NEWS & APPOINTMENTS
Long-serving Ideal Heating duo bring curtain down on combined 90 years of service
Two senior leaders at manufacturer Ideal Heating have called time on remarkable careers which span close to a century of combined service. John Glanville, Ideal’s chief information officer, joined the business in 1977 as a computer operator. Over the course of nearly five decades, he has played a pivotal role in shaping Ideal’s technology strategy. From pioneering the adoption of mobile communications, to spearheading advancements in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, John has consistently positioned Ideal at the forefront of technological innovation. Also retiring in December is Debbie Skalli, Ideal’s HR director, who, in a 41-year
career, has had a profound impact on the company’s people strategy, supporting the progression of countless colleagues and maintaining the ethos of Ideal Heating as a family-focused business.
John will be succeeded as chief information officer by Barry Dixon, currently Ideal’s chief
information officer designate. Likewise, Debbie’s role of HR director will be assumed by Miriam Moore, currently HR director designate and previously HR manager.
Appointments New technical officer for ICOM and MEHNA
Demi Bozkurt has joined the Industrial and Commercial Heating Equipment Association (ICOM) and Manufacturers of Equipment for Heat Networks Association (MEHNA) as the new Technical Officer. Coming from a similar role in the freight industry, Demi is quickly getting to grips with the commercial heating industry. “I’m really enthusiastic about learning new things. I love to dive deep and figure out everything, so I am finding this new challenge really interesting,” she said. “I am enjoying using my people skills and building rapport with our members and other organisations we work with, and finding out what they all do. It’s important to be methodical in this role, do your due diligence and make sure everything is in line, that there are no crossovers and that everyone has all the support they need, whether it’s understanding the latest legislation or providing the correct information.” Steve McConnell, Director of ICOM and MEHNA, added: “Demi is already making an impact. She is attending industry meetings and reporting back to members on relevant technical issues. We are delighted with her enthusiasm, knowledge and attention to detail.”
BITZER UK strengthens sales team
Lift industry leaders urge action to build specialist skills pipeline
With the construction and engineering sectors facing a need to recruit 25,000 additional workers per year by 2028, the lift industry is calling for action to revolutionise training pathways and create opportunities to attract new talent.
Amid rising safety and compliance demands, sector-wide skills shortages are stalling both new build and retrofit projects, causing concern around delivering on targets and ensuring occupant safety. According to research, skills deficiencies are most pronounced in fire safety (33.5%), Building Safety Act (BSA) compliance (32%), product assurance and traceability (28%), and sustainability (22%). The research, which was commissioned by PEW Electrical, a specialist supplier to the lift and vertical transport industry, reveals that over half (55%) of professionals attribute shortages to insufficient apprenticeships and career opportunities, while 53% point to fractured training as the primary upskilling barrier. Negative industry perceptions exacerbate the issue, with 54% seeing this as a key
retention obstacle and 41% linking poor perceptions to recruitment difficulties. The gaps, driven by fragmented training provision and limited career pathways, threaten
regulatory adherence under the BSA, with one in five professionals (20%) citing training and competency as the biggest challenge, and 23% highlighting accountability issues in the golden thread of building safety. Further to this, nearly one in five (18%) respondents think that, currently, lift engineers are poorly prepared to ensure compliance. However, the shortage of engineers is not specific to the lift industry. It mirrors broader construction trends where workforce numbers have declined sharply and the demand for skilled tradespeople, particularly in specialised areas, remains urgent to meet growing safety and compliance expectations. Jason Clark, registered engineer and Chairman at PEW Electrical, stated: “The shortage of skills in engineering needs to be addressed quickly and systematically. The UK’s infrastructure and retrofit ambitions require government and businesses to create pathways, embrace young talent, and shift perceptions to showcase the diverse opportunities that our fantastic industry has to offer. “
While the sector faces significant challenges when it comes to skills and meeting evolving regulations, many professionals feel that progress has been made. 58% of respondents said that their entire supply chain has embedded new processes to support competent lift design and installation, meanwhile 57% said that they are confident that lift design standards (such as BS EN 81 series) align with new building safety expectations. Further to this, 26% of respondents said that they now employ a vertical movement consultant for more complex projects to ensure compliance and performance of the system. “The industry cares about ensuring best practice, that’s for certain,” Continued Clark. “But we need to both upskill current teams and create more opportunities for young tradespeople and engineers.” “Part of addressing this is promoting how rewarding a career in engineering can be, which means it’s not just down to the government, it’s down to us. And this is something I’m, personally, very passionate about.”
“Alongside my work with City & Guilds and Skills England, here at PEW Electrical, we’re
preparing a range of tools to support engineers and specifiers in ensuring the highest standards of system design and compliance, which we look forward to sharing with the market throughout 2026.
“In the meantime, we encourage all and any contractors, lift companies, and specifiers to get in touch with our in-house engineers for technical guidance or advice on ensuring compliance.” PEW Electrical and broader industry stakeholders are calling for unified efforts to enhance training frameworks, improve industry perception, and develop structured career pathways to secure the future of lift engineering and safeguard building safety.
4 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JANUARY 2026
BITZER UK has expanded its UK sales strength with the appointment of Scott Elmer as sales manager, primarily supporting the continued growth of BITZER’s condensing unit business. Although new to the refrigeration industry, Scott has been quick to get up to speed and is now developing into BITZER’s go-to condensing unit specialist. His role involves working closely with contractors, distributors and end users, helping them navigate product selection, system requirements and application needs with confidence. With over 20 years of commercial experience across multiple sectors, Scott brings
broad expertise to BITZER. Scott’s experience spans commercial and regional sales, business development and general management. Throughout his career, he has successfully led teams, managed operations and maintained responsibility for forecasting and budgeting. “It’s been a steep learning curve but a great one,” said Scott. “The team has been brilliant in helping me understand the refrigeration side of things, and I’m excited to continue developing my product knowledge across the wider BITZER range. I am looking forward to building relationships, supporting customers and helping them find the right solution for their projects.” Scott will play a key role in supporting installers and consultants across the country as BITZER strengthens its presence in the UK condensing unit market through 2025 and beyond.
New Baxi appointment futureproofs company growth in heat pumps
Baxi has announced the appointment of Scott Riley to the newly created position of head of technical solutions - residential. In this role Scott will lead on technical design and delivery for Baxi’s residential division, future proofing the company’s continued growth in the heat pump market.
Scott will manage Baxi’s new technical back-office team, supporting the design of new build and retrofit residential heat pump solutions. Together with his team of pre-sales technicians, Scott will develop residential heat pump sales propositions and solutions that meet customer needs, while creating a best-in-class technical support function in pre and post sales activities.
Scott has extensive experience of the heating industry, having spent his early years as an engineer on renewables, commercial and domestic appliances. He subsequently moved into refrigerant and F gas training, including a stint delivering heat pump training at Baxi, before expanding out into developing comprehensive aftersales propositions with industry professionals.
Scott said: “I’m passionate about heat pump technology which I consider to be the most suitable and established carbon neutral choice right now to support the UK’s transition to cleaner heat. As the technical liaison between Baxi’s award-winning customer service team, its engineers and the external Baxi sales team, I’m looking forward to helping drive heat pump deployment with best-practice design and delivery.”
Wilo Ireland appoints new managing director
Richard Swinburne (pictured with Wilo UK MD Lee Tebbatt) has been appointed as the new managing director of Wilo Ireland. With over 20 years of experience across the utilities, HVAC and industrial sectors, Richard possesses a wealth of knowledge in pump and water-delivery applications, with his most recent position being the Managing Director of Xylem Water Solutions Ireland. His aim is to utilise his expertise and the solutions within the wider Wilo global platform
to grow the Wilo Ireland business and team. Alongside this, Richard’s ambition is to deliver on best practice with sustainability, with this being a key factor in why he chose to take the role. Richard said: “I am delighted to be joining Wilo Ireland at such a great point in its
journey. The strides that Wilo has been making as a group with regards to sustainability is what initially drew me to the position. As four-time winners of the top EcoVadis platinum sustainability rating, and with climate-neutral factories all across Europe, Wilo’s emphasis on environmental consciousness mirrors my own ideals of prioritising eco-friendly practice across building services, water management and industry.
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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