Tom Rowan, Managing Director and founder of Rowan Engineering, brings over 28 years of forensic engineering and environmental consultancy experience to the judging panel for the Engineering Excellence Awards 2026, contributing a practitioner's perspective built on decades of work across some of Ireland's most technically demanding sectors.

Rowan established his firm in 1998 and has since built it into a respected consultancy delivering forensic engineering and environmental services to local authorities, renewable energy operators, food and drinks producers, pharmaceutical companies, and leading Irish and international insurers.

Accredited by Engineers Ireland as an employer, the firm reflects the professional standards Rowan has applied throughout a career as a chartered civil engineer.

His qualifications and hands-on experience in health and safety add a further dimension to his practice, giving him working knowledge of the legislative frameworks, procedures, and guidelines that govern engineering operations across the sectors his clients inhabit.

His environmental credentials are equally well established. Rowan is a recognised figure among the EPA and local authorities for his expertise in environmental management, having played an instrumental role in guiding industrial companies through complex environmental challenges.

That combination of forensic rigour and environmental fluency is rare among engineering practitioners and gives his panel contribution a breadth that spans technical investigation, regulatory compliance, and operational accountability.

Beyond client work, Rowan delivers continuing professional development seminars to insurance companies, third-level institutions, and commercial organisations. This is an engagement with knowledge transfer that reflects a broader commitment to raising standards across the profession.

The Engineering Excellence Awards recognise outstanding achievement across the full breadth of Irish engineering, from construction and manufacturing to software, biomedical, and renewable energy, with shortlisted entrants receiving national exposure through The Irish Times Online.

The 2026 panel includes Judging Coordinator Matt Cotterell of MTU, Professor Brian Caulfield of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Brian Deegan of the University of Galway, Daniel Clarke Hagan of Atlantic Technological University, Niall Hanley of JJ Rhatigan, James McNamara of TUS, and Barry Williams of Mott MacDonald Ireland.

Entries close on 3 July 2026, with the awards gala taking place on 21 October 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

Visit the official Engineering Excellence Awards website and subscribe to the newsletter for category details, programme updates, and the full judging panel.