Annette Cutler (1951–2026)

Annette Cutler (© Francesca Sivers/Gillian Cutler)

Just like geology, there were many layers to our sister Annette, several of which we only unearthed once she was no longer with us. 

Annette Barbarba Cutler died suddenly in her sleep on 14 February 2026, aged 74. It came as a great shock to her family, friends and colleagues. From her early years, Annette had an interest in the composition of the land upon which we walk and that surrounds us. Growing up in the coastal town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, with the Huntcliff area a living record of the geological processes that shaped the North Sea coast over millions of years, it was certainly this that fuelled her love of geography and enthusiastic participation in numerous field trips from Cleveland Grammar School.  

A force for change 

Annette went on to study geology and geography at the University of Sheffield. She was an active member of the Student’s Union and always felt it fitting for a Cutler to be flying the flag for Sheffield. It was very much a man’s world in the late 1960s/early 1970s, but Annette was not deterred and graduated with an honours degree in geology. She then decided to go into the oil industry, initially working at Shell, then Jet Petroleum (a subsidiary of Conoco) and finally Conoco itself, where we believe she was passed over for promotion several times. 

It was in 1974 that Annette became a Fellow of the Geological Society and quickly demonstrated her abilities as a mover and shaker. She was very keen that there should be a professional body to represent geologists and Annette immediately became an active member of the Working Party that had recently been established to do just that. The Association for the Promotion of an Institution of Professional Geologists was thus founded and formally inaugurated on 24 March 1975. Its sole objective was to form an Institution for Professional Geologists, but it took another three years before the Institution of Geologists (IG) was finally established and Annette became a member of the original Council. 

The next step was to acquire a Royal Charter for IG members to bestow the more prestigious title of Chartered Geologist. Once again, Annette took an active role, but it was complex as the Geological Society had its own Royal Charter and wasn’t keen to consider the possibility of a future unification with IG. However, persistence and determination won through, and in 1991 the IG was finally formally unified with the Society and Chartered status for IG members was achieved. Annette was one of the first female Chartered Geologists to be appointed. 

Over many years, Annette strengthened her involvement with the Society, serving on Council (1996-1999), as Vice-President (1996-1997), as Chair of the Fellowship and Validation Committee and Chair/Joint Chair of the Accreditation Committee (1996-1999), as a Member of the Corporation Affiliates Committee (2001-2006) and External Affairs Committee (1996-1997), as well as being a Chartership Scrutineer until at least 2003. She was also part of the Working Group on Women (1996-1997) and wrote an article in the first issue of The British Geologist (later renamed Geoscientist) on employability issues for female geologists. 

Annette believed that only by learning in the field can real understanding and passion for geology truly be gained

Driving energy innovation 

After 20 years of service at Conoco, most latterly working as a Technology Specialist/ Research and Technology Development Co-ordinator, Annette took voluntary redundancy along with many other staff. To many this would have been a disaster, but for Annette it presented a major opportunity. She took a course in starting a business and, in 1994, Technology Initiatives was born.  

The company focused on managing technology innovation in traditional, low carbon and emerging energies, bringing mainstream energy experience to monitoring and managing research in new and emerging technology programmes. Realising that technology development to implementation and commercialisation would be much quicker with co-operation across the whole supply chain, under Annette’s leadership, the company launched, developed and facilitated knowledge sharing networks in the UK, Europe and internationally. Following EU Commission grant awards, its major knowledge sharing network on carbon capture and storage (CCS), CO2 NET, was active in Community Capacity Building across the whole CCS supply chain, remaining at the forefront of CCS technologies for over 12 years.   

Annette also used her project management skills to mentor others in successful execution and completion of projects focused on the rollout of UK Space Industry technologies to other industries and further development in the Energy Catalyst programme for UKRI (Innovate UK). She was also an external assessor for the European Commission. Sadly, the advent of Brexit forced the closure of her company, and Annette gracefully retired.   

A skilled problem-solver 

As well as her love for geology and technology, Annette was for 28 years a devoted Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glovers and a Freeman of the City of London, although she restrained from driving sheep over London Bridge! As in all the things that Annette was involved with, she was not one to take a passive role and became the Social Treasurer, ensuring the smooth running of the company’s many functions and events.   

As one of her past Masters said of Annette at her funeral: “More or less single-handedly, Annette made things work. She kept everything going when the booking system would gratefully have fallen into a happy death. When we were already applying morphine patches to the failing website, Annette would be there to coax it back to life. Annette brought her solutions-orientated approach, learned from her many years as a successful businesswoman, to sort things out. She also identified likely individuals in the company who could help in the task and badgered them, quite nicely, until they agreed.  What a hole she has left to fill.”  

An educational legacy 

Annette had a lifelong interest in education and was passionate about giving young people access to career opportunities. Shortly after she started her career in the oil industry, she took an evening course in adult education so she could teach geology at evening classes and later became a tutor at the Open University.   

Annette was a strong supporter of the Geological Society’s education work and was passionate about encouraging future generations into the profession. She believed that only by learning in the field can real understanding and passion for the subject be truly gained. Annette has left a significant legacy in her will which will go towards realising her passion, helping to secure the future of geoscience and inspiring young people to pursue careers in the profession.  

By Dr Francesca Sivers and Dr Gillian Cutler (Annette’s sisters) 

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