ICL Fellows facts for kids

The ICL Fellows was a special program at International Computers Limited (ICL), a British computer company. It celebrated people who were super good at computers and technology. These Fellows were chosen because they were excellent at their jobs. They helped lead the company's technology efforts. They also gave advice to the company's bosses.

History of the ICL Fellowship

How the Fellowship Started

In 1984, Robb Wilmot, who was in charge of ICL, picked Professor Brian Warboys as the first "ICL Fellow." Professor Warboys was a very important person. He designed ICL's main computer system called VME. Later, he became a professor at the University of Manchester. His job as a Fellow was to share good engineering ideas across the company.

The Program Grows

The ICL Fellows program officially began in 1990. Sir Peter Bonfield, who was the head of ICL at the time, started it. Five more technical experts were chosen to be Fellows. Professor Brian Warboys became the Senior ICL Fellow. More people joined the program throughout the 1990s.

New Ideas and Conferences

In 1993, the ICL Fellows created the ICL Distinguished Engineer Scheme. This program helped build a strong network of engineers across the company. It made sure that good ideas kept flowing, even if the company changed. They also started an annual meeting for engineers. This meeting happened every year until 2001.

Becoming the Fujitsu Fellowship

In the early 2000s, ICL was bought by another company called Fujitsu. ICL then changed its name to Fujitsu. Because of this, the ICL Fellowship program slowed down. However, in 2013, the program was started again as the Fujitsu Fellowship. It had the same goal: to celebrate amazing achievements in technology. Three former ICL Fellows—Nig Greenaway, Nic Holt, and Jeff Parker—became the first Fujitsu Fellows. The new program also includes recognizing and helping "Distinguished Engineers." Plus, the yearly engineering meeting came back!

Notable ICL Fellows

Many talented people became ICL Fellows. Some of the well-known Fellows include:

• Professor Brian Warboys (chosen in 1984)
• Michael Kay (chosen in 1990)
• Professor Steve Molyneux (chosen in 1996). He was the first Fellow who didn't work directly for ICL.
• Ron Brunt (chosen in 1999). He was the first ICL Fellow picked in the United States.