Jo Downham

Jo joined IChemE as a Trainee Management Accountant in 1998 having graduated in European Finance and Accounting from Leeds Metropolitan University and the Hochschule Bremen in Germany.

On joining IChemE, Jo studied for the CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualification, which she completed and qualified in 2005. She subsequently went on to study for the ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) qualification and became Chartered in 2014.

Jo became Finance Manager in 2003. In 2009, she was appointed as Finance and Business Director, heading up the finance, HR and facilities management functions of IChemE in the UK and its international branches. Other areas of responsibility include governance, legal, and maintenance of IChemE’s risk register.

Jo is the secretary of IChemE’s staff pension scheme, the Chemical Engineers’ Benevolent Fund and IChemE’s trading subsidiary, IChemE Ltd.

In September 2022, Jo was appointed Interim Chief Executive, carrying out the role between Jon Prichard’s departure until Yvonne Baker joined IChemE as his successor in April 2023. In June 2023, Jo was appointed Chief Operating Officer. 

In addition, through her work with IChemE, Jo is currently serving as the Honorary Treasurer for Engineers’ Against Poverty and sits on the Disciplinary Committee for the Royal Society of Chemistry.