The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive. Joining the FPS from his previous role as Executive Secretary at the Nuclear Institute, Mark Askew succeeds Susan Hancock as Chief Executive. Joining the FPS on 1 April 2011, he will work alongside Susan until she retires in the summer of 2011
Fifty year old Mark has over 30 years of experience across a range of sectors. For the past five years, he has run the Nuclear Institute’s secretariat, co-ordinated membership activities and organised technical and commercial events on a national and European scale. A key function has been providing knowledge of the nuclear industry to, and building links with, Government, academia, the media and service providers. Among other achievements, Mark also managed the merger of The Institution of Nuclear Engineers and the British Nuclear Energy Society to form the Nuclear Institute and went on to develop policies and strategy for the new body.
Prior to joining the Nuclear Institute, Mark spent 10 years with the Aluminium Federation, much of it as Technical Director. Again, he ran a secretariat and provided membership services and liaison with other organisations. He arrived at the representative body after extensive supervisory and management experience with companies in that sector.
Appointed to drive the next stage of the Federation's growth, Mark comments: “The FPS has achieved considerable success and I’m delighted to be joining the organisation. The FPS has always worked very hard for its membership and I intend to continue with that tradition. The most effective representation comes from the whole of the sector working together. Achieving this will mean increasing membership, especially in Ireland. With increased numbers, we can establish an even stronger industry presence, promote successes and address challenges and issues to best effect. We will need to develop further our communication to the wider community in which we operate. I hope to encourage the sharing of best practice between member companies and to extend the already successful training offered by the FPS into other operational areas. And, of course, I hope to get to know the sector and its members better, because it is only through understanding them and their needs thoroughly that we can all work together towards a more prosperous future.”
FPS President David Hatherell added: “These are exciting times for the FPS. Mark brings to the Federation a vibrant approach and a raft of new ideas. His understated competence, his experience of combining two disparate organisations in the nuclear industry and his proven ability to rapidly gain a technical knowledge of a complex industry with no previous knowledge of it will prove invaluable in the next phase of growth for the FPS. I wish him a long, happy and successful career in our Federation."