Building Research Establishment Appoints New CEO

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12 June 2025

The Building Research Establishment has appointed Ian Shapiro as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Ian joins The Building Research Establishment (BRE) from Reall, a non-profit organisation that invests in and develops sustainable, affordable housing solutions in urban Africa and Asia. He is also on the advisory committee for the United Nations Under Secretary General and Executive Director for UN Habitat, and is a non-executive director at WHG.

Ian will take up the role in September 2025, taking over from Gillian Charlesworth, who is retiring from full-time work after six years as CEO.

Reflecting on her time at BRE, Gillian said: “I’ve been proud to lead BRE over the last six years and would like to thank the brilliant team at BRE for their continued dedication to collaborating across industries, government and borders to make the built environment better and safer for all.  I look forward to seeing BRE’s continued progress on this mission, and I wish Ian every success in his new role.”

Ian Shapiro added: “I’m hugely honoured to have been invited to take on this role and want to thank Gillian Charlesworth for her vision and leadership. Thanks to her, I will be joining an organisation that is already making a meaningful impact on the built environment.

“Our focus must now be on transforming the built environment to create safe, sustainable and inspiring spaces for people today and for generations to come – all while targeting net zero carbon. BRE has a vital role to play in this transformation and I’m excited to learn from the science, the solutions and the talented teams driving this mission forward when I begin later this year.”

Picture: a photograph of Ian. Image Credit: BRE

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 12 June 2025

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