Mr Howlett, who is now a year into his role as HEVAC president, is non-executive director at Titon and was instrumental in creating the company’s mechanical ventilation division in 2005.   

Mr Howlett said: “There are a number of significant topics on the agenda for FETA at the moment, ranging from the strategic level stemming from consequences of Brexit not yet being clear to the more sector specific issues like F-gas and detailed work on Regulations and Standards. We are also stood by to contribute fully to the work stemming from the Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety which followed on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy and to playing our part in ensuring the opportunities for improvement across the built environment are not wasted.

“Equally, in the wake of the Carillion fiasco, we will continue to argue that the time for a radical review of construction industry payment practices is upon us and the Government must act accordingly. I have a particular wish to raise the need for better and more coordinated focus by the Government concerning indoor air quality but equally there are many issues of current interest across our six associations within FETA. I am greatly looking forward to playing my part in taking these forward.”

With Mr Smith also stepping down as president of the British Refrigeration Association (BRA), former BRA vice-president Mark Woods has stepped into the role. Mr Woods is joint managing director of Space Engineering Services, having started with the company as a troubleshooting and commissioning engineer in 1997. He is also the chairman of the BRA Contractor Section and is able to draw on a wealth of practical knowledge and customer relationship experience.

He commented: “I am looking forward to building on the great work John has done as we reach out to our broad industry sector to share best practice, focusing on health and safety as we deal with changes in the use of refrigerants.”