John Gill appointed chairman of the BSIF

John has been MD of uvex safety, the developer and manufacturer of personal protective equipment (PPE), for 17 years, and a BSIF director since 2013. John won the Surrey Institute of Directors (IoD) ‘Director of the Year’ Award in 2015, where the judges praised his clear vision and strategic thinking.

John has played a huge role in leading and developing uvex, building a culture of organisational excellence, honing strategy and achieving sustained commercial success in the intensely competitive and increasingly complex PPE and occupational safety and health market.

As chairman of the BSIF board, John will have overall responsibility for the organisation’s general performance, in particular for re-establishing the image of safety and health in the UK as a positive force for good, ensuring its universal appreciation.

A major part of John’s role as chairman will be leading and delivering the organisation’s future strategy. One of his personal goals is to increase the organisation’s membership and importance in the safety industry, while also enhancing the quality of goods and services in the marketplace by promoting the BSIF’s Registered Safety Supplier Scheme. He will also influence the development of safety product standards through active engagement on the relevant UK and EC Committees.

Alan Murray, CEO of the BSIF, said: “We are very excited to welcome John as our chairman and are confident that his leadership style, enthusiasm and experience will help us take significant strides in further developing the BSIF and establishing the Federation, front and centre in the UK’s Safety and Health Industry. John’s individual vision will add to and support our core principles of keeping people safe and healthy at work. John is extremely experienced in safety and health products and services. He is very much a lateral thinker, very dynamic and well respected by both the safety market and the BSIF.”

John Gill commented: “I am delighted to be appointed chairman of this prestigious organisation. I look forward to leading the Board, with a focus on two key, complementary objectives: to provide support to Alan Murray, CEO, and Frank Angear, general manager, in pursuit of their personal objectives within the BSIF’s permanent structure; and to directly contribute to the implementation of a wide range of positive initiatives resulting from the recently completed Strategic Review.”

He added: “The objective of the 15 month Strategic Review was to ensure that the BSIF is properly aligned with the fast changing safety market, positioned to support the interests of the membership and, critically, directly influence a progressive reduction in workplace injury and ill health. I am confident that we have taken the right steps to succeed.”