where she undertook a broad range of building structure and civil engineering projects, including major projects for the Ministry of Defence.
Moving to the southeast of England 1986, Sarah continued her career in both the private and public sectors achieving the position of Associate Director with two award winning consultancies.
She then joined Arqiva, an international broadcast telecommunications company in 1996 as Senior Structural Engineer where she provided building design and management expertise to the multi-billion pound company. In her role she took personal responsibility for forensic engineering of the built asset portfolio and for a number of high liability projects which involved significant health and safety issues.
Sarah is a member of the Institution of Structural Engineers and also of the Institution of Civil Engineers.