Excitement is building for IOSH’s third Future Leaders Conference, taking place online between 29 and 31 March 2022. We spoke to speakers and Future Leaders about what to look out for.
John Volanthen
Cave explorer, engineer and diver
John is a cave diver who played a leading role in the rescue of 13 members of a football team trapped in a cave for 18 days in Thuam Lang, Thailand, in 2018. He will be delivering this year’s conference keynote speech.
‘OSH is about doing things in as safe a manner as possible,’ he says, ‘and cave diving is about entering a hazardous environment and then being able to operate – or having enough capacity to operate – as safely as possible.
‘Our aim – as occurred in Thailand – is to achieve a specific outcome, such as rescue or a survey. But it’s about achieving that outcome safely. So there are huge similarities between cave diving and health and safety.
‘What the team achieved in Thailand is inspirational. But we can relate a lot of the elements of the rescue with things that happen at work, our relationships with others, managing difficult situations and different ways of thinking about problems.
‘I’ll be talking about teamwork and persistence, with strategies on how to manage a situation and yourself, to keep the motivation and the discipline to continue when sometimes it feels like you have been set an almost impossible task.’
Simon Head
Head of international OSH, Fujitsu
Digital transformation giant Fujitsu is working closely with IOSH and the International Labour Organization to promote the Vision Zero project. Simon will be speaking to the conference about sustainability.
‘Safety can be quite a dry topic and in the past we have had a reputation of preventing risk but also potentially stifling business. At Fujitsu, we want to take the most pragmatic approach to safety, but also develop that into a sustainable way of supporting the business, our employees and clients, as well as society in general.
‘Sustainable development is a decisive factor for both new recruits and clients, many of whom won’t source from you unless you have all the ethical behaviours and sustainable development planning in place.
‘Things differ culturally, country by country, which is where the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are a target point for industries and companies. This really is a game-changer from a safety perspective – we’re not just talking about the number of injuries taking place, we’re talking about society-wide sustainability.
‘In my presentation, we’ll look at the work that Fujitsu is doing with IOSH around Vision Zero. Fujitsu has a very strong background in human rights, and how we develop our supply chains to work more sustainably. The reality is that this is something that senior leaders want to talk about, and it’s something that Future Leaders need to be in tune with.’
Ruth Farenga
Founder, Conscious Leaders
Conscious Leaders works with leaders to help them build calm, collaborative and productive working environments. Ruth will be delivering a workshop on wellbeing.
‘If we can step back and think more clearly, and embed things like mindfulness into our lives, we not only help ourselves on a day-to-day basis but we also role-model best practice. Adrenaline is addictive and it can be easy to keep ploughing on, but that’s not sustainable.
‘Our brains are already wired for fear. Being in a profession such as health and safety means it is possible to develop a heightened sense of potential dangers, which brings with it a stress risk. So there’s even more need to take care of yourself and ensure that that threat and fear response doesn’t become a problem.
‘My workshop looks at how to create new habits for wellbeing and success. We start by looking at the background and neuroscience of mindfulness and then we move into habit creation. Most of us know what we should be doing – we know that we should be exercising, we know that we should be eating properly – but we probably haven’t set up an effective system to implement it. I use James Clear’s laws of habit creation to help people effectively manipulate their brain to put these elements into their lives in a way that sticks.’
Lucia Rivolta
Global health and safety manager, Criteo
Which session are you most looking forward to?
‘The pursuit of authentic leadership’ immediately attracted my attention. This session could be an inspiring opportunity to reflect on my leadership style and discuss with other leaders and professionals.
Why should we attend the Future Leaders Conference?
Leadership conferences emphasise growth in all sorts of skills. You will be encouraged to work on both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills so that someday you might be an effective leader. You’ll learn helpful public speaking tips as well as get multiple chances to practise your new skills.
Sometimes a conference speaker may not seem relevant, but positive content can be found in every presentation.
You don’t always need new ideas – sometimes you just need a new perspective. Breaking out of the office or site, sitting in a new space, can often spark us to take new approaches.
The Future Leaders Conference will see you return to work with new ideas and approaches that will make you more effective and efficient, as well as having a better understanding of the full size and scope of the industry and how we can all interact together for maximum gain.
What has been your experience of being part of the Future Leaders Steering Group?
It’s a real privilege, as I’m learning every day from other professionals who share the same challenges I face in my job. It’s also a great opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself on a variety of topics.
Alpa Aghera
Health and safety officer, Gordon Moody
Which session are you most looking forward to and why?
‘The pursuit of authentic leadership’ really caught my eye. Participants will be able to identify what kind
of leaders they are as well as picking up tips from the panel of industrial experts on what behaviours can help them become a better leader.
How will the overall programme benefit members?
Day one concentrates on the OSH individual – ‘You’; day two brings all professionals together to collaborate – ‘Us’; and the last day looks at the future. Content on all days has been carefully considered to suit all levels of Future Leaders whether they are beginning their journey, mid-career or at an advanced stage. There’s plenty of opportunity to interact within the sessions with the panellists as well as networking.
What did you get out of the previous events?
Last year was my first Future Leaders Conference, and each day I came out with pages of notes and ideas as well as the confidence to develop both myself as a professional and the processes and procedures within my organisation.
What has been your experience of being part of the Future Leaders Steering Group?
I’ve loved the journey and opportunities that I have been exposed to. It’s helped me build on my self-confidence, public speaking and collaboration skills. I’m lucky to be part of a team who are passionate about shaping the future, and IOSH’s support and guidance is priceless.
Tom Elsom
Health and safety manager, TMJ Interiors
Which session are you most looking forward to and why?
I’m really looking forward to the session on sustainability on day three. It’s a hot topic at the moment, and rightly so, as it covers not only the environmental impacts of business, but also wider workplace issues which include OSH and wellbeing.
Why should we attend the Future Leaders Conference?
It is prepared by Future Leaders, for Future Leaders, with the future clearly in mind… and that’s where we are all headed!
What did you get out of the previous events?
Last year’s conference gave me an insight into where OSH is headed. For example, a big focus was on mental health and wellbeing. The tips gained during the conference gave me the backing I needed in my role as I approach such topics. And the networking opportunities provided a chance to develop relationships with others who were in the same boat as me.
Sponsorship
All IOSH events provide a targeted audience and virtual conferences offer even greater opportunities to connect with potential customers through a range of features.
For more information on sponsorship packages, visit iosh.com/events/sponsorship
