Professor Brian Mellitt FREng BTech DIC, chairman of the Building Research Establishment and chairman of Metro-Consulting, took office as president of the IEE from 1 October 2001. With close to 140,000 members worldwide the IEE is the largest professional engineering society in Europe. Mellitt delivered his Inaugural Address at the IEE, Savoy Place on 4 October 2001. Mellitt is Rail Adviser to N M Rothschild for railway privatisation projects. He retired from the post of Director of Engineering and Production and Group Board Member of Railtrack, in 1999 and subsequently held a one-year part time appointment as The Engineering Adviser to Railtrack (UK). He joined Railtrack in April 1995, following 7 years as the Director of Engineering for London Underground Limited.