Katherine Bennett appointed as The Welding Institute president

Katherine Bennett CBE FRAeS has been appointed as the new president of The Welding Institute.

As Chief Executive Officer of the High Value (HVM) Manufacturing Catapult, Katherine is a proud ambassador for UK design, engineering and manufacturing, leading the Catapult in its primary mission of driving industrial transformation through innovation. During a life-long career in industry, spanning Airbus and General Motors (Vauxhall), Katherine has demonstrated a passion for people, leading multiple industry initiatives aimed at ensuring diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace. She also chaired the Western Gateway pan-regional partnership for four years and served on the Levelling Up Advisory Council.

HVM Catapult was established by Innovate UK to help drive economic growth by keeping UK manufacturing innovative, productive and globally competitive. TWI / The Welding Institute has forged links with HVM Catapult since its formation to create a closely aligned hub for industrial growth and development across the UK and overseas.

The Welding Institute’s Chair of Council, Claire Kimpton, said:

I am delighted to welcome Katherine Bennett CBE FRAeS as the new President of The Welding Institute. Her expertise and experience as CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult builds on the existing connections between HVM Catapult and TWI / The Welding Institute, as well as our shared focus on delivering cross-sector technologies in support of industry and providing a platform for professional growth and development across all industry sectors.

Also speaking on Katherine’s appointment, TWI / The Welding Institute CEO, Caroline Gumble said, “I am extremely excited to welcome Katherine as President of TWI. We specialise in understanding the performance of materials when joined, processed, or in challenging operating environments. TWI is a global innovation asset, which complements the HVM Catapult ecosystem, where Katherine has served as CEO since 2021. By working closer together, we all become stronger.

On the announcement of her appointment, Katherine Bennett CBE, said:

I am honoured to be appointed president of The Welding Institute, an organisation that has been at the heart of industrial progress for well over a century. At such an important time for the welding sector, the support the Institute provides to its members – from skills development to professional recognition – is integral to advancing the welding, joining and allied technologies we need for national resilience and a growing economy. I look forward to championing The Welding Institute’s work and supporting its contribution to a more productive, innovative and sustainable manufacturing sector.

Katherine replaces Professor Dame Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, who became our first female president in 2022.