CEA – Meet the Management Series

Introducing the people behind the CEA – here we talk to David Waine, who is Vice Chairman of the CEA Management Council, a role he’s held since 2019. With more than 25 years’ experience in the steel industry, David’s also Commercial Director for British Steel’s Special Profiles business as well as a Northern Powerhouse Export Champion.

I started working at British Steel in 1995 after graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering. Despite reading engineering, I embarked on a commercial career in the construction and earthmoving equipment sector and have stayed in this arena ever since. British Steel has been a member of the CEA for around 15 years and it’s been a great way to engage with one of our key market sectors. Around 75% our Special Profiles’ business is with the construction and earthmoving equipment sector, we supply track shoe profiles, cutting edges profiles and bespoke special profiles to customers around the globe. So, it’s vitally important we understand the current and future needs of the industry – working with the CEA has enabled us to engage with its members, understand market trends and build valuable networks.

I’m proud to have been a CEA board member since 2018 and feel very honoured to currently hold the role of Vice Chairman. Being a Management Council member is fascinating and something I take very seriously, although it’s a shame our face-to-face networking has been somewhat curtailed due to Covid-19. But the impact of Covid-19 isn’t the only challenge CEA members have faced recently. I think the largest one we’re still contending with is the global supply chain. Albeit temporary, this supply chain continues to pose difficulties, including the availability of parts – notably microchips – port congestion and container availability. And, of course, we’re not alone in that, it’s an issue I’ve also seen as a Northern Powerhouse Export Champion. This scheme is a Department for International Trade initiative that encourages businesses to think globally. My role with them involves advising companies on how to establish and grow export activities, so navigating these supply chain issues is at the forefront of my mind.

But looking forward, I think there is a bigger issue and that’s carbon emissions. We will all need to look at the carbon life cycle of our products and their embodied carbon levels. Reviewing carbon emissions is something at British Steel we’ve been looking at for some time and last year, we unveiled our company Low-Carbon Roadmap. This outlines our commitment to achieving net-zero status by 2050 through adopting a range of innovative technologies and I’m very proud that we’ll be one of the first steel manufacturers to adopt a science-based target. COP26 has rightly focused attention on global emissions and the actions needed to limit temperature rises, we will all have a part to play in developing sustainable activities.

So what do I see for the future of the CEA? We’re already well established as the voice of the UK industry. That’s a great positive for our members as it means we’re able to help shape legislation, policies and strategies. Building on the strong foundations created by former Chief Executive Rob Oliver, I’m confident our new Chief Executive Suneeta Johal will be pivotal in forging even stronger links with the UK government, trade bodies and associations, helping our industry be recognised as a critical one for the UK economy. I hope we will be able to grow our membership too, especially with the distribution and dealership organisations. There is much to look forward to and I will do all I can to help us achieve our collective vision.