The Institute of Refrigeration is governed by a board of trustees which comprises the President, the President-Elect, the Immediate Past-President, the Honorary Treasurer and six elected members.
The current council comprises The work of the Institute is carried out by committees, including 1899-1903: The Rt Hon Lord Egerton of Tatton 1903-1905: The Rt Hon Lord Whitburgh 1905-1907: Sir Charles Petrie JP 1907-1908: Sir Alfred L Jones KCMG 1908-1910: Sir E Montague Nelson, KCMG 1910-1912: Charles E Brightman 1912-1914: John T Milton DSc 1914-1915: Sir Alfred Seale Haslam, JP 1915-1918: The Hon Sir Thomas MacKenzie CGMG 1918-1920: Sir Joseph G Broodbank JP 1920-1921: Lt-Col Sir Thomas Robinson GBE, KCMGC 1921-1922: George Goodsir JP 1923-1926: Sir Gordon H Campbell KBE 1926-1929: Lt-Col Lord Dudley Gordon DSE, LLD 1929-1930: The Rt Hon Lord Kylsant GMCG 1930-1933: Sir William B Hardy DSc LLD FRS 1933-1934: Arthur Robert Thomas Woods 1934-1935: Robert S Forsyth CMG 1935-1936: Frank Ainsworth Willcox DSc 1936-1938: Ezer Griffiths OBE DSc FRS 1938-1940: Austin Chadwick 1940-1941: Basil Thomas Aitken 1941-1945: Stanley Fabes Dorey, CBE, DSc, FRS, WHEX 1945-1947: Kenneth Lightfoot OBE 1947-1949: William Stoddart Douglas BSc 1949-1952: The Rt Hon Vis Bruce of Melbourne PC CH MC FRS 1952-1955: Sir Charles G Darwin, KBE, MC, ScD, FRS 1955-1958: Lt-Col Lord Dudley Gordon DSO LLD 1958-1960: Sir Rupert de la Bere BART KCVO 1960-1961: Eng-Cmdr Walter Robert Sinclair RAN BEng 1961-1963: Charles Maurice Brain 1963-1964: William Stoddart Douglas BSc 1964-1966: Col Henry Randal Steward TD BSc 1966-1968: James Douglas BSc 1968-1969: James Arnold Brewster 1969-1972: John Archer Stonebanks 1972-1974: Kenneth Calvert Hales MA 1974-1977: William Bell Gosney BSc 1977-1981: Joseph James Wilson MBE 1981-1984: Geoffrey Gordon Haselden DSc 1984-1987: Edward J Perry CEng 1987-1989: Stephen Forbes Pearson BSc PhD ARCST 1989-1992: Colin Bailey BSc PhD CEng 1992-1994: Anthony Harold Brown BA CEng 1994-1996: Raymond Gluckman MA CEng 1996-1997: Peter John Cooper OBE CEng 1997-2000: Robert David Heap MBE BSc CEng 2000-2004: John Ellis LCG 2004-2007: Guy Francis Hundy PhD FIMechE 2007-2010: Jane A Gartshore BSc(Eng) 2010-2013: Andy B Pearson BSc BEng PhD CEng 2013-2016: Graeme G Maidment CEng MIMechE 2016-2018: Steve C Gill FIET MCIBSE MASHRAE 2018-2020: Kevin P Glass 2020-2022: Mike Creamer 2022-2024: Graeme Fox CEng MCIBSE It has branches covering: and co-operates with independent refrigeration societies in Hampshire (HRS), Birmingham and London as well as international organisations Irish Institute of Refrigeration, ASHRAE, ISHRAE, PHVAR The purpose of the Institute of Refrigeration is outlined in the Institute's constitution as follows: a) The general advancement of refrigeration in all its applications, in relation both to the perfection of its methods, and to the extension of its services to the community.
The IOR runs international conferences and events based in the UK on technical topics of general interest to the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industry.
The IOR ran a well publicised campaign called REAL Zero which had a significant impact on improving refrigerant containment, and was turned into an e-learning programme at www.realzero.org.uk.
It has formal agreements to share information and co-operate with ASHRAE (USA), ISHRAE (India), PHVAR (Pakistan) and AIRAH (Australia).