FMEG Executive Team

John Gray

CHAIRMAN

As FMEG’s Chairman, John is responsible for the day to day strategic development and shares operational responsibilities of the organisation with Mike and Geoff. John is instrumental in the management of performance and communication his approach and delivery has strengthened and improved the organisations alliances, ultimately raising the profile of FMEG. He has over 40 years of experience in the Electrical Engineering sector, working across academia and industry and playing a key role in innovative collaborations and partnerships.

John holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Queens University Belfast, he spent five years in the aircraft industry before being appointed as a lecturer at The University of Manchester where he specialised in aspects of control and instrumentation. Currently he is a Professor of Robotics and Systems Engineering at the University of Manchester, prior to this appointment he served for many years’ as Chair of the Centre for Robotics and Automation at the University of Salford which developed extensive expertise in the application of Robotics and Automation to the food manufacturing sector. In 1988, he established the D.T.I’s National Advanced Robotics Research Centre on the Salford Campus and served as its Research Director and as Board member of the holding company ARRL Ltd. He has been involved in a number of large food related R&D projects including the EC FW7 Novell Q and PicknPack, Pragamus and the Defra Food Grade Robotic Project GRAIL.

He is a member of the Advisory Board of EPSRC Centre for Manufacturing in Food, the IET’s Innovations and Energy Technologies Panel and currently chairs the IEEE URRI UKRI of the Robotics and Automatics Society Chapter. He is an honorary editor of the Transactions Inst. Measurement and Control as serves on the editorial Board of Humanoid Robotics.

Mike Mountain

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN

As the Deputy Chairman Mike leads the board and ensures it operates in effective manner to deliver key strategic issues, he joined FMEG in 2006 and was appointed Deputy Chairman in 2010. Mike is a member of KTN Food Sector Group and is both a member of Project and Curriculum Groups for the Food Engineering Degree Course and member of the Infrastructure Group for the Centre of Excellence Project at Sheffield and Hallam University. Mike has over thirty years’ experience within the food manufacturing industry; he was Chief Engineer at Frigoscandia Ltd. (South Kirkby), Engineering Manager at Ross Young’s Ltd – a division of United Biscuits and then Chief Engineer at both Trafford Park Bakery – a division of Northern Foods and Samworth Brothers. In these roles he managed, implemented and steered the strategic goals of the operations and delivered the needs of the business to improve future growth and expansion, including Project Managing the building of several major multi million pound facilities.

Mike has a HNC in Mechanical and Production Engineering and Endorsements in Production and Control Computer Methods, Control Engineering and Principles of Engineering, he also holds a full Technological City and Guilds certificate.

Geoff Pegman

TREASURER

Geoff Pegman is the Group’s Treasurer; he is responsible for all financial activities. As an entrepreneur and CEO, Geoff has led three companies UK Robotics Ltd, RTS Advanced Robotics Ltd and his current position is as Managing Director of R U Robots Ltd. He has over 26 years’ experience in developing and selling novel robotics system to industry, after an initial career in the UK defence industry Geoff helped to set up the UK National Advanced Research Centre in 1988. In the course of his robotics career Geoff has set up, or been a major instigator in setting up, a total of seven high technology companies.

Geoff has a BSc Joint Honours degree in Mathematics and Physics from Nottingham University, a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Psychology from the Open University and a Diploma in Company Direction from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Geoff is a member of EC CONNECT Advisory Forum, the Bristol Robotics Laboratory Industrial Advisory Committee and the UK Special Interest Group on Robotics and Automation Systems. He is also Chair of the Hamlyn Surgical Robotics EPSRC Capital Expenditure Advisory Board and Council member of the British Automation and Robot Association. In 2001 he became Chartered Director and since 2000 he has been the Vice President of the International Advanced Robotics Programme.

Mike Dudbridge

VICE CHAIRMAN

A graduate of Food Technology from Reading University in 1979 Mike has worked in and around the Food Industry for most of his working life.

Mike joined the University of Lincoln in 2006 as a Lecturer in Food Manufacture and is based at the specialist Food Campus at Holbeach in Lincolnshire UK.

Prior to joining the University Mike worked in the Food Industry in various Managerial Roles for Major Food Manufacturers in the UK. Most roles focussed on Operations and Manufacturing but occasionally in Technical areas too.
Recently Mike’s role at the University has been extended to include responsibility for Commercial Partnerships and Industrial Projects and also the management of the National Centre for Food Manufacturing – a state of the art training and research facility for the Food and Drink Industry.

Mike is a specialist in Lean Manufacturing Techniques and Automation and has published The Handbook of Lean Manufacturing in the Food Industry. Mike considers himself a Production Manager who teaches rather than a teacher of Food Production Management.

Mike has research interests based around the role that advanced techniques can play throughout the food supply chain and he engages with researchers in science, technology and engineering to bring their expertise to the Food Industry.

Sandra Skeels

EVENT COORDINATOR

Details to follow shortly.

Nasreen Akhtar

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

As the Administrative Assistant Nasreen is a key contact person for the membership she supports the Executive Managers in the execution and control of projects in line with FMEG project lifecycle. Nasreen’s background is in computing, she has project managed the website design and leads on the development of marketing materials. She engages with external companies to ensure all projects run smoothly and all deliverables are produced on time and to budget.

Prior to working at the FMEG, Nasreen graduated from Staffordshire University with a degree in Computing and Information Systems and has worked in a variety of roles in the manufacturing and public sectors.