09/09/2020

An expert in acoustics consultancy, particularly in railways and monitoring, has been elected to a key role at a national trade association.

Paul Shields will serve as Chair of the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) for the next two years.

With 30 years’ experience in acoustics consultancy and research, Paul leads a team of 50 staff at AECOM, providing consultancy services on a broad range of topics associated with acoustics and vibration.

Paul has represented AECOM at the ANC for many years, serving as an ANC Board member for the last four years, initially as Honorary Secretary and then as Vice Chair.

As a Board member, Paul has worked to raise the ANC’s profile and build closer ties with other organisations, including the Noise Abatement Society.

He has also helped with the review of several association publications and the organisation of the annual conference. As well as his involvement with the ANC Futures Committee, Paul is also a member of the trailblazer group for the Acoustic Technician apprenticeship.

Paul said: “My focus will be on supporting the ANC in continuing its excellent work and helping our members through the many challenges they face as a result of the pandemic.

“I’m passionate about continuous professional development, diversity and inclusion, so I’ll be actively promoting opportunities for people to achieve their potential, regardless of their background or circumstances.

“I’m also keen to see acousticians improve the ways they communicate technical information and will be championing report writing that’s easy for our clients and stakeholders to understand.”

The ANC is the voice of professional consultancy in acoustics, noise and vibration, representing 110 member companies that employ more than 1,000 people.

Its purpose is to highlight how ANC members lead the way to improve acoustics for the whole of society – and to promote high standards and good practice in the industry.

Paul was elected at the ANC’s recent annual general meeting and takes over from previous Chair, Dan Saunders.

Graham Parry, President of the ANC, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Paul to the role of Chair of the ANC.

“A significant strength of the association is the expertise our Board members bring and their commitment to the industry overall, which Paul has already demonstrated during his work over the last four years.

“I’d like to congratulate him on this appointment – myself and the Board look forward to working even more closely with him over the next two years.”