Janet Young joins the ICE in January from the Cabinet Office, where she is head of the Government Property Profession.

She will take over from Nick Baveystock, who is leaving the institution after 10 years as its director general.

Dr Young is a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and at previous times in her career has been global director of estates for the British Council, director of estates for the Ministry of Justice and head of asset management in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Her doctoral thesis, Towards Zero Energy Buildings, looked at the challenges and solutions for low carbon and energy developments.

ICE president Keith Howells said: “I am absolutely thrilled that Janet has accepted this most important of roles. She brings exactly the skills we need as the institution, and the wider profession, wrestles with the challenges of net zero, the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the practical issues that our industry faces on a day-to-day basis. I greatly look forward to working with her.”

Dr Young said: “It is an honour to be asked to work with the trustees and members of the world’s leading engineering institution. The challenges are huge: the potential prize immense. I join at a time when engineers and infrastructure professionals are making a real impact in shaping a better world.”

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