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Richard Bate, President Elect of the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH)

Richard has over 30 years’ experience, thriving as a global OSH consultant in the high-pressure environment of sports, live music, and entertainment.Richard’s early career as a Paramedic in the UK Health Service was diverse, including emergency response, helicopter aircrew and training.He was also the Principal OSH Consultant at the FIA Formula E World Championship, where he spent eight years.

Richard is committed to a socially sustainable-driven approach to OSH, diversity, equity, and the elimination of harm globally.An advocate of OSH as a first career, he also advocates the positive value of volunteering and continuous professional development.

Dr. Stephen Taylor is the Executive Director of the Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI), a global nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing health, safety, and environmental responsibility in science education, research, and industry laboratories. Appointed to this leadership role in 2024, Dr. Taylor brings over 25 years of experience in chemical research, innovation leadership, and science education.
Holding a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Dr. Taylor’s career spans academic teaching at Purdue University and leadership positions in the chemical industry, including his role at The Shepherd Chemical Company. His entrepreneurial spirit also led to the founding of successful startups focused on innovation storytelling and the application of generative AI technologies.
At LSI, Dr. Taylor works alongside the organization’s founders and past presidents to expand laboratory safety training programs and promote a culture of safety in educational institutions and industrial environments worldwide. He is a passionate advocate for replacing hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives and has led initiatives such as the “Got DCM?” campaign, raising awareness about the dangers of methylene chloride in laboratories.
Dr. Taylor continues to engage with industry leaders, academic institutions, and regulatory bodies to strengthen global laboratory safety standards, ensuring that science is conducted safely and responsibly for future generations.

Sarah Mukherjee, MBE is the CEO of IEMA. Previously Sarah was the BBC’s Environment correspondent, presenting on national and international BBC radio and television, winning awards across the world. After leaving the corporation, she held leadership roles in various sectors including utilities and agriculture. Sarah was a panel member for the National Parks Review and the Glover Review and also sat on the National Food Strategy Advisory Panel. She is co-chair of the Natural England Landscape Advisory Panel as well as Non-executive Director on the Board of the Environment Agency. In 2021 Sarah was awarded an MBE for her services to agriculture and farmer well-being.

Since joining IEMA Sarah has been instrumental in implementing a Diverse Sustainability Initiative (DSI) strategy.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys martial arts, has been a ‘Campaign for Real Ale’ judge, as well as a rugby reporter.

Ghassan G. Abulfaraj has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering (specializing in safety engineering) from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Ghassan also attended the Saudi Aramco Management Development Program in Washington DC and the Senior Executive Program at the London Business School, in addition to gaining a number of other training qualifications and certifications.
Ghassan has 35 years of progressive experience in the fields of technical support, safety and risk management, and fire and emergency management.
He began his career with Saudi Aramco in 1984 in Downstream Operations (Refining) followed by several assignments with Maintenance and Engineering, and subsequently ancillary support operations including Marine, Distribution, and Terminal Operations. On gaining his graduate degree, Ghassan returned to Corporate Engineering before joining the Loss Prevention Department in 1993 to head the Loss Prevention area divisions in Abqaiq, Udhailiyah, and later the Central and Western Areas. This was followed by leadership roles with Industrial Security Operations in 2012, the Fire Protection
Department in 2015, and Loss Prevention in 2019.

Ghassan was recognized by the International Association of Fire Chiefs for his role in promoting the profession of fire protection and rescue, and was appointed as a chair for the Gulf Council. He was also recognized as “Fire Chief of the Year” in 2018, the first time this recognition had ever been awarded outside of the US.

In his role as the Vice President and Chief Loss Prevention Engineer of Aramco Group, Ghassan became the company authority on safety and fire prevention strategies, policies, management systems and engineering matters. He provides technical support and counsel, monitors and assures compliance with safety requirements for short and long-term business needs, and coordinates company safety matters internally and externally. He is acutely involved in strategic
development to enable Saudi Aramco’s safe operational activities and expansion of oil and gas services, ancillary support, unconventional gas, chemicals, and potential joint ventures. He also oversees global safety assessments, corporate safety programs, and alignment efforts as well as providing loss prevention support and oversight to all Saudi Aramco affiliates.