IIW History 1990-2015

for instance saw extensive cooperation between its members and the establishment of centres of technical excellence throughout the region. A prime thrust of IIW was to repeat this throughout the world,

most notably in Africa, Pan-America, South America and South East Asia. Ms Anne Rorke (Australia), Chair of WG-RA 2005-2008, was to put the importance of technology diffusion in simple but understandable terms, ‘…a technology that may be considered “old hat” in Europe or the USA could dramatically improve the quality of welding, productivity and welder safety in developing nations’. 17 That, essentially, was what IIW and WG-RA was all about – playing a pivotal role in improving the global quality of life by the optimum use of welding technology, as well as providing the networks through which this could be achieved. From another perspective, recognition of skills, IIW signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with WorldSkills International in 2006. WorldSkills competitions at all levels provided a means by which young people involved in vocational welding training could display their skills and consequently improved the image of welding as a career. The practical application of the MOU was put in place through the Japanese Welding Society, an IIW Member Society, at the International WorldSkills competition held in Shizuoko, Japan, where over 290 000 visitors from around the world had access to the competition for young welders. 18 This formula for cooperation between Member Societies and WorldSkills was repeated just as successfully in Canada in 2009 and London in 2011, again attracting large audiences. IIW had weathered the storm of the GFC exceptionally well and, apart from a fall in reserves due to the development of the website in 2009, the financial position was positive in all respects. In keeping with this turn of events it was noted that, after the 2008/9 downturn, the world’s economy was now expanding industrial demand for welding and joining products. 19 In anticipation of structural and other changes to IIW, with respect to its Constitution and the way it was governed, the IIW Board of Directors, at its meeting in July 2008, appointed a Task Group Governance (TG-GOV) to investigate the present governance situation of IIW and make changes where appropriate. The first meeting was held at the Institut de Soudure in October 2008 with Smallbone as its first Chair. Several senior members of IIW were present including von Hofe, Prof. Dr-Eng. Ulrich Dilthey (Germany), Anne Rorke

TMB Chair Dr Christoph Weisner (UK), IAB Chair Mr Germán Hernandez (Spain), Prof. Dr-Ing. Luisa Quintino (ISQ/EWF- Portugal) and a French lawyer, Mr Jean Claude Genevois, who led the discussion on the legal aspects of governance.

Christoph Weisner

THE ART OF GOVERNANCE