- Our Key Objectives
- Our subsidiary companies
- From Divisions
- From Colleges
- Committees and Panels
- Special interest groups
- Technical Societies
- Australasian Association for Engineering Education
- Australasian Fluids and Thermal Engineering Society
- Australasian Particle Technology Society
- Australasian Tunnelling Society
- Australian Composite Structures Society
- Australian Cost Engineering Society
- Australian Earthquake Engineering Society
- Australian Geomechanics Society
- Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling
- Australian Society for Defence Engineering
- Electric Energy Society of Australia
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Society of Australia
- Industrial Engineering Society
- Institute of Materials Engineering Australasia Ltd
- Maintenance Engineering Society of Australia
- Manufacturing Society of Australia
- Mine Subsidence Technological Society
- Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineering Society
- Railway Technical Society of Australasia
- Red R Australia
- Risk Engineering Society
- Society for Engineering in Agriculture
- Society for Sustainability and Environmental Engineering
- Society of Fire Safety
- Systems Engineering Society of Australia
- Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia
- Joint Board Aerospace Engineering
- Joint Board for Naval Architecture Engineers Australia and Royal Institution of Naval Architects
Institute of Materials Engineering Australasia Ltd (IMEA)
www.materialsaustralia.com.auThis is my last report as President of Materials Australia. In reviewing our progress during 2008 we more or less followed five steps designed to achieve a sustainable organisation. After (first) setting our strategy, we (second) restructured the National Executive to include an Audit and Risk Committee and our new CEO, Nick Koerbin identified the business operating units (third) and aligned the roles of our staff accordingly. Steps four and five occurred concurrently with the National Executive supporting the CEO’s recommendation to replace our outdated and inadequate database systems. This has made a huge difference to our ability to manage our operations, undertake data analysis, and communicate with our members through the new web site. These actions together have put us on a firmer footing for growth.
Despite this progress we find ourselves in a difficult financial situation as the ICEM conference, while very successful as a conference, did not deliver the planned financial outcome. To recover and mitigate future risk, the National Council, the CEO and his team are working towards creating sufficient services and events so that we have a long-term sustainable future. The best course of action for us to achieve sustainability is to pursue our three strategic goals:
- to be the peak materials technology body, we need the support of a healthy membership; our new online systems have made it much easier to engage with members;
- we provide competitive advantage for our members through recognition of their professional standing – by way of awarding Certified Materials Professional (CMP) status, through our new Early Career Materials Professional Award, to be launched in 2009, and through our long-standing and prestigious Silver Medal; and
- to provide access to networks of practitioners, governments, and industry for our members, through our various professional development activities, including our Special Interest Groups.
I am pleased to be leaving the Presidency in the capable hands of George Collins, who assumed the reins in May this year. I will continue to work with George and the National Executive as the Immediate Past President.
Finally, I would like to thank Nick Koerbin, Helen Woodall and the head office staff for ‘above and beyond’. I also thank all the volunteers who make up the National Executive, National Council, and the Branch Councils who have supported the development and implementation of our strategic plan.
David StJohn
Immediate Past President
