BVAA launches Future Leader Award

The British Valve and Actuator Association (BVAA) has marked its 80th anniversary AGM with the launch of a new Future Leader Award, with Rotork’s Dave Godfrey named 2019 winner.
Established to recognise ongoing achievements of former participants on the BVAA’s Future Leaders Programme, the award is sponsored by longstanding valve industry family the Greenhalghs. Martin Greenhalgh, Technical Consultant at the BVAA, presented the award. Four generations of his family have been involved in the valve industry, and Martin’s grandfather James Greenhalgh was a founding member of the association at its first meeting in September 1939.
Dave Godfrey, aged 35, joined the first cohort of the BVAA Future Leaders Programme in 2016. Programme leaders have been impressed with the way he has applied learnings from the course in the real world to further his own career and benefit the wider industry. Earlier this year he was co-opted to the BVAA Board to give voice to younger members of the industry on a platform that tends to be dominated by an older demographic. He also now leads the project element of the Future Leaders Programme.
Rob Bartlett, CEO of the BVAA, says the award blends the association’s rich heritage with its forward-looking ethos: “When we launched the Future Leaders Programme, we hoped it would act as a catalyst for the development of talent in the industry. Dave’s career trajectory, and ongoing involvement with the association, is the epitome of this. It’s very fitting that he should receive the inaugural Future Leaders Award which includes an inscription about James Greenhalgh. This godfather of the British valve and actuator industry held progressive views on the qualities of good leadership that are still relevant today.”
Dave Godfrey, Product Manager – Service & Aftermarkets at Rotork, says he was proud to accept the award: “The BVAA’s Future Leaders Programme marked a pivotal point in my own career, so it’s a pleasure to support subsequent cohorts on their leadership journeys. It’s great that the association makes a point of celebrating and nurturing emerging talent. The pace of change is accelerating in the digital age, so it makes sense to blend the skills and expertise of people from the full spectrum of the industry.”
The BVAA’s mission is to support and raise awareness of the British valve and actuator industry in line with relevant issues, opportunities and prevailing conditions. It was established 80 years ago and has around 200 members ranging from specialist SMEs to global engineering firms. The industry is a major STEM employer in the UK: 9000 people are directly employed by valve and actuator businesses, and the industry contributes £3 billion to the UK economy each year.