Governance

How we're governed

The governing body of the Institute is Council, a body of 16 elected trustees plus grade representatives, all members of the CIEHF, who meet 4 times per year. The responsibilities of trustees are broadly 3-fold, to ensure:

  1. That the Institute fulfils charitable obligations which tangibly benefit the public at large.
  2. That the Institute provides a competitive package of benefits to members of all grades.
  3. That it maintains an agreed strategic course, a course proposed from time to time in conjunction with the Chief Executive and as agreed by Council, consistent with the Institute remaining a thriving, going concern.

Election for governing roles

Read on to understand more about what each role entails.

Role: President Elect
Length of term: 1 year
Contact time: 8 face to face meetings per year
Responsibilities: The President Elect works with the President and Chief Executive and within the agreed strategic and business direction in preparation for the President role. The President Elect deputises for the President and is a member of the Executive Committee.

Role: Treasurer
Length of term: 3 years
Contact time: 8 face to face meetings per year
Responsibilities: The Treasurer provides governance oversight of our finances to ensure they are used in the best interests of members and the CIEHF and in accordance with the Charter and Strategic Plan. The Treasurer oversees our budget and investments and is a member of the Executive Committee.

Role: Council Member
Length of term: 3 years
Contact time: 4 face to face meetings per year
Responsibilities: Each Council member is a Trustee of the CIEHF and provides oversight of operational, financial and strategic affairs. Trustees provide opinions and ideas and ensure good governance.

Role: Graduate, Technical and Associate Member Representatives on Council
Length of term: 3 years
Contact time: 4 face to face meetings per year
Responsibilities: As for Council members. Representatives are encouraged to offer opinion in their capacity as a Graduate Member.

Role: Member of the Professional Affairs Board 
Length of term: 3 years
Contact time: 4 face to face meetings per year
Responsibilities: PAB Members provide advice, opinion and ideas on professional matters relating to the discipline and take a full part in PAB meetings.

If you're interested in any of these positions, please contact us for more details.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of four senior trustees provides comment, analysis and recommendations to Council. Click on the names for more details.

 
I’ve been applying HF/E to address industry problems since I gained MSc Ergonomics from UCL in 1995. I’m an experienced HF/E people manager and enjoy developing (and learning from!) my team. I'm a Chartered Fellow, European Ergonomist and AFBPsS. In 2018, I was honoured to receive the Otto Edholm award. I work in Rail and Defence and co-developed the HSE’s Offshore HFI standard (RR001). In recent years, I expanded the application of HF/E into cybersecurity, developing a new approach. As an industry practitioner, I appreciate client budgetary challenges and am keen to champion HF/E in our 5-year plan. To this end, I would support more Human Connection publications and am keen to encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing. I would like to see HF methods and templates on our website. CIEHF-endorsed training courses, career pathways and CPD would also gain my support.
 Email the President
 
I'm currently working as an independent consultant in Human Factors and Ergonomics having recently stepped down as Head of the Human Factors Department at the Institute of Naval Medicine. I'm assisting the NHS with the investigation of safety occurrences and I'm working on a new book about active office work, to be published in the summer. I recently published a fourth edition my textbook 'Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics'. I was CIEHF Treasurer 2013-2016 and worked with the Chief Executive on the successful re-negotiation of CIEHF's royalty agreements. I have extensive experience of working both in academia and in defence. I look forward to working with the management team to implement the Institute’s new strategic plan and, particularly on initiatives to improve CIEHF’s financial resilience. I'm keen to improve CIEHF’s business intelligence, particularly in relation to the new membership initiative, so that CIEHF can grow its membership and deliver a more focussed service to all.
 
Throughout my professional career I have championed multi and interdisciplinary working, promoting a Human Centred and Inclusive approach to Design. As an Ergonomist, Industrial Designer, Bioengineer and Consultant Clinical Scientist, putting the human first has always been my focus and I have endeavoured to promote Ergonomics & Human Factors internationally at every opportunity through my work, be this in the design of biomedical flight hardware for NASA Space Shuttle, rehabilitation, public health and clinical, consumer product design and academia. My passion is the value of collaboration, in bringing together Design, Ergonomics and Healthcare to provide a better quality of life for all. I was fortunate to have been co-founder of the Brunel Institute of Bioengineering with the late Prof Heinz Wolff and also instrumental in establishing The European Institute for Design & Disability, Medilink and the Medical Technologies Cluster for The West Midlands. I am currently serving a second term as President of The Chartered Society of Designers, the world’s largest professional body for designers governed by Royal Charter, now in its 90th year. An active member of CIEHF since graduating from Loughborough in 1981, I served 10 years on Council and am currently co-lead for Healthcare (Medical Devices), sit on Human Factors apprenticeship panel and lead the User Experience Design learning pathway. I'm honoured to have the opportunity, as President Elect, to support the future development and growth of CIEHF and promote the vital contribution of our profession at this exciting and challenging time.
 
I’ve been involved in the Institute for many years - on Council, on PAB, and as President. I’m a Chartered Fellow and work part-time in high-hazard consultancy. The Institute is launching its new 5-year strategy, which represents a bold set of targets that will allow it to grow, support its members and become more influential. It has recognized that to achieve these goals it needs to drive forward a range of activities – some will be new, and others will be continuation or improvement of what we currently do – and all will require funding if they are to succeed. The Institute’s financial position is currently sound, but there are uncertainties on the horizon that may affect revenue. We therefore need to identify and secure additional streams to complement our current income sources, both to ensure delivery of our plans and to improve resilience, without excessive burden on members. I’m very enthusiastic about the prospects for the Institute but recognize that delivery will require careful financial management. I will support volunteers, the CEO and all the Institute staff in the exciting next few years, whilst also providing the necessary governance on behalf of members.

Council

Upcoming Council meetings:
4 June 2020
3 September 2020

 
I am a Chartered Fellow member of the CIEHF and have been applying Human Factors within the aviation industry with over 20 years. My day to day role involves leading a team providing HF consultancy across the Air sector. I am also Head of the Human Factors Discipline defining the HF strategic capability requirements for Future Combat Air Systems including people competencies and process improvement developments. I act as mentor and referee for many people (not limited to aerospace/defence) as they work towards their CIEHF membership, including Registered, Fellow, and Technical applications. I am committed to supporting the CIEHF and regularly volunteer with the assessment of various applications whether it is membership applications, course accreditation, or conference submissions. I am passionate about spreading the Human Factors message far and wide and would love to help CIEHF to increase its membership numbers through developing a means to include associated discipline members (such as UX).
 
I have been a member of CIEHF since 1990 and have moved through the memberships grades, attaining Fellow grade in 2006. Over the years I have held many CIEHF volunteering roles - several terms of office on the PAB and also Membership Committee. I am a keen believer in the professional development of our membership and would like to help both Council and PAB explore further development opportunities for our members' professional expertise. Although retired now, I have many years experience from working in the manufacturing and defence sectors, and in research, teaching and course management and development in higher education. My current personal development goal involves completion of a PhD in 2019 - something I have wanted to do all my working life.
 
I have been heavily involved with the Institute for well over 10 years now; as a Council member, head of secretariat, and co-chair of the EHF conference for the past four years. Latterly, I have also been involved in setting the next 5 year strategy for the Institute, which I am incredibly excited about
 
I have over 18 years experience working in the human factors and ergonomics domain. I'm a Chartered Ergonomist and Chartered Engineer. I'm the founder and Managing Director of K Sharp, a business dedicated to human factors and Human Science Research which I have been running for 7 years. This builds upon a career working in aviation and defence in both applied Human Factors as well as leading edge and Blue Sky Research. I believe in volunteering and supporting the CIEHF, previously I have been a membership assessor and am currently a CPD reviewer. I believe as a Council member I can bring my experiences of working in industry, running my business and promoting Human Factors Excellence. I want to contribute to the the development of the CIEHF, bringing my experience in industry as well as campaigning and lobbying for improvements and recognition of our sector.
 
Hi, I’m Kirsty aka The Travelling Ergonomist and I’m passionate about educating the world on the subject of ergonomics and human factors. In a world where we are campaigning for mental health awareness, creating sugar taxes to minimise the obesity crisis and lining the streets about climate change, it’s staggering that ergonomics and human factors, the very science that impacts how humans interact with their environment has yet to be fully in the limelight. With this in mind I host a podcast called ‘Navigating the Workplace with The Travelling Ergonomist’ where I connect with experts in the field of workplace, ergonomics and health and share their invaluable insights with the rest of the world. Alongside this I spend a lot of my time networking and creating content for social media to elevate not only my brand but also that of Ergonomics. I have become the new lead of the Workplace Sector Group of the CIEHF where I hope to create a thriving community by connecting like-minded individuals. My goal is to organise speaker events, develop white papers and networking events. I’m passionate about mentoring others and supporting those that are looking to work in this field. There is a huge opportunity right now to align ergonomics and human factors with other related disciplines, particularly as conversations around wellbeing have grown exponentially over the last few years.
 
I'm currently a pharmaceutical physician with a background in hospital medicine who entered the pharmaceutical sectors through the regulatory agency and clinical research routes. My interest in human factors was triggered by to ‘Err is Human’ and I joined the Clinical Human Factors Group at its inception. After several attempts to establish a pharmaceutical equivalent group I'm delighted to chair the CIEHF's Pharmaceutical Ergonomics and Human Factors group since November 2015 and it’s a great privilege to represent all Associate Members on Council.
 
I graduated from Systems Engineering MEng in 2005 then PhD in Human Sciences (Ergonomics) at Loughborough University. During this I joined the CIEHF as a Student Member. I have been part of the Membership Committee for a number of years, supporting various initiatives, including development of the Student Committee and introduction of the Technical Member grade and have recently joined the Events Committee. I’m a Lecturer in Systems Engineering at Loughborough University, with broad research interests in design, organisational systems and pedagogy. I’m keen to bring my varied background and enthusiasm to the Council.
 
I'm an Inspector with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, where I've worked to integrate HF into the Branch's strategy and investigations since July 2012. Prior to that most of my career was in academia, and I have a heightened appreciation of the 'research-practice gap' thanks to my experience on both sides of that fence. I would seek ways for the CIEHF to address this during my time on Council. I also have a keen interest in public engagement with human factors / ergonomics.
 
I am a Chartered Ergonomics Consultant with more than 7 years’ experience from a range of industries, including transportation, infrastructure, energy and defence. A member of the CIEHF since 2011, I am also a member of the Young Rail Professionals. Throughout my career I have demonstrated keen support for the Institute. As Graduate Representative to Council (2014-17), I saw the Institute’s charter receive Royal Assent and preparations for the 70th Anniversary. During this time there was also significant operational transformation, including appointment of a new Chief Executive, outsourcing of public relations activities, and outsourcing of ‘The Ergonomist’. Other volunteer roles include Membership Committee (2015-2018) and CPD Assessor (2020-present). Alongside my professional and volunteer roles, I am studying for a MSc in Engineering Management. I’m looking to build on efforts to make volunteering more accessible by championing the role of volunteers in Council and challenging the Executive and the committees to understand and overcome the barriers to volunteering.
 
In my relatively short period of time as a Registered Member, I have already had many fantastic experiences - reading and contributing to The Ergonomist, being involved in the Healthcare Sector Group, participating in webinars, having discussions with colleagues, and making new friends along the way. I am excited by the new vision for CIEHF, and I would like to contribute actively to it. Professionally, I apply human factors across safety-critical industries, and I enjoy being an active member of a diverse range of professional bodies and societies to promote professionalisation and best practice. I will bring these experiences and contacts to the Council table as we seek to grow our membership and foster external relations. It’s a great time to be part of CIEHF.

Registrar

 
Registrar and ex-officio, non-voting, member of Council and the PAB (Professional Affairs Board), since May 2018.
Email the Registrar

Data Protection Officer

 
The Data Protection Officer (DPO) ensures, in an independent manner, that an organisation applies the laws protecting individuals’ personal data. The designation, position and tasks of a DPO within an organisation are described in Articles 37, 38 and 39 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
Email the DPO

Professional Affairs Board

The Professional Affairs Board (PAB) is responsible for setting and overseeing the professional standards of the CIEHF membership. The Board is responsible for maintaining the registers of professional members and of consultancies, and also for accrediting ergonomics/human factors degree and short courses. The Board is also responsible for maintaining professional standards through the Code of Professional Conduct and the Disciplinary Procedure. Members of the PAB are elected and are all Registered Members or Fellows of the Institute. The accreditation work of the Board is divided amongst volunteers who assess applications against the standards set by the Board.

Read the full set of rules governing PAB activities.

Current members of PAB:
Fiona Cayzer (Co-Chair)
Barbara Haward (Co-Chair & Registered/Technical Lead)
Martin Thody (CPD Lead)
Diane Gyi (Education & Training Lead)
Dave O’Neill (Fellowship Lead)
TBC (Registered Consultancy Lead)
Mike Gray (CREE Panel Chair)
Terry Lansdown
Paul Clark
Roy Cochran-Patel
Katharine Metters
Catherine Albert
Helen Vosper

Membership Champion

 

The remit of the Membership Champion is:

  • to be aware of initiatives for gaining new members.
  • to be aware of initiatives for the retention of existing members.
  • to review and suggest improvements to the membership benefits package.
  • to work with the CE and COO to support the strategy where it relates to membership.

Events Champion & Programme Committees

 

The remit of the Events Champion is:

  • to contribute to discussion about feasibility of annual events run by the Institute.
  • to be aware of ad-hoc events suggested by members.
  • to support, where possible, programme committees formed for specific events.
  • to work with the CE and COO to support the strategy where it relates to events.

 

The primary function of the Programme Committees is to contribute to national events that are organised and run by the Institute to ensure they are of high quality, provide value and benefit to attendees, and contribute to continuing professional development.

Honours Committee

 

The primary function of the Honours Committee is to recognise individuals and groups who have contributed to the advancement of ergonomics, exceptional volunteering, contributions to the discipline and the noteworthy application of ergonomics/human factors in the UK and the award of distinctions each year.

Current members of the Honours Committee:
Bob Bridger (Chair)
Amanda Widdowson
Neil Mansfield
Claire Dickinson
Ian Randle 
Sarah Sharples