BSRIA's outgoing chief executive Andrew Eastwell has been made an honorary member of the association.
It is only the ninth time that the honour has been awarded in the association's 58 year history. The award is presented in recognition of an extraordinary contribution to the association and the promotion of best practice in the building services industry.
Mr Eastwell first joined BSRIA as a junior engineer in November 1975 after graduating from Brunel University. His work on heat meters and unvented cylinders was highly regarded by the industry but it is his development and subsequent management of the BEMS (Building Energy Management Systems) Centre that has led to the biggest change in the industry.
He has served on the CIBSE Council and BSI committees and in the last 10 years he has driven the formation of ATTMA (for promoting good practice in airtightness testing in the industry) and sat on the influential government review for the Construction Industry Innovation and Growth Strategy Group - as a member of the innovation panel. He is currently a member of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee.
He became ceo in 1998 and under his tenure BSRIA has grown to turnover of £11.8 million employing 179 people, with offices in Beijing and a new office being opened in Chicago.
Making the presentation, Chris Monson, a former BSRIA chairman and most recent honorary member, said: 'Andrew we would like to thank you for the effort and hard work that you have put in during the last 38 years in devoting your career to the Association, over 14 years of which have been as its chief executive. Your enthusiasm for making the industry better, your vision as to how BSRIA can help deliver this and your entrepreneurial acumen to put the pieces together to achieve it, has made the Association what it is today. We are all extremely grateful for the accomplishments that have been made on your watch'
Mr Eastwell said: 'Having been part of the BSRIA family of staff, members, council, board and clients for such a long time I am very pleased to be able to remain connected to the team that will take the business forward. Honorary Membership of BSRIA is a rare privilege that is special because it is from people for whom I have the utmost respect in their support of all that BSRIA tries hard to achieve.'