Errol Taylor appointed as new chief executive of RoSPA

Errol, who has been leading the organisation in an interim capacity since November 2016, joined RoSPA in 2004, initially heading up RoSPA’s commercial activities before developing the case for accident prevention as a public health priority and establishing RoSPA’s Ofqual-recognised qualifications business. He has been RoSPA’s deputy chief executive since 2006.

RoSPA is currently marking its centenary and highlights so far have included the launch of a RoSPA exhibition at the iconic Library of Birmingham, a visit by HRH The Duke of York and the RoSPA Centenary Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. RoSPA is also leading the development of a National Accident Prevention Strategy.

Errol Taylor said: “I am honoured to become chief executive of RoSPA, particularly at what is such an important time for our charity. We have always been clear that our centenary should not just be an opportunity to look back and highlight past successes, but that it should also be focused firmly on the challenges that remain in accident prevention. Accidents disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of our society – those who are young, old or disadvantaged – and this is something that we are working tirelessly to address. I am proud to lead a fantastic team of dedicated colleagues and look forward to continuing to develop RoSPA’s valued relationships with other individuals and organisations across the health and safety community.”

Mike Parker, chairman of RoSPA’s Board of Trustees, said: “The Board believes that Errol’s passion for accident prevention, energy, skills and experience will ensure RoSPA’s continued success for the foreseeable future. His enthusiasm for working in partnership with RoSPA’s many like-minded stakeholder organisations should, in time, lead to a significant reduction in the burden of accidental injury.”

Prior to RoSPA, Errol enjoyed senior customer-facing roles within the services, engineering and retail sectors. A Fellow of both the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), he is qualified as a Chartered Director with an MBA, an engineering degree and he is a gold grade RoSPA advanced driver. Married with three grown-up children, Errol is an advanced scuba diver who also enjoys cycling.

Errol succeeds Tom Mullarkey MBE, who decided to stand down after nearly 11 years as chief executive. During this period, Tom successfully led the RoSPA team through some difficult financial and business challenges and more recently, in efforts to have the value of accident prevention recognised fully by political and healthcare influencers. Errol said: “We are grateful for Tom’s valuable contribution and the firm foundation that it provides for us to look ahead with renewed vigour, boldly stating that accidents do not have to happen.”