Presidential Address

laura burke 650 x 366 Engineers Ireland President Laura Burke delivered her Presidential Address, outlining the major themes of her Presidency, on Thursday, 26 September 2024.

In her Address entitled ‘Lighthouses of the 21st Century - Why We Need Engineering Excellence and Innovation to Deliver Sustainable Solutions for the Greatest Challenges We Face’, Laura outlined the opportunities she sees for the engineering profession to lead the delivery of sustainable solutions in this country and how a more diverse and inclusive industry can contribute to these goals.

The event took place at Engineers Ireland's office at 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4, and was a great evening for all those who attended. It was also available online via our broadcast channel.

Biography

Laura Burke is the President of Engineers Ireland and the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She was appointed as the Director General of the EPA in 2011 and has served as a Director within the EPA since 2004. As Director General she has the responsibility to lead and strategically manage the EPA.

Laura was the Chair of the European Environment Agency (EEA) Management Board from 2017 to 2023. Laura is a member of the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) and a member of the High-Level Implementation Committee of ‘Food Vision 2030’, the Irish Agri-Food Sector Strategy. Prior to joining the EPA, she worked in the private sector.

Laura is a graduate chemical engineer of University College Dublin (UCD), holds an MSc from Trinity College, Dublin, is a Fellow and is the President of Engineers Ireland and is a Chartered Director. Laura was inaugurated as Vice-President of Engineers Ireland in June 2022 and as President in June 2024.