Fiona Cousins Takes Over as CIBSE President for 2024-2025

CIBSE is thrilled to announce Fiona Cousins as the new President for the 2024-2025 term. Fiona's extensive experience and unwavering dedication to building services engineering position her to lead CIBSE through pivotal times.

Fiona expressed her excitement and gratitude, acknowledging the work of her predecessor, Adrian Catchpole, particularly his initiatives in promoting STEM Ambassadors and certified practice programs. She aims to build on these efforts in the coming years.

Fiona emphasized the critical role of CIBSE in addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change, social inequity, and biodiversity loss. She highlighted the diverse contributions of building services engineers, encompassing specialties in lighting, vertical transportation, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, façade, and digital disciplines. Fiona advocates for a holistic view of building performance, emphasizing not just energy efficiency but also occupant wellbeing through factors like air quality, acoustic performance, lighting, and biophilic environments. She underlined the social impact of buildings on interactions and inclusivity, as well as their role in enhancing resilience to environmental and emergency situations.

Fiona holds multiple roles at Arup, including Americas Region Chair, Arup Group Board member, and Arup Fellow. She has a distinguished career, contributing to projects like the U.S. Embassy in London and Fulton Street Station in New York. As a mechanical engineer, Fiona leads Arup’s Americas Region, driving sustainable and inclusive built environments.

Recognized as an influential leader, Fiona has been featured in the 2023 Commercial Observer Power 100 List and Crain’s New York Business for her contributions to sustainability. She serves on the New York City Advisory Board for Local Law 97 and is a Fellow of CIBSE and LEED Fellow. Her accolades include the AIA NY’s Award of Merit in 2017 and chairing the USGBC in 2016.

CIBSE looks forward to Fiona’s leadership in navigating the opportunities and challenges ahead, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainable development in building services engineering.