CEA appoints first honorary president

The UK’s Construction Equipment Association (CEA) has announced David Bell as its first ever honorary president.

Bell is currently holds a directors role at manufacturer JCB, where he has worked for 43 years, joining in 1974 as a graduate trainee, following an engineering apprentiship at Rolls Royce in Derby, UK.

During his 43-year career at JCB, Bell has held a variety of senior roles, including managing director of JCB sales/services, JCB agriculture, JCB’s backhoe loader and telescopic handler business units and group HR director.

Bell is also involved in the JCB academy, where he holds the position of chairman of the governors.

In 2010, he become JCB’s chief corporate development officer focusing on growth in Brazil, China and latterly in Jaipur India.

On his new role at the CEA, Bell said, “The construction equipment industry is vitally important to the UK economy and I strongly believe it has a very bright future.

“The CEA is the voice of our industry and having spent my entire working life over 40 years working in different roles at JCB, I have a good understanding of the issues that everyone is facing.”

He added that he was looking forward to “championing the interests” of the industry on behalf of the CEA at the highest level.

Meanwhile, Rob Oliver, CEA chief executive, said, “David has been a well-known leader in the construction equipment industry for many years.

“His scope of experience and continuing enthusiasm for our sector is outstanding. I am thrilled that he has agreed to be our figurehead as our first ever honorary president. We very much look forward to working with him.”