John Perkins

John Perkins is a leading researcher in the field of Process Systems Engineering, developing methods and tools for the design operation and control of process plant. He has served as Director of the highly successful Imperial/UCL Centre for Process Systems Engineering and as Head of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College. 

Until January 2015, Professor Perkins was the Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.  Prior to this he was Provost at the MASDAR Institute of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, leading the development of this new institution.  Professor Perkins’ academic career includes service as Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, The University of Manchester; Principal, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London and ICI Australia Professor of Process Systems Engineering, University of Sydney, as well as a period at the beginning of his academic career at the University of Cambridge.   He has served as President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and as Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He has worked in industry for ICI and Shell, as well as acting as a consultant for a number of international companies.  With colleagues, he was involved in the start-up of two companies (PSE Ltd, ParOS) spun out of Imperial College London. In 2006 he was awarded a CBE for services to science and engineering.