Council Elections
Our Council Elections ballot takes place during each year during March with all Statements of Interest to be submitted by the 10 January each year.
In accordance with the Society’s byelaws, Voting Members are Honorary Fellows, Fellows and Student Members are asked to take part in the ballot.
Following the close of the ballot, members are informed of the results via the Society newsletter and Geoscientist, and the results will then be noted at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM). Dr Caroline Gill - Vice-President Foreign and External Affairs and Dr Paul Winrow - Treasurer-Elect were reported at the last AGM and are now in post.
The Treasurer-Elect will join Council and Finance & Planning Committee (FPC) as an observer before becoming a Trustee and Treasurer following the 2027 AGM.
You can find out more about Dr Caroline Gill and Paul Winrow in their statements below.
New Treasurer-Elect and Vice-President Foreign and External Affairs:
Dr Paul Winrow - Treasurer-Elect
"After 30 years in the Audit profession, allied with a lifelong passion for geology, I believe I will bring a unique mix of professional financial experience and passion to the role, as well as bringing experience of acting as a trustee and in similar roles.”
Dr. Paul Winrow
It would be a real honour to serve as Trustee and Treasurer of the Geological Society. After 30 years in the Audit profession, allied with a lifelong passion for Geology, I believe I will bring a unique mix of professional financial experience and passion to the role, as well as bringing experience of acting as a trustee and in similar roles. I want to bring the experience I’ve gained to the benefit of organisations which I have a passion for. In that vein, I was delighted to be accepted as a member of the Society’s newly formed Ethical Principles Working Group last year and have been an active participant.
Having studied Geology at degree and Masters level in the 1990s, I completed a part time PhD in palaeontology between 2007 and 2016 while working full time. I’ve been a Fellow of the Geological Society since 2017 and am also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
I was previously treasurer the Palaeontological Association from 2010-20 and have been re-elected as treasurer from 2026. I was a trustee of the Geologists Association for three years, as well as being a trustee of a conservation trust during its formation. I have held a range of other roles in the public and not-for-profit sectors, including hospital governor and school governor.
In my professional career I spent over 20 years auditing public and not-for-profit organisations. In the last 10 years, I have moved into public policy, regulation and technical support roles across the UK and international audit and accounting profession. However, I remain active in the not-for-profit/public sector and am a member of the Practitioner Advisory Group of the body that developed the newly published International Non-Profit Accounting Standard (INPAS), the first global standard for charity financial reporting. I also have a keen interest in sustainability reporting and assurance and recently joined a new global working group looking at how audit and assurance can be provided around sustainability reporting in the public and not for profit sector.
Proposer: Council
Dr Caroline Gill - Vice President Foreign and External Affairs
“I became a Council Member in 2025, driven by my passion for people and for shaping the future of Geoscience… I would be honoured to take on the roles of Vice President Foreign and External Affairs and Council EDI Champion. Drawing on my experience from both past and current positions, I would approach these roles with commitment and integrity.”
Dr Caroline Gill
I became a Council Member in 2025, driven by my passion for people and for shaping the future of Geoscience. Over my 25-year Fellowship, I have contributed to the Society in numerous capacities—early in my career as a member of the Petroleum Group and the Science Committee, and more recently as Chair of the Energy Group. I have convened a wide range of Society events, including the successful inaugural Energy Geoscience Conference. I also serve as a regular chartership assessor and as a reviewer for the Society’s Publishing House.
I am a Chartered Geologist and have spent my career with Shell in a variety of technical roles across the UK Continental Shelf. I currently work as Geology Learning Advisor, responsible for global learning programmes spanning online, virtual, classroom, and field-based delivery. Throughout my career, I have remained committed to university engagement, leading both the Shell UK Scholarship and Scottish Campus programmes. I am currently an external examiner for two MSc programmes and a regular visitor at the University of Aberdeen.
Beyond my work within the Society, I have contributed to the wider energy sector through my involvement in OEUK’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Group, which brings together senior leaders and D&I champions to promote and advance best practice across the industry.
I hold a first-class degree in Geology from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh.
I would be honoured to take on the roles of Vice President Foreign and External Affairs and Council EDI Champion. Drawing on my experience from both past and current positions, I would approach these roles with commitment and integrity. My employer fully supports me in taking on these additional responsibilities, and I look forward to this opportunity to support the society further.
Proposer: Council
The Byelaws approved by the Fellowship on 8 October 2025 require the Council to have 12 members (and no more than 14). You can see the Council for 2026-2027 at the link below.
The call for the next Council Elections will take place in the Autumn. If you have any queries in regards the elections or serving on Council, please contact: secretary@geolsoc.org.uk
