Alan Thomas graduated in Automotive Engineering at Loughborough University and has worked as a staff engineer, manager and as a consultant mostly within the motor industry, but also applied skills to rail, marine and off-highway projects. From undergraduate research on crashworthiness to current work on autonomous vehicle safety, state-of-the-art emphasis has been maintained on occupant, pedestrian, cyclist, motor cyclist protection, driver-vehicle interaction, and electric vehicles. Being effective in those areas relies on experience in materials and manufacturing research, design, analysis and simulation, testing from test coupons to complete vehicles, trouble-shooting, field collision investigation, cost reduction, regulations and involvement in the legislative process.

Most of all, being effective in engineering is only possible within cooperative team structures, making the appropriate large or small contribution and respecting the expertise and input of all players.