Chief Executive

Dr Richard Pike was appointed Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the largest professional body in Europe (and second globally) for advancing the chemical sciences, in February 2006.

He graduated in 1971, obtaining both his bachelor's (First Class) and doctorate degrees in engineering from Cambridge University. His research work investigated experimental and theoretical aspects of vapour bubble dynamics in boiling liquids in various gravitational fields, including Earth and zero gravity. In the absence of buoyancy, this enabled observations for hundreds of times longer than under normal terrestrial conditions.

From being sponsored as an undergraduate, he had an almost 25-year career in BP, during which time he held a number of technical and commercial positions. These included Technical Manager of the Sullom Voe Terminal in Shetland, Scotland (then Europe's largest oil and gas processing facility), and General Manager, Chemicals, BP Far East. During this latter posting he was also appointed President, BP Chemicals, Japan, and Director, Samsung-BP Chemicals, South Korea.

After leaving Japan, Dr Pike was for five years Director General of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and Executive Vice Chairman, Professional Engineering Publishing. He later moved to become Senior Associate at Gaffney, Cline and Associates, advising on corporate strategy within the oil and gas industry, and leading international technical, commercial and organisational assignments throughout the energy supply chain, from reservoir management to processing facilities, petrochemicals and power. He is currently also non-executive Director, Chemistry Innovation Ltd., the corporate vehicle for the Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Network (CIKTN).

A keen linguist and sportsman, he is a former President of the Cambridge University Anglo-Japanese Society, and was the first person to swim between the most northerly islands of the British Isles, in Shetland in 1980, in raising funds for medical research.

He is a Chartered Scientist and Chartered Engineer, and has been elected Fellow of six learned bodies: Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Physics, Energy Institute, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Institution of Chemical Engineers and Institution of Electrical Engineers (now Engineering and Technology). Dr Pike is also a former recipient of the 'Award to Excellence' from the Institution of Plant Engineers, and is a Freeman of the City of London. He is author of numerous papers in the fields of science, education and training, engineering, and energy and climate change.