Prof. Ing. Jean-Baptiste SCHLEICH will always be recognised as "Mr Fire” of Europe. He was the leading professor in the development of the "Natural Fire Safety Concept". Under his leadership, the relationship of the fire load to the risk to a structure and its occupants was researched and tested. It is due to his work that structures can now be fire engineered with a significant benefit to the industry, building owners and users.

Prof. J-B Schleich also has had a very considerable influence on the development and production of the Eurocodes and has been the author or co-author of a large number of publications for Eurocodes 1, 3 and 4. He has been the ECCS President on three occasions and the representative of his country on the Executive Board from 1981 to 2006. Chairman of the Promotion Management Board from 1996 to 2003, Chairman of Technical Committee on CAD-Cam from 1993 to 2000, Chairman of Technical Working Group on EC1.2 and 3.