BESA (the Building Engineering Services Association) has appointed Wayne Terry, as its new membership director.

Mr Terry was previously BESA’s head of business development and said he was proud to take on his new role at such a “pivotal time for the profession”.

He has extensive experience of more than 40 years in the industry, with a career built around compliance and certification. Previously head of certification at the NICEIC, Wayne has represented UK certification bodies at the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and also on a number of ISO international standards committees. He has extensive knowledge of the gas, electrical and renewable energy markets, having hands-on experience carrying out electrical safety and energy audits in India and product certification in China.

In his previous role with the association, Wayne spearheaded the development of BESA’s service and maintenance tool SFG20 so that it now delivers tailored solutions for specialist market sectors, including catering and healthcare, enabling building owners to achieve cost savings of up to 20%.

He said the growth of digital and smart systems combined with the drive for better whole life performance of buildings was changing the nature of building engineering work. “BESA members are at the heart of this change because they are the core of the building performance industry. A big part of my job will be to emphasise this fact and equip our members with the tools they need to thrive in the changing climate.”

While it is important to continually look forward and prepare for the future, he said BESA was also privileged to be able to draw on 113 years of history.

“We have a close relationship with a large number of our members, but we want to reach out to others who do not engage so closely in association events and start a wider conversation,” he added.

A growing emphasis on how buildings affect the health and productivity of their occupants is also revolutionising the way building engineering services are valued and increasing the importance of the work of building engineering contractors, according to BESA.

This is a major opportunity for members who, thanks to the association’s independent third party Competence and Assessment Scheme (CAS), have already proved their technical and business credentials, which gives them the edge over non-member competitors, according to Wayne.