MALCOLM Bruce, director of operations, Europe, at Sperry Marine, has been elected President of EEF South, the regional engineering employers' association for London and the South East.

Mr Bruce succeeds John Peel, managing director of Crawley-based Varian Medical Systems, who completed a two-year term in the position.

Mr Bruce is currently responsible for the European Operations of Sperry Marine based in New Malden, Surrey.

Part of Northrop Grumman, which has a turnover of $25 billion, the company provides a wide range of electronic marine equipment for commercial and military markets in the marine sector.

He said: "I am very much looking forward to supporting an organisation so committed to delivering services of value to the manufacturing sector.

"Like many others, I have been increasingly disturbed by the decline of manufacturing within the UK. International competition is rapacious and only by embracing a culture of innovation and continuous improvement can we hope to attract investment and recover lost ground.

"The seemingly endless stream of new regulations adds another layer of complexity and difficulty for all of us.

“Many businesses need assistance and EEF South can be an invaluable partner with an abundant supply of HR and legal support, including HS&E, readily available at the end of a phone.

"I look forward to the coming year as we add even more new training products and support services to help our UK companies on the journey to world class manufacturing."