IET President receives knighthood in King’s New Year Honours

Business chief and President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Warren East, has received a knighthood in the King’s New Year Honours list for services to the economy and net zero.

An inspiring engineer and leader with a career that spans 40 years, Warren has made significant contributions to the engineering and technology industry. His award of Knight Batchelor is in recognition of his work as a business leader, formerly holding both the CEO positions at chip manufacturer ARM and Rolls-Royce plc, and championing net-zero.

On making the New Year’s Honours List, Sir Warren said: “I’m delighted to receive this honour and pleased to fly the flag for industry in the UK. 

“Within ARM and Rolls-Royce, I’ve been very lucky to lead two of our stand-out engineering and technology businesses that both punch well above their weight on a global stage. Both are full of incredibly dedicated and extremely capable people worldwide, and of course this honour is really about them.

“Since leaving Rolls-Royce, I remain focussed on engineering and technology, encouraging young people into STEM subjects, and working with businesses enabling the energy transition and climate change mitigation, alongside fundamental technology and essential infrastructure.”

Warren began his career in the semiconductor industry at Texas Instruments, then at UK chip designer ARM where he was CEO from 2001 to 2013.

He has served on the boards of engineering and technology companies, including BT, Dyson and Micron, and was appointed CEO at Rolls-Royce plc in April 2015 – with a mission to modernise, grow capacity, enhance operational gearing, and determine the future direction for a net zero world.

During his time at Rolls-Royce, the company broke the world speed record for Electric flight and demonstrated Hydrogen combustion in an aero engine. He left Rolls-Royce at the end of 2022.

Now driven by his passion for sustainability, he’s empowering smaller businesses to develop cutting-edge technologies to help reach net zero.

This year, he was appointed Chair of carbon capture developer firm C-Capture and Chair of the UK’s National Air Traffic Service (NATS).

Warren took office as IET President in October 2024 and delivered his inaugural President’s Address Time to re-engineer? where he shared his three-step plan to re-engineer our future – considering aligning engineering with economics, enhancing communication and strengthening the engineering eco-system.

Ed Almond, IET Chief Executive and Secretary, added: “This is a fantastic achievement for Sir Warren and a testament to his hard work, commitment and success in engineering and technology.

“Warren has dedicated his career towards driving change and bettering results within industry. He is an advocate for the STEM sector, inspires the next generation of engineers and technicians, and is a recognised and respected leader at the highest level in the profession.”

To re-watch Warren’s President’s Address, please visit: Time to re-engineer? | The IET President’s Address.

ENDS

Notes for editors

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