Did You Know? Tomorrow’s Valve Industry Leaders Are Already Among Us

As experienced professionals retire and competition for engineering talent intensifies, the BVAA Future Leaders Programme is helping identify, develop and retain the people who will shape the future of our industry. 

Did you know that one of the future leaders of the British valve industry could be sitting just a few desks away from you right now?

The challenge facing our industry is not a shortage of talent.  It is ensuring that talented people are identified, developed and given the opportunity to flourish.  As experienced professionals retire, knowledge, contacts and leadership capability inevitably leave with them.  The question for all of us is simple: who will be ready to step forward?  The BVAA's Future Leaders Programme (FLP) was created to help answer that question and ensure the British valve industry continues to develop the people it will need for the decades ahead.

Did you know that there is no university degree in valves?

Despite the critical role valves and actuators play in energy, water, nuclear, process industries, hydrogen, carbon capture and countless other applications, there is no recognised educational pathway dedicated specifically to our sector.  Most of us arrived here by accident rather than design.

That reality was one of the reasons the BVAA launched the Future Leaders Programme in 2016.  The programme was designed to identify talented individuals with leadership potential and provide the wider industry exposure, personal development and technical understanding that many would otherwise struggle to acquire. 

Like many engineering sectors, we also face an ageing workforce.  While some future leaders emerge through graduate schemes and apprenticeships, many more come from sales, customer service, manufacturing, engineering, procurement, operations and other routes.  What they often lack is exposure to the wider industry beyond the four walls of their own employer.

That is where FLP makes a difference.

Did you know that many delegates experience parts of the valve industry they might never otherwise see?

Throughout the programme, delegates visit centres of excellence, experience best practice across multiple companies, receive technical and commercial masterclasses, and gain insights into disciplines ranging from manufacturing and R&D to sales, supply chain management and business leadership.  Importantly, they can broaden their horizons without having to leave their employer. 

The programme also includes a structured eight-stage personal development journey, two years of complimentary BVAA technical training and extensive networking opportunities through BVAA activities and events. 

Why is this important?  Because younger professionals often do not enjoy the same networking opportunities that many of us were fortunate enough to experience earlier in our careers.  FLP deliberately creates those opportunities, allowing delegates to build a network of peers from across the industry that can support and benefit them for decades to come.  In many cases, lifelong professional friendships are formed. 

There is also a wider industry benefit.  If we fail to invest in our brightest young people, other industries will happily do so.  Motorsport may appear glamorous.  Aerospace may generate more headlines.  Yet those of us who know this industry understand the reality.  From energy security and nuclear power to hydrogen, carbon capture and advanced manufacturing, valves sit at the heart of some of the world's most important engineering challenges.

The valve industry is not a second choice.  It is a destination career.

Perhaps most importantly, the programme delivers results.

Over the years, FLP alumni have gone on to achieve promotions, professional accreditations, operational leadership roles and international appointments.  Former delegates now include an Operations Director, a Vice President in the United States, a leader of a BVAA Technical Committee and an engineer recognised among the UK's Top 50 Women in Engineering.  Three former delegates have served on the BVAA Board and, perhaps the most telling success story of all, one member of the very first FLP cohort ultimately became Chairman of the BVAA.  We have also seen numerous promotions, career advancements and examples of delegates taking on increasingly influential roles within their organisations and the wider industry.

For employers, the benefits are equally significant.  They gain more rounded, more confident employees with a stronger appreciation of the wider industry landscape.  They are investing not only in an individual, but also in succession planning, talent retention and the long-term future of their business.  For delegates, the benefits include greater confidence, broader knowledge, professional development, technical learning and a network that can support them throughout their careers. 

So here's one final question…

Did you know that some of tomorrow's valve industry leaders are already working in our companies today?

The challenge is not finding them.  It's giving them the opportunity to grow.

That is exactly what the BVAA Future Leaders Programme was created to do.

BVAA member companies have until 31st October 2026 to nominate for the 2027 (Cohort 10) intake of Future Leaders. Contact rob@bvaa.org.uk for further information.

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