Themis hires Ferrari F1 engineer

Themis at Burnley College has recruited industry expert composites engineer Mark Webber to its training team.

Mark joins Themis after spending more than five years working on composites for crash structures and front wings for Ferrari’s Formula 1 cars at its factory in Modena, Italy.

Before this he gained experience designing and making composites for Red Bull’s Formula 1 team, at B.A.R Honda and Alain Prost.

A Blackburn native, Mark’s supercharged career in motorsports began when he became a composites engineer for TVR sports cars in the North West. He has also worked for Ginetta, creating composites for its Le Mans 24 hour racing cars.

Mark’s sterling industry credentials have already made their mark on the Themis Centre of Engineering Excellence’s composites clean room, which he has already begun to develop with the engineering team, as they introduce a new layout and plans to create an even more realistic industry-led environment.

Mark and the wider team also have big plans – secret plans, for the moment - for ongoing projects using apprentices’ skills in composite engineering.

Mark said: “It’s exciting to begin sharing my experience with the composites engineers of tomorrow. Themis already has state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to work with in the Centre of Engineering Excellence, so it’s my job now to look at how our training and apprenticeship programmes can be improved further in the field of composites engineering.

"It’s a constantly evolving industry and I’m hoping I can show Apprentices in my training sessions the huge range of career possibilities composites engineering can offer.”

Neil Burrows, head of advanced manufacturing and engineering, Themis at Burnley College said: “Mark's incredible experience and expertise will ensure our advanced engineering apprentices and employers will receive outstanding training, giving them the best possible opportunity to achieve in their dream careers. "I’ve already seen how his enthusiasm for his industry area motivates the apprentices and employers he works with and I have no doubt that he will help to drive our engineering team to become one of the best in the country.”