Corrie Pitzer
CEO
Safemap International
Corrie has worked in the industry for the last 30 years, initially as the Group Human Resources Manager for Impala Platinum and then as the Group Risk Manager for Gencor in South Africa, from 1986 to 1993.
He founded Safemap in 1994 and worked in Australia where he became one of the leading safety consultants on safety transformation, largely in the mining industry. In 2004, he moved to Canada and from there, consults internationally.
Corrie is a well-known speaker at many safety conferences around the world, including as the regular keynote at NSC Congress, the USA’s largest annual safety conference.
Corrie specializes in safety transformation in high-risk organizations and is regarded as one of the leading specialists in his field. Many international corporations utilize his expertise on human performance, risk management and safety leadership, including De Beers, Nike, Southern Company and many more. He recently developed/facilitated an extensive 2-year global project for Anglo American on the Elimination of Fatalities.
He holds the following qualifications: Bachelor and Honours of Arts (Industrial Psychology), Honours in Business Administration (Cum Laude), Master in Business Administration, Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education and is a registered Psychometrist. He is also qualified as an Underground Miner.
Carol Smets
Change Management – Head of Corporate Sustainability
Pernod Ricard
I am a passionate advocate for sustainability, deeply committed to the belief that “sustainability means business and ensures continuous improvement & better performance.” With a rich background in business transformation and innovation, I excel in bringing strategic thinking and creativity to complex projects, driving impactful results.My approach includes hazard recognition, senior leadership engagement, and facilitating behavioral change.
With a chemistry background and extensive experience in EHS compliance audits, permitting, and supply chain assessments, I am well-equipped to lead organizations towards a sustainable future. I am recognized for my ability to articulate technical knowledge and strategic insights from the “Boots to Boardroom,” engaging a wide range of stakeholders, including top-level executives.
In my current role a Pernod Ricard, I lead initiatives to improve health, safety, and social sustainability performance. My career trajectory includes significant roles such as Global Health and Safety Director then Social Sustainability Lead at Pernod Ricard, Process Safety Manager, and Senior Environmental Health and Safety Specialist.
Andrew Hopkins
TBC
TBC
Andrew was an expert witness at the Royal Commission into the 1998 Exxon gas plant explosion near Melbourne. He was a consultant to the US Chemical Safety Board in its investigation of the BP Texas City Refinery disaster of 2005, and also for its investigation into the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010. He has written books about these accidents as well books on mining disasters. Over 100,000 copies sold.
He has been involved in reviews of Work Health and Safety regulation and regulators and has done consultancy work for major companies in the mining, petroleum, chemical and electrical industries, as well as for Defence. He speaks regularly to audiences around the world about the human and organisational causes of major accidents.
- BSc and MA (Sociology) from Australian Natl U, PhD (Sociology) from U of Connecticut.
- Independent member of Air Force Board of Inquiry into poisoning of F111 maintenance workers. Author of the Board’s report.
- Winner of the 2008 European Process Safety Centre safety award, the first in time it was awarded to someone outside Europe.
- Honorary fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers in recognition of his “outstanding contributions to process safety and to the analysis of process safety related incidents”
- Life member of Aust Institute of Health & Safety. Recipient of award for “lifetime achievement”
- Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of his “distinguished service to industrial safety and accident analysis”
- Member of the advisory board of NOPSEMA – the Aust Nat Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority
- Member of expert panel that drafted the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management.
Christl Aggus
Interim CEO
Health and Safety Professionals Canada
Christl Aggus embodies a whirlwind of dynamism and expertise within the realm of health and safety consultancy. Boasting over two decades of seasoned proficiency as a Certified Health & Safety Consultant and a Canadian Registered Safety Professional, she stands as an Alberta-based stalwart. Founded Principle Safety Ltd in 2005, her company serves as a beacon of insight, offering comprehensive consultations on health, safety, and environmental standards across diverse company landscapes.
Not confined solely to entrepreneurial pursuits, Christl assumes pivotal roles resonating across prestigious platforms. As the Interim CEO of HSPC (formerly known as CSSE – Canadian Society of Safety Engineering) and a member of the INSHPO board, her influence spans global forums. She captivates audiences as a distinguished panelist discussing professional organizational memberships and orchestrates engaging workshops with the Capitals Coalition, showcasing her multifaceted approach as a luminary in the field.
At the helm of her boutique consultancy firm, Christl exudes a transformational leadership style, spearheading institutional changes that have reshaped HSPC’s trajectory. Her repertoire brims with tangible accomplishments, boasting the development and accreditation of essential Electrical Safety Awareness and Lockout Tagout programs for clients. Her fingerprints are etched into the design, implementation, and management of robust health and safety management systems, instrumental in significantly reducing Workers’ Compensation Board rates for provincially and federally regulated organizations.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Christl’s dedication to safety leaves a lasting legacy through her commitment to training, education and mentorship . Her altruistic spirit shines through extensive volunteer work with HSPC, championing Safety and Health Week initiatives and contributing to advisory committees at the Universities of Alberta and Fredericton, alongside Minerva Canada. A sought-after speaker on occupational health and safety topics, she graces platforms hosted by HSPC, NEBOSH, KIOSH and the Capitals Coalition: People Sustainability, amplifying safety awareness through her profound expertise and unwavering dedication.
Dr Manal Azzi
Team Lead on Occupational Safety and Health
International Labour Organization
Dr Manal Azzi is the Team Lead on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) at the International Labour Organization (ILO) based in Geneva, Switzerland. In her 19 years with the ILO, she has had the opportunity to supervise interventions around the world.
Dr Azzi currently leads the ILO’s occupational safety and health team and manages a number of portfolios including the work on chemical safety and the environment and ILO’s activities on the prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases, health promotion in the workplace including improved wellbeing, nutrition and the prevention of stress, psychosocial risks, violence and substance abuse in the world of work. She also coordinates the world day for safety and health at work campaign.
Dr Azzi also works on advancing OSH management systems and promoting over 19 ILO conventions including ILO core OSH principles Conventions 155 and 187 among others. She was instrumental in the process leading to the recognition of occupational safety and health as a fundamental principle and right at work in June 2022.
Dr Azzi holds a PhD in Health Sciences and Policy (Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences-University of Surrey, UK), a masters in labour law, LLM (University of Leicester), a masters in nutrition, and BSc. in environmental and public health sciences (American University of Beirut), and a degree in biochemistry, human physiology and health education (University of Sydney).
Kim Greene
Chairman, President and CEO
Georgia Power
Kim Greene was named chairman, president and chief executive officer of Georgia Power in 2023. She leads Georgia Power in serving its 2.7 million customers across the state. The company is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s leading energy providers. Greene is a strong voice in the energy sector, especially on issues related to safety, emerging technologies, innovation and STEM-related education.
She is a respected thought leader and advocate for the future of energy – from national energy policy to the overall customer experience. Prior to her current position, Greene served for five years as chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company Gas. In this role, she ensured the delivery of clean, safe, reliable and affordable natural gas to more than 4.3 million utility customers in Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia, and to over 600,000 retail gas customers served by SouthStar Energy Services in 10 states. In addition, she oversaw the nonutility businesses that deliver value through energy-related products and services, wholesale gas services and gas midstream operations, including gas pipeline investments and storage and fuels.
Greene’s 33-year career in energy began in 1991 when she joined Southern Company as an engineer designing equipment for fossil and nuclear power generation stations. Throughout her career she has taken on diverse and challenging roles across all areas of the utility industry including engineering, operations, finance, external affairs, and asset management and trading. She has held executive roles for Southern Company and its subsidiaries as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA),including chief executive officer for Georgia Power and Southern Company Gas; chief operating officer for Southern Company; president of Southern Company Services; chief generation officer for TVA; group president, Strategy and External Relations, TVA; and chief financial officer for TVA.
Greene currently serves on the board of directors for the Atlanta Committee for Progress, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited, Valero Energy Corporation, the Georgia Research Alliance and the Rowen Foundation. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Woodruff Arts Center and on the Board of Governors for the Georgia Historical Society. Greene is also a member of The Atlanta Rotary Club.
Most recently, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Greene as one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs. In 2022, she was awarded the Edision Electric Institutes’s inaugural Thomas F. Farrell, II Safety Leadership and Innovation Award by her industry peers for her significant contributions to improving safety in the utility industry. She is a member of the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, a recipient of the University of Tennessee’s Distinguished Alumna Award and the University of Tennessee’s Nathan W. Dougherty Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed by the College of Engineering.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Greene earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering science and mechanics from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s degree in business administration from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Greene also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Malcolm Staves
Global Vice President Health & Safety
L’Oréal
Malcolm is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and International Institute of Risk and Safety Management. He has a degree in Chemical Engineering and a MSc in Integrated Environmental Management.
Previously a site engineering technologist and a plant manager he has worked in Corporate Environment, Health & Safety for several companies before joining L’Oréal, in 2009. In L’Oréal Malcolm has developed strategies for the globalization of health & safety with a focus on risk management, visible felt leadership, and putting people in the center. L’Oréal’s approach to health and safety culture and high risk management is considered a benchmark for many corporations.
He is known for his networking and sharing as well as his hummingbird approach which was the subject of his 2022 TEDx talk and is considered a futuristic thought leader in Health & Safety
He is married and lives in France with his three children and enjoys anything to do with space, science fiction and following Chelsea soccer club.
Philippe Delquié
Associate Professor
The George Washington University School of Business
Philippe Delquié is a professor at the George Washington University in Washington DC. His expertise is in human and machine decision-making, risk attitude measurement, and business analytics. He has developed high-touch executive seminars and consulted for major organisations in several sectors, on five continents, on topics in decision processes, technology management, innovation, safety, and more.
A hallmark of Delquié ‘s research is to fuse insights from experimental studies of human behaviour and analytic modelling to design novel decision-making methods and tools. His research papers have been published in the world’s leading academic reviews in his field.
Prior to joining GW, Philippe held faculty appointments at INSEAD, École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business (visiting), and the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a BS in civil engineering from École Nationale des Travaux Publics, Lyon, and MS and PhD degrees from MIT. Philippe is a dual citizen of France and the United States.
Ruairi Connor
Senior Director of Operational Risk Global\EMEA
Ball Corporation
Ruairi is a very experienced and enthusiastic professional with over 33 years experience from working in the packaging, aluminium, mining and exploration industries. Ruairi is a highly motivated team player with an in-depth understanding of key EHS and social issues affecting corporate business, from top-level strategy to ground level operational management and implementation.
A self starter with proven leadership skills, involving managing, developing and motivating teams to achieve set objectives. Other attributes include enthusiasm, professionalism, good communication skills, continuous improvement focused and a desire to achieve operational excellence in all areas of work.
Ruairi is one of the Founder Members of Multi Disciplined Global EHS Directors Expert Network. Has been a Member of Advisory Committee’s to the Health & Safety Authority which is Irelands Statutory Body for the Regulation of Occupational Health & Safety. He has lectured in University College Dublin and also was Founder Member and Chairperson of the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health South East District in Ireland.
John Dony
TBC
National Safety Council
John is the Vice President of Workplace Strategy at the National Safety Council. In this capacity, he leads vision and strategic direction for the NSC Workplace Practice, including for thought leadership programs and offerings including the Campbell Institute, Work to Zero, SAFER, the MSD Solutions Lab, NSC Networks, and the Council’s deep array of training, survey, and consultative services. John also leads a variety of other research and impact initiatives around emerging topics and issues of interest to safety & health leaders, including Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, ESG & sustainability, and more.
Since joining the National Safety Council in 2007, John has launched and led numerous high-impact programs and research initiatives, and serves as a frequent speaker at conferences in North America, Europe and Asia on topics including the future of work, emerging trends in EHS&S, management systems, leadership, and leading indicators. Prior to joining the Council, John held quality management, project management, and coalition-building positions in the communication and educational fields.
Rodney Rocha
Aerospace Engineer
NASA
Mr. Rocha was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering. He obtained his master’s degree in Space Science at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He was hired by NASA Johnson Space Center in July 1974 as an engineering intern in the Structural Engineering Division, where he has been ever since. From 2014 to 2015 Mr. Rocha was a part-time lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rice University. Mr. Rocha’s spouse is Robyn Morgan.
Mr. Rocha’s engineering expertise is in the area of Newtonian dynamics, structural dynamics, and structural vibrations. He has served in diverse positions in his long NASA career, including Space Shuttle Chief Engineer within the JSC Structural Engineering Division. Mr. Rocha supported the ground test planning and pre-flight analyses of the Artemis-1 and -2 flight vehicle. He supports defining astronaut-induced loads onto the Human Landing System and impact dynamics requirements and testing for the new lunar exploration space suits. These are NASA’s projects enabling NASA’s return of the US human exploration of the Moon.
For decades Mr. Rocha has volunteered to serving NASA’s education outreach programs. He has spoken many times to the public, school and university students, early-career NASA engineering and contractor interns, NASA project management training classes, other US government agencies. He makes flight safety recommendations relevant to NASA’s current needs for maintaining technical vigilance, and open communication of engineering issues and concerns to NASA management in order to assure flight safety.