Tue, 07 May, 2019
Since 1923, The Welding Institute has led the way in research, innovation, and training for welding and joining technologies. The Institute provides awards each year in order to highlight outstanding contributions to materials joining and welding technology, as well as to celebrate enterprise and acknowledge endeavour.
This year’s awards will take place on 2 July at The Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hinxton near Cambridge.
Among the award winners is Phillip Wallace of TWI Wales, who is to be honoured with the Award for Enterprise (in memory of Bevan Braithwaite).
Introduced in 2008, this award made in recognition of the recipient's enterprise to the benefit of welding and joining. Recognising someone who is enthusiastic and passionate about the promotion of a vision, the award also notes the strategic drive to cause that vision to become a successful reality. A positive thinker and a decision-maker, the recipient will have shown persistence and determination in the face of challenges, and will have been innovative and resourceful in managing risks and persuading others to take advantage of opportunities to start new organisations or revitalise existing ones. Enterprising activities may range from solo projects to major undertakings and may benefit welding and joining in a variety of ways, including; development of new markets, discovery of new sources of materials, mobilisation of capital resources, introduction of new technologies, creation of employment, and generation of economic growth.
Before joining TWI Wales in 2004, Philip Wallace worked for Timet where he was responsible for quality, which included the titanium blanks supplied to Rolls Royce for fabricating into turbine blades. This gave him experience of management in an industrial environment as well as the technical and practical knowledge of advanced NDT techniques.
In order to complement his practical and technical knowledge of NDT, Philip undertook and was awarded a Master’s degree from the University of Wales (Trinity St David).
Under Philip’s management, TWI Wales has become a world leading centre for Research and Development in NDT. This has involved the development of the actual NDT techniques, sophisticated data handling algorithms, and robotic systems for complex geometry applications. As well as NDT for complex metal components, systems have been developed for large area testing of composites at greatly increased speeds. These developments have led to the recognition of TWI Wales’s technical leadership, and to contract work for major companies worldwide.
Philip is tireless in his promotion of The Welding Institute and TWI Ltd to all relevant stakeholders and, although he is responsible for TWI Wales, this promotion covers the entire TWI operation including technical details, outreach and business development.
Under Philip’s management, TWI Wales has grown to nearly 50 staff and students with a turnover approaching £5m in 2018. Philip’s vision for TWI Wales is to increase that number to more than 120 over the next seven years – a vision that he has successfully sold to the Welsh Government.
This continuing increase in staff has led to the appointment of section managers and to increased responsibilities for other staff, who are all actively supported by Philip in their development. Philip’s recruitment strategy has, at times, been unconventional e.g. hiring gaming software experts, but this has led to some of the pioneering developments at TWI Wales through the cross-fertilisation of ideas and technologies. Philip instigated and managed the acquisition of a new building for TWI Wales, and is now looking at the options for new/additional premises to cope with the continued expansion.
Philip continues to promote a clear vision for TWI Wales, both in term of its technical scope and growth, he engages political support from the Welsh Government to support the development of the organisation and continues to develop strategic partnerships with Member companies.
Philip’s entrepreneurial drive, his commitment to The Welding Institute in particular TWI Wales, has resulted in TWI Wales being viewed as a national asset by the Welsh Government, and a key strategic partner by major Members Companies
Philip was appointed as a Section Manager in 2005, and Regional Manager for TWI Wales in 2008. Philip then became an Associate Director in December 2016.
Phillip Wallace CEng