Richard (Ric) Parker is an independent Special Advisor, working with various companies and institutions in the fields of technology strategy and technology transfer.

 

Ric is a consultant to A*STAR, Singapore and Chairman of the Singapore Aerospace Programme, and Chairman of the Singapore Low Carbon Energy Research Programme TC. He is a Distinguished Visitor at the UK National Physical Laboratory. Ric is a Technical Advisor to the company Boom Supersonic.

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Ric was appointed Director of Research & Technology, Rolls-Royce Group in January 2001 and retired in April 2016. He was responsible for direction and co-ordination of Research & Technology programmes across all the Rolls-Royce businesses, worldwide. Ric joined Rolls-Royce in 1978, and has held various posts including Chief of Composites and Ceramics, Managing Director - Compressor Systems and Director of Engineering & Technology, Civil Aerospace.

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Ric gained a CBE for Services to Engineering in the 2013 New Year's honours list. He was European CTO of the Year in 2014. In 2015 he won the Royal Aeronautical Society Gold Medal. In 2019 the Council of European Aerospace Societies (CEAS) recognised him as the Engineer of the Year and presented him with their Gold Medal. He was awarded the Singapore Public Service Medal in 2021.

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Ric is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and a Fellow of the City & Guilds of London Institute. Ric is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers.

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Ric gained a BSc in Physics at Imperial College, London in 1975and an MBA with distinction at Loughborough University in 1992.

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He has Doctorates (honoris causa) in Science and Engineering from Pusan National University, Korea and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; and from Imperial College, Loughborough University, Sheffield University, Heriot Watt University and Edinburgh University, in the UK. He is a visiting Professor in Aerospace and Transport Technology at Loughborough University, a visiting Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College, London and an Honorary Professor in Materials Engineering at Birmingham University, UK.

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Ric is married to Jeanette, has two daughters, and has homes in Littleover, Derby, and Nine Elms, London, UK.