David is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 40 years’ experience and specifically 35 years at the Canal & River Trust (formally British Waterways). He is currently the Head of Asset Management and leads a national team of engineers and inspectors who manage the Canal Infrastructure and its risks. There are 2000 miles of navigable waters, with 3,000 bridges, 1,500 locks, 72 reservoirs, plus embankments, tunnels, aqueducts, culverts, many of which are listed, so it is fair to say, these structures are exceeding their design lives and keep my team and I very busy. The challenge each day is to protect and manage this gift from the great engineers of 250 years ago who founded the Industrial Revolution and to fully integrate and enhance their creations into our modern-day world.