Tim Burnhope graduated from the University of Northumbria in 1989 with an Honours degree in mechanical engineering and in 1991 Tim completed an MBA course at Newcastle University Business School. After 10 years with Caterpillar in the Construction Manufacturing Industry Tim joined JCB in 1999 as Engineering Manager in the Loadall telescopic handler business unit. He quickly progressed to the role of Chief Engineer, responsible for designing the new generation JCB telescopic handler range. Tim ultimately became Managing Director of Loadall in 2001 – doubling the turnover of the business unit – before taking on the enlarged role of Managing Director of both the Loadall and Backhoe Loader business units in 2005. Tim became JCB’s Director of European Sales in 2006, and eighteen months later in 2008, was promoted to the position of Managing Director, JCB Sales. In January 2009, he became Group Director, Product Development before being appointed Group Managing Director, Product Development and Commercial Operations in January 2010. He was appointed Chief Innovation & Growth Officer on 1 January 2012 with responsibility for research, product development, engineering, and strategic growth planning for the JCB Group. On 18th August 2023 Tim was appointed Group Director – Special Projects with a view to concentrating on the overall success of hydrogen as a zero carbon fuel for the future. Tim was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) in 2015, only the third person in JCB’s 70-year history to receive the coveted accolade. Tim is a Chartered Engineer and became a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 2014 and a Fellow of Institution of Agricultural Engineers in 2017.