BCIA names Stan Thomas and Freddy Kudom to lead Young Engineers Network from January 2027

The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has named Stan Thomas of Sontay as the next chair of its Young Engineers Network (YEN) and Freddy Kudom of Freedom Controls Ltd as vice chair, both from January 2027.

Thomas, UK South Sales & Account Manager at Sontay, has been YEN vice chair since January 2025 and will succeed outgoing chair Josh Steel, BCIA said. Kudom, Director of Freedom Controls Ltd, will serve as vice chair before moving up to chair in January 2029.

The network is aimed at people under 35 working in technical roles in the building energy management systems (BEMS) industry at BCIA member companies. According to BCIA's YEN page, membership is free for employees of member firms, and the network offers peer-to-peer collaboration and access to people, projects and companies across its network.

Stan Thomas, incoming YEN Chair, said: "There is an incredible amount of young talent in building controls, and we want to make sure people have the connections, support and confidence to make the most of their potential."

Thomas said he also wanted to make the network more accessible, engaging and valuable to its members. BCIA said he brings experience of helping clients focus on sustainability and efficiency through BEMS.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) listed Thomas, of Sontay, in the Emerging leader category of its 30 under 30 Awards 2026, announced by its Global Young Engineers Network on 15 July 2026. CIBSE said the annual awards recognise young engineers making a significant contribution to the industry.

The incoming vice chair

BCIA said Kudom has progressed from apprentice and installer to engineer and business owner, and has more than ten years' experience in BEMS across commissioning, software engineering, design and project delivery on commercial buildings, hotels and data centres.

Companies House records show Freedom Controls Ltd is registered under SIC code 43999, other specialised construction activities, with a registered office care of Hard Hat Group at 320 City Road, London EC1V 2NZ.

Kudom's plans for the network, according to BCIA, include more hands-on technical sessions, site visits and mentoring, and closer engagement with apprentices, trainees and students through colleges, employers and industry events.

Freddy Kudom, incoming YEN Vice Chair, said: "For me, it's about developing better professionals, not just better engineers. I want young people entering this industry to understand the importance of supporting others, building relationships and taking pride in the work they do."

He said he had experienced first-hand how important the right guidance, training and opportunities are when starting out in the industry.

Workforce context

BCIA framed the appointments against workforce pressures in the wider construction industry, citing the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) forecast that the UK will need an average of 41,200 additional construction workers a year between 2026 and 2030.

That figure comes from CITB's Construction Workforce Outlook 2026-2030, which puts the requirement at 1.6% of the 2025 workforce, or about 206,000 additional workers over the five years, with the total workforce forecast to reach about 2.68 million by 2030. CITB said meeting demand means both attracting new entrants and replacing those leaving, and that too few people are entering the sector while too many experienced workers are leaving.

Graeme Rees, Interim President of the BCIA, said attracting, developing and retaining skilled people was among the most important priorities for the future of building controls, and that Kudom's route from apprentice to business owner showed how rewarding a career in the sector could be.

Rees himself holds an interim post. BCIA's Management Committee appointed the former president to the role at its 9 September meeting, and he is due to serve until 1 March 2028, when Vice-President Ron Purcell is set to succeed to the presidency.

The outgoing chair

Steel, Support Division Sales Manager at Electracom, was elected YEN chair following an election process in January 2025, with Thomas as his vice chair, BCIA said at the time. On taking the role, Steel said the industry was "seeing some of the old greats slowly retiring and leaving massive gaps in expertise", and that the network would offer young engineers an element of free training followed by social networking.

BCIA thanked Steel for his two years in the role. As of 12 November 2026, the association's YEN page still listed Steel as chair and Thomas as vice chair, ahead of the handover in January 2027.