We are pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Sharman as the next president-elect of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)! Regular readers will be familiar with Sharman’s work – since the beginning of 2015, he has contributed to SHEQ MANAGEMENT magazine with his column Sharman on Safety.

An IOSH member for two decades, Sharman is chief executive of RMS, a global safety and health consultancy that supports organisations in high-risk sectors; including mining, construction and oil and gas.

He was elected by members of the IOSH Council, its representative body, last week, and will take up the post on Tuesday, September 18. He will become president in September 2019.

“My aim as president will be to ensure IOSH supports people in the profession, no matter where in the world they are. We need to make sure we have a broad outlook,” says Sharman.

“There is a big opportunity for our profession and the practitioners within it to advance from being just safety and health specialists to leaders and managers and offering even greater value to their organisations. They can do this by developing soft skills like influencing, communication and engagement,” he adds.

Sharman has experience of working with big-name brands around the world, including Apple, L’Oreal and Mercedes-Benz. He is also chair of the board of the Institute of Leadership and Management, and professor of leadership and safety culture at the European Centre for Executive Development on the INSEAD campus in Paris.

He moved into safety and health after sustaining minor injuries in a workplace accident. “I tipped a bucket of acid over myself while I was working as a process engineer,” he said. “From there, I moved into safety and health.

“Over the past 20 years, I have been part of the Edinburgh Branch executive committee, including a term as Chair, held positions on the Board of Trustees and more recently the Presidential team. So, this feels like a coming of age for me. I’m delighted to have been voted in as the new president-elect,” he comments.

Well done Andrew! The entire SHEQ MANAGEMENT team, wishes you the best success in your new role! Keep on flying the safety and health flag high!

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