12/4/2016

Dr Debbie Smith OBE has been appointed as the new Managing Director of BRE Global, the certification arm of building science centre BRE which incorporates international brands such as BREEAM and LPCB. She replaces Richard Hardy who takes on the challenge of driving major change projects across the BRE Group.  

Formerly Director of Fire Sciences and Building Products at BRE, Debbie has an esteemed career in driving improvements in fire safety underpinned by ground breaking research, testing and investigations which have informed the practices and processes of the fire sector.

She is Chair of the European Committee CEN TC127 on Fire Safety which is responsible for leading the development of all of the fire test methods for construction products in Europe and will remain heavily involved in the development of national and international fire safety standards and guidance focussed on delivering fire protection within the building, infrastructure and transport sectors.

Other significant senior BRE management changes recently announced:

• Chartered civil engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers  Dr Julie Bregulla will lead BRE’s Fire and Building Technology team, supporting all aspects of performance evaluation for materials, systems and structures in the built environment

• The appointment of BREEAM Director (and fellow of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers) Dr Gavin Dunn to a broader role as BRE Director of Building Performance. This newly formed group incorporates BREEAM and the research-based Housing & Energy and Building Futures teams.

• Guy Hammersley becomes BRE Group Director for BIM, a newly created role that reflects the importance of driving the BIM/ digital construction agenda at a critical time in the industry. Guy sits on the board of open BIM standards organisation BuildingSMART UK & Ireland

• Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Materials Dr Deborah Pullen MBE takes on a broader role as BRE Group Research Director. Deborah who is also a Fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge will develop an international research strategy for BRE and its University Centre of Excellence at Bath, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Brasilia.

These four now join the BRE Executive board of Directors.

Chief Executive of BRE Dr Peter Bonfield said ‘All of these people are leading lights in their fields of expertise. They bring a wealth of knowledge and integrity to their new roles and are directing the BRE charge to Build a better world together with our partners and customers.’

For further information please contact Linda McKeown, BRE, email linda.mckeown@bre.co.uk

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