Shropshire Civil Engineer becomes one of youngest ICE Fellows in 60 years!

Matthew Procter, 34, a Shropshire civil engineer has been awarded Fellowship by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) making him one of the youngest individuals to become an ICE Fellow in over 60 years.

Matthew works for Balfour Beatty as a Senior Pre-Construction Manager and his thirst for knowledge during his career, combined with his passion and ability to overcome operational and technical challenges in his work, has contributed to this quick progression.

Fellowship is the highest grade of ICE membership and a mark of professional excellence. It is awarded in recognition of the significant contribution engineers have made to the profession and is an endorsement of leadership knowledge, skills and experience.

Matthew said: “I hope my story of becoming an ICE Fellow at a relatively young age will help to inspire others. I aim to leverage my new status to support positive changes within the industry and am motivated to support others by showcasing that there is a pathway for everyone to achieve their ambitions. I am extremely proud to have been awarded ICE Fellowship and feel humbled to be one of only 60 individuals to have done so by the age of 34.”

Jo Barnett, ICE West Midlands Regional Director added: “Becoming an ICE Fellow at 34 years old is an incredible achievement. Matthew is a credit to both ICE and the wider civil engineering industry whose member’s shape the future of public infrastructure. Well done, Matthew!”

Matthew has a three-year-old son and is due to get married in May. Born to a Dairy Farmer and Post Office Clerk, he grew up in rural Shropshire and was the first in his immediate family to attend university, studying a Civil Engineering Master’s degree at The University of Warwick.

Matthew said: “As a child I was very logic driven, precise and organised. I loved building and creating things – whether that be train tracks, plastic bricks, drawing roads on the garden path with chalk, or when in my teens doing practical work on the farm. I never knew what a civil engineer was. It was only when I was flicking through university prospectuses that I stumbled across engineering. The more I read, the more I realised that the words were describing me and that I wanted to have a career in the engineering world.”

An avid Shrewsbury Town FC supporter and season ticket holder, Matthew has other local affiliations in Shropshire as a Parish Councilor which initiated through voluntary engineering support to develop and construct a rural community pathway. This is just one of the ways Matthew devotes his time to supporting civil engineering as he also sits on the Industry Advisory Panel for the University of Warwick and is a STEM Ambassador.