The future of building services engineering was celebrated at a special event bringing together the winners of the CIBSE 30 under 30 Awards, writes CIBSE Global YEN chair Aishwarya Chengappa.
Organised by the CIBSE Global Young Engineers Network (YEN), the annual awards recognise young professionals making a significant contribution to the industry through innovation, leadership, sustainability, technical excellence and project delivery.
The evening honoured the 30 winners and reflected on how young engineers have progressed over the past few years, and we were delighted that so many winners, family, friends and colleagues were able to join us.
Ruth Carter, CIBSE CEO, opened with a keynote voicing her support for young engineers in the industry. She stressed the importance of adapting to AI and embracing change for the better.
A panel session on the ‘Next generation’ was chaired by Mike Burton, CIBSE President Elect. It included Max McCone, immediate past chair of CIBSE Global YEN; Zoe Dickson, vice chair of CIBSE Global YEN; Tom Bull, 30 Under 30 2025 winner and YEN London member; and Jon Belfield, Chair of the CIBSE IT & Controls group.
McCone explained that 30 Under 30 was created to bridge the gap between graduates and senior leadership roles and accolades such as CIBSE medals. Bull, last year’s Wildcard winner, spoke about how the award has boosted his professional recognition and career, while Belfield offered an employer’s perspective on the value of the awards and thanked CIBSE for its support.
Dickson discussed how young engineers can stay relevant in a world of AI, and spoke about how CIBSE has influenced her career positively.
CIBSE would like to thank sponsors Baxi, Georg Fischer, Ideal Heating, Swegon and CIBSE Patrons for their support.
For more information on the 30 under 30 and to see the full list of 2026 winners: www.cibse.org/30under30