Pam Murrell is the Chief Executive of the Cast Metals Federation (CMF), which is the Trade Association for the UK castings industry. The CMF represents and supports its members (UK foundries and suppliers) and is the UK member of the European Foundry Association (CAEF).
Pam has a BSc Hons Degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science from the University of Cardiff and a PhD on Fracture and Fatigue from Cranfield University. She began work on a wide range of technical projects at the British Cast Iron Research Association, BCIRA, and then moved on to work at the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers (ICME), ultimately becoming the Chief Executive. Pam is a Fellow of ICME, which is the UK member of the World Foundry Organisation (WFO). She is also Company Secretary and a Board member of the European Investment Casters’ Federation, a Trustee of the Tor Lodge and Applecross Trust and Chairs the WFO working group on training and professional development.
Whilst at ICME, and with the support of many ICME members and industry suppliers, she began to develop a range of short courses and development programmes as there were no foundry specific programmes available following the demise of various college-based courses. This has led to the development of the EAL Level 3 Diploma in Casting Technology and has enabled ICME to work with employers to develop a new trailblazer apprentice standard for the casting and foundry industry, Pam has also facilitated the establishment of the new National Foundry Training Centre, the first practical training facility in the UK for at least two decades.
She says “Receiving the Oliver Stubbs Award is a huge honour as, for me, this award is at the core of the Institute - that is imparting knowledge and supporting the professional development of those in the industry and looking back over the last ten years or so I can see that we have made progress. When I now meet some of the young people who were school leavers when they started on the Diploma and who are now taking more senior roles in the industry, it is extremely satisfying – indeed I never thought that we would have the opportunity to have a brand new training foundry in the UK. But this has only come about because of the passion and commitment of so many individuals and companies in the industry (you know who you are), and who share in this award with me.”