02 Jul 2017

Gary Downes becomes President of the AEMT

Gary accepts the chains of office from Graham Brooker at the AGM, making him the first associate to become president of the AEMT.

Many will know Gary as the director of Solutions in IT, a popular software provider for members of the AEMT. He has been an active member of the council since 2011, during which time he became treasurer in 2015, and vice-president in 2016. 

Gary becomes the first president of the association, who is an associate member. It is exciting news, because as an associate, Gary has visited, and understands a broad range of AEMT companies. In an industry where one company can be very different to another – it means his knowledge of the industry is varied and balanced. Meanwhile, supporting Gary, sits a very strong and active council, all of whom have great engineering knowledge.

It is also great news for associate members, as he will be able to focus on how they can get more out of the association, building from the experiences he has as an associate. 
On handing over the chains of office, past-president Graham Brooker commented that, “Gary couldn’t be a more willing or deserving person to receive the chains of office – he has shown endless energy and dedication to the association. He will without doubt be an excellent president.”

Gary added, “I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of previous presidents. As the first associate president of the AEMT, I’d like to thank past presidents Graham Brooker and David Hesketh for their support of associate member companies, and for supporting me. I look forward to ensuring that all AEMT members continue to prosper.”

“I have plans to focus on: The AEMT brand, to ensure it continues to stand for quality, fairness and trustworthiness; Promoting the AEMT nationally and internationally; Working with other associations on standards and policy; Looking into updating the AEMT/EASA repair efficiency study; Improving on the range and depth of training for members; providing an improved apprentice scheme; and looking to actively attract youngsters to the industry.”