IMechE Presidential Address 2025: Trust Me, I'm an Engineer

Matt Garside CEng FIMechE MIET: 140th President, Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Nuclear Power Committee

Matt is a chartered engineer and Fellow of the Institution. Matt read mechanical engineering at De Montfort University, graduating with a BEng (Hons) first class degree in 2003. Matt is married and resides in Mickleton, Gloucestershire.

Matt joined the Institution as an Affiliate in 1999. In 2001, as part of his degree, Matt undertook a year in industry; it was at this point that Matt become more actively involved in the Institution. Between 2001 and 2006, Matt helped to rejuvenate, and chaired, the Leicester Young Members Panel, before chairing the Leicester Area Committee, representing the East Midlands on the Young Members Board, eventually joining the Young Members Board Executive Team. During this time, Matt regularly attended meetings with the East Midlands Region.

Matt gained Chartered Engineer status in 2006 at the age of 25 and in 2007 accepted an opportunity through the Young Member Board to represent the voice of the Young Members, in a co-opted capacity, on the Trustee Board. Matt was subsequently successful in being elected to the Trustee Board in 2008, as the Ordinary Member Under 30, and in 2011 as an Ordinary Member. During his time on the Trustee Board, Matt championed education and Young Member activities, and is particularly proud of the involvement and benefits that the Institution has had with the Bloodhound Project. Matt held the role of Vice Chair on the Qualification and Membership Board and the Regional Strategy Board during his time on the Trustee Board. From 2013 to 2014, Matt was a Director of Professional Engineering Publishing.

In 2014, Matt was successfully elected a Member of Council, and was re-elected in 2018. Matt joined the Council Co-ordinating Committee in 2014. In 2017, Matt accepted an invitation from the President to chair the Council Co-ordinating Committee; Matt was re-elected into this role in 2018.

Following graduation in 2003, Matt’s passion for mechanical engineering has enabled him to successfully forge a career within the nuclear defence and civil nuclear industry. He has worked with a number of companies, including Alstec Ltd, Rolls-Royce (Submarines), Babcock (BNS Nuclear Services Limited), Assystem UK Ltd, AWE and Wood Plc (formerly Amec Foster Wheeler). During his career, Matt has worked on a wide range of projects ranging from nuclear safety justifications (to support the Continuous At Sea Deterrent) to technical substantiation assessments, as part of a periodic review of safety for a major defence contractor. Matt has also successfully led multi-disciplinary engineering teams on nuclear decommissioning, high precision tooling and test rig installation projects.

In 2014, Matt set up Garside Design Services Limited, and he has been operating ever since as a Principal Mechanical Engineer for Wood Plc (formerly Amec Foster Wheeler and Amec). In his current role, Matt is part of the AWE core team that is delivering a number of substantiation and upgrade projects for a business-critical facility for a major defence contractor.

Dr Alice Bunn: CEO, Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Nuclear Power Committee

Dr Alice Bunn is Chief Executive of the Institution for Mechanical Engineers. Alice is a Fellow of the Institution and took up her role as CEO in July 2021. Alice is responsible for delivering our mission of improving the world through engineering, working as one team with our highly valued members and staff. Alice brings a focus on our values of inclusivity, impact, innovation and integrity - in developing future strategy and in the day to day running of the Institution’s business. In her previous role, she was International Director at the UK Space Agency, responsible for increasing the UK’s global influence in science, security and trade through space. Alice sits on the Board of EngineeringUK; is Chair of the Professional Engineering Committee; is President of the UKSpace trade association; acts as advisor to Orbitfab; and sits on the World Economic Forum Future Council on space technology. She is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Chair of the trustee board at the charity SwimTayka and is Patron of the General Steam Navigation Restoration Project. She is married with 4 children, 1 dog and 1 cat. Alice also has a PhD in Metallurgy from Darwin College, University of Cambridge. Alice was awarded an OBE in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the UK space sector and to charity.