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Type
Lecture

ICE Presidential Address 2025

Event organised by ICE

Date
04 November 2025
Time

This event has now ended

Overview

Introducing the 161st President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, David Porter.

The presidential address is one of the highlights of the institution’s calendar. At his inaugural event, he will discuss how finding his place within the ICE transformed his career.

He will share his thoughts on why the profession always needs to think long term and the importance of communicating effectively to enable projects to run on time, to budget and most importantly, meet the needs of society.

Speaker

David Porter

David Porter

Institution of Civil Engineers

President

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David Porter

David Porter is director of engineering with the Department for Infrastructure, which is Northern Ireland’s highways authority. In this role, he is also the chief highways engineer and head of the civil engineering profession in the Northern Ireland civil service.

Porter is responsible for the development of the department’s professional and technical staff, engineering policies and standards, and health and safety. He also leads on procurement and the internal consultancy.

Previously, he was chief executive of the Rivers Agency, Northern Ireland’s flood defence and drainage authority.

Porter has served on the ICE Council three times, twice as the Northern Ireland representative and once as a general member. He is a trustee who, until recently, held the learning society portfolio. He has also served on several institution committees and panels.

A fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering, Porter was awarded the Poskitt Medal by ICE Northern Ireland in 2017 and the President’s Award by Engineers Ireland in 2018.