As Director of Engineering and Technology at Rolls-Royce, Colin Smith leads the UK aerospace company’s entire engineering activities and a team of 16,000 professional engineers. After joining as an undergraduate apprentice in 1974, Colin has spent the last 40 years in roles of increasing seniority, becoming a member of the Board of Directors in 2005.
He is a capable engineer whose remarkable technical and leadership skills have been applied to many of Rolls-Royce’s flagship gas turbine engine design projects. These include the Trent 500 and 700 engines, which power thousands of Airbus A340 and A330 commercial passenger jets. He was also the Chief Engineer on Rolls-Royce’s most recent helicopter engine, the RTM322.
Colin is now holds diverse responsibilities at Rolls-Royce that include overseeing investment in research and envisioning future technologies, and he has led the company into new markets such as marine engineering. He received a CBE in 2012 in recognition of his services to UK engineering.
Subject groups
- Engineering
Engineering, aeronautical, Engineering, general, Engineering, mechanical
