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Council is the governing body of the Institute and meets four times a year. Council comprises the members of Executive committee, three Vice Presidents (Groups Branches, International Affairs and Engineering Division) and nine elected ordinary members. In addition, there are two young members’ representatives who serve overlapping two year terms. The chairmen of the committees are also invited to attend Council meetings to provide reports of their areas of activity. The period of time that anyone can serve on Council is limited and elections take place at the Annual General Meeting. We seek to ensure that there is as wide as possible representation on Council, but if you feel that your area of acoustics does not have a voice, why not consider standing for election?
Paul has over 35 years’ experience in acoustic consultancy and research and has more recently taken on a lecturing role at the University of Derby. His areas of expertise include environmental noise and vibration, particularly in relation to industry, large-scale construction and railways, as well as team leadership and project management.
Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Acoustics and has served on the Midlands Branch since 2002, as well as on the Membership Committee for almost as long. He has also been a board member of the Association of Noise Consultants, including serving as its Chair.
His skills include organising projects and people to deliver results efficiently and effectively. Through his longstanding involvement and extensive network within the IOA and ANC, Paul brings a comprehensive knowledge of the expertise available across the acoustics industry.
Paul is a strong advocate for providing opportunities for everyone to develop their skills and knowledge, supporting not only those at the early stages of their careers but also professionals seeking to build and maintain competence throughout their working lives.
Russell is a Fellow of the IOA and Director of RBA Acoustics, which he co-founded in 2002. His work encompasses architectural and environmental acoustics, noise and vibration control, with a particular focus on building acoustics.
He served on IOA Executive previously as Honorary Secretary from 2013-2020. Alongside his work as President-Elect, he is a member of the Institute’s Parliamentary Liaison Group. He chaired the group that secured the IOA's Royal Charter in 2026 and that group continues its work to put in place the necessary structures to for the IOA to become, in time, the Chartered Institute of Acoustics.
Outside the Institute, Russell has served in several roles on the Board of the Association of Noise Consultants, including as Chair of the ANC from 2022-2024, and he remains the Senior Examiner for the ANC Registration Scheme. He is also a member of industrial advisory boards for several universities.
Martin is Principal Acoustic Consultant (sole consultant) at Lester Acoustics LLP, based in Northern Ireland. Martin studied Applied Physics at Liverpool Polytechnic, followed by periods of research in acoustics at the Poly and then at the University of Liverpool. In 1990 Martin moved into acoustic consultancy, joining the SRL Wilmslow office, where he stayed until 1997. Following a period with National Environmental Sciences (Ireland), he formed Lester Acoustics in 2000. Martin became a Chartered Engineer through the IOA in 1997.
Martin has always had a passion for acoustics, and for enabling a forum for people to meet and discuss acoustics. This has been borne out by his involvement with the IOA, starting as a Student Member of the IOA in 1985, becoming a Member in 1988, and a Fellow in 2009. In 2015 Martin was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the IOA for his time involved with the committees of the North-West Branch, the Irish Branch (Chair for some 15 years), and the IOA Council between 2007 and 2015 (including being Honorary Treasurer between 2009 and 2015), and again between 2016 and 2024 (including being Honorary Treasurer between 2020 and 2024). Martin is on the IOA Meetings Committee, and has been Chair of the IOA Annual Conference since 2016. In 2025 Martin was presented with the Geoff Kerry Medal for Distinguished Long Service to the Institute of Acoustics. In June 2026 Martin was elected to the Board of the Association of Noise Consultants.
Martin aims to bring his involvement in the world of acoustics, and his perspective as a sole consultant in a devolved region, to the IOA Council; and to also provide a point of contact between the IOA Council and the ANC Board.
Dan is Finance Director at Clarke Saunders Associates and has over 20 years’ consulting experience within the acoustics industry. He holds a Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control from the Institute of Acoustics, as well as a degree in Economics.
He has extensive experience across the UK and Europe, working across a broad range of disciplines including environmental, building, architectural, planning and industrial acoustics. Commercial, residential and hotel developments have featured strongly in recent years, alongside expert witness work, including acting as a Single Joint Expert.
Dan has taken the technical and project management lead on a wide range of projects, helping to deliver suitable acoustic environments across diverse settings. Building acoustics and sound insulation are particular areas of interest.
He is a Past Chair of the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC), an ANC PCT Scheme Examiner and a Robust Details Senior Inspector. He is also a Past Chair of the IOA Southern Branch and serves on the ANC Membership Committee, as well as contributing to various industry working groups.
Mark Scaife is a Director of Cahill Design Consultants and has worked in acoustic consultancy since 1996. He has been a member of the engineering committee since 2016 and the chair since 2025.He has also been vice-chair of the ANC PCT scheme and on the board of the ANC.
Mark's experience in acoustics covers both buildings and environment, with particular interest in hotels, theme parks and power developments.
Outside of acoustics Mark helps to run Colchester Phoenix Swimming club, which provides opportunities and life skills for children and young adults with a wide range of physical and learning disabilities.
Hilary has spent 25 years working in acoustics as a Civil Servant. She began her career within the Noise and Vibration Division at the Royal Air Force Centre for Aviation Medicine, where she gained the Institute of Acoustics Post-Graduate Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control, followed by an MSc.
During her time with the RAF, Hilary’s responsibilities ranged from health and safety noise and vibration assessments to protect RAF and MOD personnel, through to environmental impact and nuisance assessments associated with training and base activities affecting neighbouring communities.
Hilary subsequently joined the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Evidence Team at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Her principal responsibilities include developing a robust evidence base to support policy and the implementation of the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006 (as amended). This includes the development of a national noise modelling system for road and rail infrastructure.
Hilary is a member of three BSI and two ISO committees. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Acoustics and has served on numerous IOA groups and committees, including previously chairing the Meetings Committee. She currently serves on the Sound, Noise and Health Group and the Research Co-ordination Committee, as well as the UK Acoustics Network Advisory Board and the steering groups of several research projects.
As well as serving on Council, Daniel is Chair of Publications Committee. He is an environmental acoustics specialist with over 23 years’ experience and is Managing Director of Goodhand Acoustics, which he founded in 2012 following roles at RPS and Anderson Acoustics.
His project experience spans major infrastructure developments including HS2, Crossrail, Thames Tideway and Heathrow, alongside work in industrial and entertainment noise. He has provided expert evidence at hearings, including a public inquiry, and holds a degree in Music, Acoustics and Recording from the University of Salford.
Daniel contributes to the development of national acoustic standards and guidance, presents technical papers at conferences, judges industry awards, and writes and reviews technical articles for Acoustics Bulletin.
Jack graduated from Cambridge University in 1994 with a First in Engineering, specialising in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. After working in the power generation industry, he moved into thermal research within Newcastle University's Building Science Department, and then acoustics consultancy in 2000. He founded Apex Acoustics in 2006, now an award-winning, 100% employee-owned consultancy, where he leads one of the largest independent acoustics teams in the UK.
Alongside commercial work, Jack has been actively researching and publishing (dozens of conference papers, 7 peer-reviewed journal papers) on a variety of acoustics and air tightness subjects since 2012. Interests include room acoustics and measurement methods; noise, ventilation and overheating in residential design, including revision of BS 8233; acoustics in schools & open-plan office; soundscape, and noise from ASHPs. He has regularly organised conference sessions since 2022.
Jack sits on the International Standards (ISO) committee for acoustics in open plan offices, British Standards committee EH/1/3 & drafting panels for BS 8233 & BS 7445. He chairs the IOA NE & Yorkshire Branch. Jack sat on the ANC Board from 2012 - 2018, Chairing the ANC 2016 - 2018. He previously sat on the Board for ATTMA, SITRI, and SITMA, and continues on the WELL Advisory.
Jim is a Fellow of the IoA (and Chartered EHO). He is the Noise Control Lead within the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), technical advisor to the Scottish Government, and has undertaken extensive expert technical committee work on environmental noise with both BSI and ISO over the last 20 years. Jim has also helped deliver the IoA Certificate of Competence courses on Environmental Noise Assessment and Anti-Social Behaviour.
Jim started his professional career as a Local Authority Environmental Health Officer before securing a post with SEPA (joining their specialist Process Engineering Unit in 2000). Currently he leads a team of 14 specialist [noise] Officers, working closely with other regulatory bodies (Environment Agencies, Government, Local Authority, HSE), to provide our Agency Management Team with a strategic overview of regulatory performance, and advise on how we can best aim to improve and adapt until they are recognised as a ‘centre for excellence’ for industrial noise control.
In his role as a member of Council Jim hopes to:
Josie is a Principal Consultant at HA Acoustics. She has a background in human geography from the University of Leicester and University of Bristol and an MSc in Environmental Acoustics from London South Bank University. Josie has over 10 years of experience in acoustics.
Josie has worked on environmental and construction noise and vibration assessments, occupational noise and vibration assessments, noise control and sound insulation testing. She specialises is environmental acoustics and specifically in agricultural acoustics. She is also the Secretary of the Eastern Branch of the IOA, and a member of the meetings committee
Josie is also passionate about advancing the role of acoustics in society and believes the IOA has a strong part to play in this. She is keen on helping the IOA stay relevant to members, encourage and diversify active membership.
Roslyn Andrews
Roslyn has worked in the acoustic industry for over 20 years, starting her career at Casella Stanger with NO experience of acoustics, having completed a degree in Geography. She now works for AECOM leading the UK Building Acoustics Team where she focuses on managing the acoustic design of large developments across a wide range of sectors.
She is also the current chair of the London Branch of the IOA and have been active in the branch and the IOA for a great number of years, starting in a role on the early careers group as the London branch representative.
She is passionate about the importance of providing spaces with good acoustics, as an unseen art which is vital to the enjoyment and wellbeing of people using, visiting and traveling though these spaces.
One of Roslyn’s key focuses is to aid the support and encourage the development of those starting and progressing a career in acoustics, as well as seeking ways to attract and promote acoustics as a career to bring more people into the industry.
Matt is an acoustician with experience across buildings, machinery, product design, energy, environment, transport and instrumentation. He spent nearly a decade in consultancy before moving into product development and, most recently, noise and vibration instrumentation. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics and an MSc from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), and is a Chartered Engineer and corporate member of the Institute of Acoustics.
Matt is reading for a PhD in psychoacoustics at the University of Salford through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Sound Futures. His research develops perceptually validated metrics for sharpness and impulsivity.
Within the Institute, Matt is secretary for the Central and Midlands branches, and a member of the Meetings Committee, alongside his role on Council. As an Ordinary Member he champions professional development and wants to make it more accessible to members, encouraging the right blend of in-person, online and hybrid events.
Paul has worked in local authorities in Northern Ireland for over 20 years and is a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and member of the C.I.E.H. and F.P.H. (Faculty of Public Health). Paul is currently the Environmental Health Manager (Environmental Protection) for Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and has previously worked for Belfast City Council including periods working night-shifts in the city making use of Noise Act powers. A keen advocate for the linkage between Environmental Health and the Acoustics Profession – Paul is current Vice-Chairperson of the IOA (Irish Branch) and a member of the CIEH Environmental Protection Advisory Panel.
Paul brings vast experience of dealing with public expectations in relation to noise complaints and development control. He aims to promote skills and development of competency in acoustics through undergraduate development within local authority placements, guest-lecturing at the University of Ulster and by co-ordinating IOA Branch activity (along with IOA-colleague Dermot Blunnie).
Paul has published research in relation to the human response to low frequency noise from entertainment venues and the effect of COV-id restrictions upon neighbourhood noise complaints.
Richard is a Technical Director and global technical lead at Mott MacDonald, a multi-disciplinary consultancy working in environmental and building acoustics. He started his career at an attenuator company and then set up an acoustics team at Parsons Brinckerhoff (now part of WSP). Richard has previously served on Council as Vice President Engineering from 2010 to 2016 and is now the longest serving member on the Engineering Committee. He also served for a number of years on the IOA Southwest branch committee and sits on BSI EH1/3 committee representing the IOA. He now chairs the IOA Renewable Energy Advisory Group.
During his previous time on Council, as well as championing engineering, he was responsible for putting the group together who produced the Good Practice Guide to wind turbine noise assessment, coordinating the stakeholder engagement with Government and stakeholder groups which delivered robust guidance that remains in force today, and setting the blueprint for other IOA initiatives that have followed, e.g. the ProPG.
Richard brings a blend of commercial and Government experience, including having been the Noise Research Manager at Defra from 2003 to 2012, and working as expert witness and advisor to many local authorities on a range of projects.
A longtime supporter of the IOA Richard is passionate about encouraging professional development and enabling the provision of CPD to deliver the acoustics leaders of tomorrow.