The IOM3 Iron & Steel Group (formerly the Iron & Steel Society) brings representatives from across the iron and steel community, including academic and business experts from all key institutions in the industry and associated supply chain. Our aim is to provide technical expertise and advice to our members and the wider stakeholders of IOM3. The group organises conferences and other events on all aspects of steel production and use to enable sharing, learning and networking across the community and support the future success of the iron and steel industry.
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Meet the Iron & Steel Leadership Team
Dr Laura Baker
Sarah Connolly
Chris McDonald
Chris Melvin
Dr Jitendra Patel
Claire Davis
Richard Thackray
Brian Edy FIMMM, CEng
Gill Thornton
Martin Brunnock
Dr Laura Baker
Dr Laura Baker has over 20 years’ experience in the Steel Industry including senior leadership roles within Technical, Supply Chain and Manufacturing functions.
Laura has represented the industry at many international events and has an excellent understanding of the challenges facing manufacturing and the steel industry supply chain in particular. She is an advisor to the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council where she helps shape the direction of research funding.
Laura is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals, a Chartered Engineer and holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering and an Engineering Doctorate in Steel Technology from Swansea University.
Laura is a keen STEM ambassador and is passionate about engaging youngsters, particularly young women, in STEM subjects.
“I’m delighted and very proud to be appointed as Chair of the Iron & Steel Group. I hope to use the time in this role to continue the great work of the group in providing technical events and conferences to the Iron and Steel community. I also hope to embrace the new digital world we find ourselves in to reach a wider, more diverse audience for these events and make the fascinating world of iron and steel more accessible to all!”
Sarah Connolly
Sarah is an Innovation Technologist at Innovate UK, supporting the Foundation Industries to be sustainable and internationally competitive.
She studied her for her MEng in Materials Science at Mansfield College, Oxford and DPhil at Wolfson College, Oxford. Her research focused on novel alloy development for the Nuclear Industry working closely with Rolls Royce and the National Nuclear Laboratory.
Sarah has been in the Materials Processing Industry for the past 7 years, initially conducting research at both the University of Oxford and WMG, University of Warwick, before joining Innovate UK. In 2020, she was awarded the Frank Fitzgerald Medal and Travel Award for excellence in professional development and breadth of technical knowledge.
She has continued to be a strong supporter of Education & Skills; being an active STEM ambassador since 2012; running the Focus on Materials Science Residential Headstart Course at the University of Oxford between 2012 to 2017; being a founding member of the Making Materials Matter Outreach Project in 2017, developing the Investigating Chocolate programme; and being a Governor of a local Academy from 2020.
She continues to represent Early Career Professionals on the IOM3 Advisory Council, the Iron and Steel Board, and is the Chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Materials Society. She has recently founded the Foundation Industries Future Leaders Group, with ED&I and the future skills requirements for the processing industries high on the agenda.
In her spare time, she is a keen runner, cyclist and baker.
Chris McDonald
Chris McDonald is the Chief Executive Officer of the Materials Processing Institute. The Institute is a not-for-profit, industrial research institute, which has develops new technologies, primarily for the steel and metals sector in the areas of advanced materials, digital technologies, industrial decarbonisation and the circular economy. Chris led the divestment of the 75yr old Institute in 2014 from its then parent company, returning the organisation to independent ownership.
Chris’s background is in industrial research and manufacturing, where he has worked internationally. A graduate of Cambridge University, Chris is a Fellow the Institute of Chemical Engineers and of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. He is Chair of the UK Metals Council, a member of the North East Council of the CBI and policy chair for Innovation & Enterprise at the Federation of Small Businesses.
Chris is often called on to commentate in the media and speak on topics such as industrial strategy, digital technologies, steel and decarbonisation. He provides expert opinion and support to companies, government and non-governmental organisations in these areas, to support policy development, growth and inward investment. He has a strong interest in the wider social impact of business, including issues such as employee participation, community involvement and environmental sustainability, all of which are covered on his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/chrismcdonald
Chris Melvin
Chris has over 10 years experience in the Steel Industry working mainly within transformation and process/cost optimisation roles within technical and manufacturing functions.
Chris has represented the industry and IOM3 within the CAETS Energy Committee and has an excellent understanding of the decarbonisation challenge and potential pathways and their associated risks.
Chris studied for a Material Science undergraduate degree at Swansea University then pursued a Steel Technology Masters working on Galvanising Steel Dewetting with TATA Steel in Shotton.
Chris completed an Engineering Doctorate in Material Science at Swansea University sponsored by TATA Steel Packaging, Crown Packaging and Akzo Nobel Coatings with a thesis entitled the “Fundamentals of Adhesion for Steel Packaging Materials.”
Chris is part of the IOM3 Assessors group, mentors a range of professionals working towards accreditation for Chartered Scientist and Engineers and was the South Wales Materials Association President from 2018-2021.
Dr Jitendra Patel
Jit is a steel technology and business professional with 25 years of international experience. In 2008 he founded International Metallurgy, a consultancy and advisory service provider to the steel and allied industry sectors. He is an internationally recognised expert in the area of microalloyed steel and its physical metallurgy and processing. He has a proven industry track record in steel product development and value chain application to end-user. Jit has a strong drive and passion for the industry, with established strong links with international steelmakers, science base, RTOs, associations and policy makers.
Claire Davis
Claire Davis is the Royal Academy of Engineering / Tata Steel Professor of Low Energy Steel Processing and she leads the Advanced Steel Research Centre (ASRC) at WMG, University of Warwick. The ASRC comprises over forty people carrying on research on steel where the focus is to develop new and improved steels and understand new processing technologies. The work tackles both fundamental and applied research from steelmaking, through to production. Claire’s personal research interests are on the development of microstructure during processing and the relationships between microstructure and properties (both physical and mechanical) in steels. She also works on the non-destructive evaluation of steel microstructure using electromagnetic sensors
Richard Thackray
Richard Thackray is an academic at the University of Sheffield. He holds a degree in Materials Science and a PhD in Metallurgy from Imperial College London. His current research interests are related to the production of steel, including development of mould powders for continuous casting, and the role of thermomechanical processing on inclusion behaviour. Richard is also involved in a number of projects focussing on aspects of sustainability in steelmaking. These include initiatives to reduce energy consumption, reuse and recycling of by products and waste material, and life cycle assessment of steelmaking operations. He is also a key member of the University of Sheffield’s team for SUSTAIN, the EPSRC funded Future Steel Manufacturing Hub. Richard is past chair (2010-2015) of the Iron and Steel Society of IOM3, and a current member of the Sustainable Development Group.
Brian Edy FIMMM, CEng
Brian studied Metallurgy at Swansea University before joining the British Steel Corporation as a graduate trainee. Brian has worked in a range of Industries including the aerospace, electronics and steel sectors where he has held technical, operations and other senior managerial roles.
Brian re-joined Swansea University in 2013 where he became the Founding Director of the “Steel and Metals Institute”
Brian is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining (IoM3) and a past president of the South Wales Materials Association.
Gill Thornton
Gill Thornton has a degree in Material Science and an MBA from Warwick Business School. She has worked in the steel industry for 35 years in technical roles including R&D and on plants across the UK. Her most recent work was leading a 4 year multi partner UK government project on creating an advanced manufacturing supply chain for net shape and additive manufactured parts which address the demands of end-users. This has led to Liberty Steel starting a new business; Liberty Powder Metals to vacuum atomise a broad spectrum of high quality steel and nickel-based alloy powders, with bespoke chemistries to enhance properties where required, where her current role is the R&D Manager. Gill is a past president of the Cleveland Institution of Engineers.
Martin Brunnock
Martin has worked in many different parts of the steel industry in a career spanning over 20 years, and is currently Hub Director for the Strip Products UK hub of Tata Steel in Europe.
As a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals and a Chartered Engineer, Martin has an MBA from Warwick University and a Doctorate in Galvanising Technology from Swansea University.
Martin’s hobbies are rugby refereeing, staying fit, travelling and spending time with the family.
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