William Francis (civil engineer)

Sir Horace William Alexander Francis FREng^[1] (born 31 August 1926) is a British civil engineer.

Early life and career

Francis was born in Clydebank, Scotland on 31 August 1926 and studied at Glasgow's Royal Technical College, which is now part of Strathclyde University.^[2][3][4] He has worked on many construction projects in the United Kingdom and abroad including manufacturing facilities, bridges, power stations and offshore structures.^[5] He spent 25 years working with the engineering contractor Tarmac plc and was the company's chief operating officer and vice-chairman.^[5] Francis has also served as executive director of construction for the Trafalgar House conglomerate and as non-executive director of its oil and gas interests.^[5] He has worked as a government advisor for approximately 30 years, serving on several advisory boards such as the British Overseas Trade Board and the Export Credit Guarantee Department.^[5] Francis has also worked as a director of the British Railways Board between 1994 and 1997 and as chairman of the Black Country Development Corporation.^[4][5]

On 1 November 1982 Francis was appointed major in the British Army's Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an invitation-only, unpaid unit of 60 engineering and logistics professionals that provide advice to the British armed forces on specialist and technical matters.^[6][7][8] He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 8 July 1986 and became supernumerary to the unit on 17 August 1992.^[9][10]

Later life

Francis is now semi-retired and works as director of Peakbeam Ltd and Longden Properties.^[11] He is a principal partner in Security Composites Limited, a thermoplastic manufacturer based in Shrewsbury, where he has developed a thermoplastic-based formwork for in-situ concrete works.^[12] Francis is vice-president of the Lighthouse Club, a national charity that provides for the families of construction workers killed or injured at work. He has been a member for over 40 years and served as president from 1990–5 and helped the club to introduce a corporate membership grade.^[13]

Honours

Francis was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1976 and has been awarded two honorary doctorates, an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) from the University of Strathclyde in 1988, and an honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) from Aston University in 1990.^[4][5][14] He is a Fellow^[15] of the Royal Academy of Engineering^[16] and of the Institution of Civil Engineers and served as president of the latter between November 1987 and November 1988.^[11][13][17] He became a knight bachelor on 25 July 1989 in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.^[18] Francis is involved with the Civil Engineers Club, a social organisation for members of his profession, and awarded their inaugural Thomas Telford Trophy for the winner of the golf competition at the Wentworth Club in 1986.^[19] He was awarded the 1991 Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation Institution Award for excellence within the transportation profession.^[20]

References