Grant LuptonA number of changes to the board of directors at the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) were announced at their recent annual conference.

In a first for the organisation, Grant Lupton, chief fire officer and CEO of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service, will hold the positions of Chair and International President at the same time. He replaces outgoing Chairman Peter Holland, who has stepped down after more than 20 years on the board, and who Mr Lupton described as a “visionary leader” in his address to the conference.

Mr Lupton’s Vice Chairman will be Steve Hamm, Assistant Commissioner, London Fire Brigade.

There were a further two appointments to the board; Mark Reilly from New South Wales and Manchester FRS CFO Steve McGuirk. The board of the IFE is now truly representative of the global fire sector and includes two directors from Australia, one from New Zealand, one from Canada and one from Malaysia.

At the AGM, held in July, Peter Holland was awarded a lifetime fellowship to the IFE in recognition of his work and dedication.