VSJ – March 2002 – Members’ News

New Fellows

Michael Toole BSc We are pleased to welcome Michael Toole, who joined us in November. Though in recent years Mike has been self-employed, the foundations of his career were laid at IBM, where he worked for 25 years, starting in the late sixties. Initially employed in the UK as an analyst/programmer on mainframe development, his career with IBM led him to a wide range of assignments throughout Europe and beyond. In 1993 Mike decided on a bold change of direction. He abandoned the secure world of IBM to set up his own business in the Netherlands, re-focussing his skills towards MS Windows and Office. The new business thrived, gaining substantial contracts with Shell, Dutch Railways and the European Patent Office. Returning to the UK in 1997, Mike has continued to service his Dutch clients, while taking on important new assignments for Sony.

We also congratulate two IAP members who have recently been upgraded to Fellow in recognition of the development of their careers over a number of years.

Peter Colson Peter first joined the Institution as a Member in 1987, but lost touch for a time and was readmitted in 1998. Peter’s long career as an analyst and programmer goes back to the early eighties when he worked for First Computer (part of the Heron Group) on, among other things, a new ticketing system for SNCF. In 1987 he moved to Frontstage Computers and on to a variety of projects for The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, Thomson Holidays and Candy Domestic Appliances. In 1992 he set up his own company, PC Support Services, which has increasingly concentrated on the development of LalPac, a system used by local authorities to administer their licensing functions. Initially called in as technical adviser by Bolton Metropolitan Borough, the owners of Lalpac, Peter subsequently bought the rights to the system. It’s now used by 20% of all UK local authorities.

Anthony Foster BSc(Hons) CEng Anthony’s career stretches back over 40 years, to an apprenticeship at A. Reyrolle and Co., where he designed electronic equipment. Even then he wrote COBOL and FORTRAN software to simplify design processes and stock control. From 1975 until the early nineties he worked in a variety of posts as engineer/designer in the electronics business, interspersed with periods as a lecturer in Further Education. In 1995 Anthony joined BNFL and remained there until 1998 developing highly specialised software – he was Decommissioning Team Leader at Sellafield until August 1997. In 1998 he moved to British Energy at Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station to take up the post of Millennium Project Co-ordinator. Though the Millennium has passed, Anthony is still with British Energy.

Don’t forget to email eo@iap.org.uk with items of news about you or your company.

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