Stephen Gill FInstR has been elected as the next President-Elect of the UK-based Institute of Refrigeration (IOR). He assumed the role immediately following the IOR Annual General Meeting on 29 October 2025. Over the next year, he will serve alongside current IOR President Lisa-Jayne Cook FInstR before taking over the presidency at the AGM in November 2026.
In the same election, Stephen Benton FInstR and David Bostock FInstR were elected as Trustees to join the IOR Board.
Lisa-Jayne Cook thanked all candidates for their participation and acknowledged the service of retiring Trustees Paul Singh FInstR and Damian Wiszniewski FInstR.
Stephen Gill previously served as IOR President from 2014 to 2016 and has remained active in various Institute initiatives, including mentoring, awards judging, and international projects such as World Refrigeration Day. He also leads sustainable cooling strategy at the Carbon Trust and holds qualifications in business law and management accounting.
Stephen Benton brings experience from hands-on engineering to service leadership roles. He joined Cool Concerns in 2003 and has been active in the IOR Service Engineer Section, Technical Committee, and standards development.
David Bostock combines broad business leadership experience with previous service on the IOR Board and ACRIB. He aims to support the IOR’s governance and strategic direction through his new role as Trustee.
On 29 October, members of the UK’s Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) convened to review recent progress and share future strategies across seven of its committees. The committees included Membership, Education, Environment, Technical, Engineering Technician Group, Women in RACHP, and the Dinner Committee.
A key focus of the meeting was the IOR’s ongoing strategic priority in Education and Skills, which influences the direction of all committees. The IOR President reported on developments in this area, highlighting a current member survey aimed at assessing needs and expectations within the sector.
In addition, the IOR is in the final stages of appointing a new Education Outreach Officer. This role will involve engaging with colleges, schools, and employers to promote careers in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumps (RACHP), as well as gathering input on future workforce requirements.