Ian Firth

Ian Firth is a structural engineer and bridge designer with over 40 years of experience. Ian started his career at the Flint & Neill engineering consultancy of which he became a partner in 1990 at the age of 34. After the firm joined Cowi, Ian became chief operating officer of the new entity. He was the 2017 President of the Institution of Structural Engineers, was chairman of the British Group of IABSE, and is a trustee of the bridgebuilding charity Bridges to Prosperity. Ian has been an independent structural engineering consultant since 2018 and is also a visiting professor in conceptual and creative structural design at the University of Warwick. He was the 2022 recipient of the annual Bridge Owners Forum Lifetime Achievement Award and was awarded IABSE’s Member of the Year Award in 2024.