The Board of the Transport Research Foundation (TRF), the holding company of TRL (Transport Research Laboratory), has announced the appointment of Dr Clive Hickman, OBE, as its new chairman with effect from 1 November 2022.
Dr Hickman began his career as an engineer at Rover Group and rose to become chief executive of Tata Motors European Technical Centre via senior positions at MIRA and Ricardo UK. He has been chief executive of the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) since its formation in 2011 and he will continue his involvement with MTC becoming Chairman in 2023. A chartered engineer, he holds five honorary doctorates. In September 2021 the Royal Academy of Engineering awarded him the Sir Frank Whittle Medal for outstanding and sustained achievement in engineering, and he was awarded OBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours.
Paul Campion, CEO of TRL Ltd said : ‘’I am very pleased to welcome Clive to the TRF. Clive is first and foremost a passionate innovator, and his curiosity and passion to find ways to make the world a better place makes him an ideal fit for the TRF.”
Dr Hickman takes over the role from Charles Rice. Charles was only the second chairman of the TRF since its privatisation in 1996, and steered the organisation through major changes in its markets, encouraged international collaborations, and oversaw its transformation and successful expansion into new areas.
“Charles has been a steady hand at the tiller, guiding and aiding three Chief Executives during his tenure” says Campion. “It is very unusual for an organisation to have such steadfast support for such a long period and we have been hugely fortunate to have Charles guiding the Foundation as an independent, social purpose organisation through dramatic technical and market changes. We thank him for his service and wish him a very happy retirement”.
Dr Clive Hickman said: “I am delighted to be joining at this exciting time in the evolution of TRF. The organisation has some great opportunities in what is a dramatically changing transport world. Our employees have exceptional knowledge and skills which will ensure TRL becomes an indispensable partner to a huge range of organisations as they navigate the uncertain waters ahead. I very much look forward to working with TRF and our clients to create the ‘Future of Transport’”.
