Speakers

Fiona Hodgson is the Chief Executive of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation (SNIPEF). A qualified Chartered Accountant, she graduated from the University of Dundee with a degree in accountancy and trained with Deloitte in Edinburgh. Hodgson joined SNIPEF in 1995 as its Finance and Administration Manager, being promoted to Chief Executive in 2016. Under her leadership, SNIPEF has championed enhancing industry standards and promoting the value of apprenticeships to address the profession's future skill requirements. She has also been a strong advocate for government support in upskilling the current plumbing and heating workforce, specifically to integrate the profession into national and devolved sustainability transition plans. Additionally, Fiona has taken the lead in addressing the issue of pension liabilities under Section 75, which have significantly impacted small plumbing and heating businesses. Currently, Fiona is guiding SNIPEF through its new three-year strategy, launched in 2023 as part of its centenary year. This strategy focuses on growing SNIPEF membership and promoting the value of the plumbing profession to the public, government and media. Outside of SNIPEF, Hodgson serves as Deputy Chair of the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV), a coalition of 29 trade and professional organisations from across the construction sector. She is a key organiser of the CICV's Green Home Festival, an annual event held during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to promote sustainable home improvements. Additionally, she is a Director of BSE Skills, Co-Chair of the CICV Net Zero group and a member of the Scottish Construction Accord Net Zero group.