I started with the ISTT in May 1998. At the time, email was just beginning to draw level with fax; organisations in the UK had to seek permission to keep their tax records electronically; web sites were simple and internet connections were dial up — not broadband. Compared to 2008, administration and communications were very labour intensive and totally different from the automated electronic methods we take for granted today. I well remember the manual cash book that I inherited and the hand cranked calculator that I used for adding rows and columns of figures to check that the accounts balanced each month.

In addition to handling administrative matters, my job was to oversee the publication of the ISTT magazine, supervise the operation of what today could only be called a simple website and, with Affiliate Societies, manage an annual No-Dig event hosted by one of our member Societies.

The ISTT was founded in 1986 to promote Trenchless Technology for the benefit of the public at large. At the time, the ISTT members were UK-based only and Trenchless Technology, as an underground construction technique, was still in its infancy.

By 1990, the Society had evolved to the umbrella organisation that it is today, with the core membership managed by affiliated societies in their own countries. At that time, we had less than 1,500 members. Today, we stand at over 2,700 members represented by 19 affiliated societies.

Yes, much has changed from these early years, not only in the way we do business but also in the management of the ISTT. What has not changed is the mission of the ISTT.

The beginning of the new millennium saw the dawn of the ‘on-line’ communications revolution. Email was taking hold and the second generation of websites started to make an appearance. Broadband entered the ring. With improved communications came new opportunities but also new challenges.

In 2001, John Heavens joined the ISTT staff as Technical Secretary. He started what turned out to be a long but rewarding process of making the ISTT’s vast technical library available to both members and the industry at large in a searchable format accessible from the ISTT website.

The No-Dig Show in Perth, held in 2000 was not only a huge success but was also historical in that it was the first Show where conference proceedings were published on a CD-ROM. The ISTT has continued to take advantage of electronic communications to make trenchless information readily available to its membership and to otherwise broaden our technical support of the industry.

In 2004, ISTT entered into a partnership with Profundis Presse and Media Service GmbH to host the ISTT website and in 2007, the ISTT launched the Technical Resource Centre (TRC). The TRC is a web-based trenchless information clearinghouse, which is possibly the largest and most comprehensive database of trenchless information in the world. This library is available at no charge to all ISTT members. The ISTT website today is a vast improvement over our original site with interactive pages and facilities to access ‘latest news’ and a book shop as well as the source for accessing the TRC database.

The ISTT also took advantage of the electronic communication revolution to improve operating efficiency and reduce operating overheads. In 2003 the ISTT closed its London office. Membership Secretary Pat Nolan and I began working at home. This move proved a huge success. Overall costs were reduced by 32 per cent since 2000. Further savings are anticipated for 2008. In this respect the ISTT was a leader in taking advantage of IT.

The ISTT has not simply changed the way we manage the operations of the Society, we have also changed the oversight and management of ISTT. In the early 2000s, ISTT, under the leadership of Ray Sterling, modified its rules and procedures to increase membership involvement. The Society’s bylaws were revised to clarify the functions of the International Board of Directors. New rules were issued and approved in July 2001 that called for board election of officers to serve on the Executive Sub Committee (ESC) – the group that provides day-to-day guidance and direction of ISTT operations.

By 2007, the ISTT was operating in a very different business climate than the one which we faced when I first joined. We have made fundamental changes in the way we conduct business from restructuring our business and operating practices, to embracing the electronic revolution to improve operating efficiencies and membership services, to using the electronic medium to disseminate information on trenchless methods and developments.

But we did not stop there. The ISTT, under the leadership of Menno Henneveld, set about to establish a strategic plan that would refine our mission to better serve the needs for trenchless education and training, and that would guide the ISTT’s thinking about future education and training opportunities. At the International Board meeting in Brisbane October 2006, the Board endorsed “2K10” ISTT’s first strategic plan. Not only did the plan envisage the ISTT being more outward looking, but it also foresaw the need for substantial internal changes to embrace best commercial practices.

Based on “2K10” guidance, the Board approved increased flexibility in the selection of future No-Dig venues to include hosting the annual International No-Dig in countries that have significant trenchless markets but no affiliated society. The Board also approved holding No-Digs in conjunction with other well-established complementary events, if the joint venture would ‘add value’ to ISTT membership and trenchless industry at large. No-Dig Moscow 2008, held in conjunction with ECWATECH, was a first, and a very successful, example of this new policy.

At the Brisbane meeting, the Board also directed the ESC to implement further structural changes in the operation of the Society to begin 2008. The driving principle for the plan was to continue improving the operating efficiency of the ISTT by using part-time staff and contractors to handle activities that are largely routine or not appropriate for senior staff to handle.

The first six months of 2008 has been a busy period. Pat Nolan, Membership Secretary, and John Heavens, Technical Secretary, have retired. Great Southern Press, Melbourne, Australia, was selected to handle the Society’s external communications including in particular the publication of the ISTT official magazine. John Hemphill was chosen as my successor and Kyoko Kondo, with the very generous consent of the Japanese Society, was retained to run the membership database. A Technical Panel, under the leadership of Sam Ariaratnam, Vice Chairman of the ISTT, was established to act as the technical heart of the Society.

So the new team is in place. I look back with pride on what we have achieved and with admiration for those who contributed so much and who have led us through some difficult and challenging times. But thanks to the persistence and commitment of so many of you, the ISTT has not only survived but has thrived.

I have met so many special people and made so many friendships over these ten years. I will miss you all and I envy you for what I know will be continued growth and success of the ISTT. I am sure I will always feel a part of the ISTT.

But I eagerly look forward to pursuing other interests. There is a garage full of automobile parts that I intend to turn into classic BMWs. And my wife, Maggie, has my commitment to join her in what appears to be a never-ending demand for gardening assistance.

So I leave you knowing the ISTT is in good hands. The formula for success is clear – a dedicated and enthusiastic membership and staff in the affiliate societies who are willing to volunteer their time for the betterment of the trenchless industry. The formula has worked for the last 22 years. In the ten years I have been a part of ISTT, I have seen many changes but these qualities have not changed or diminished. They are part of what defines the Society and makes me proud to have been a part of the team.

The future is trenchless. Long may it continue.