Cook confirmed as IoR president-elect

UK: Lisa-Jayne Cook was confirmed as president-elect of the Institute of Refrigeration at the Institute’s AGM in London today. 

Cook will formally step into the role of president when current president Graeme Fox’s term concludes in November 2024.

In other news from the AGM, it was announced that Julie Murray of Beijer Ref and Dermot Cotter of Star Technical Solutions were elected on to the IoR’s board of trustees.

The meeting also announced that treasurer Nick Rivers was to step down after five years in the role, with John Skelton of Marks & Spencer replacing him. 

Understanding

Commenting on her appointment, new president-elect Lisa-Jayne Cook said: “I look forward to gaining a deeper understanding of the role alongside Graeme and supporting our members in tackling the challenges our industry is currently facing, such as environmental, training, and inclusion issues.”

Congratulating her on her election, Graeme Fox replied: “Having worked closely with Lisa-Jayne for a few years now I can honestly say I’ve worked with few people with such drive, passion and commitment to the wider industry and in particular our Institute. The time she gives is a testament to her commitment to this new role she is taking on.” 

Cook has been an IoR trustee for three years and has been actively involved with ACRIB, INWIC (the International Women in Cooling Network), and is currently the IoR’s Women in RACHP chair. A strong advocate for STEM she completed the Stemazing training and promotes encouraging young people into RACHP careers. She has also  been instrumental in enhancing the sector’s visibility, notably through her engagement work with young people in schools and diversity initiatives.

Trustees

Of the new trustees, Julie Murray is well known for her pivotal role in the IoR Scotland branch where she was the vice chair before becoming the chair in 2018 for three years. Julie is actively involved in the branch and sits on the IoR Scotland dinner sub-committee.

Dermot Cotter is already heavily involved on the IoR’s papers and publications committee. He chairs the monthly online papers and discussions. Dermot is also working as part of the TICR project that the IoR is a partner in, which is addressing the sector’s net zero challenges. Dermot was awarded the IoR Kenneth Lightfoot Medal for his paper last year.