Hugh Maxwell

Hugh is an internationally experienced Risk and Safety professional. His former roles include acting Head of Health and Safety for Spirax Sarco Steam Specialty Division, Business  Director, EMEA, for Global Chubb Risk Advisors, part of Chubb PLC, Global Environmental Leader for ESAB. His career spans over 30 years in global Risk and HSE Management. HSE People named him as one of the Top 10 Health and Safety Influencers in 2021 and 2022.

Over recent years, Maxwell has spent a lot of time in supporting and mentoring several international risk and safety professionals. An IIRSM Fellow since 2007, he continues to believe in supporting our members and making our Institution the international enabler for Risk and HSE professionals. Having worked in over fifty countries on six continents, he appreciates the diversity and different attitudes towards risk management globally.

Maxwell’s background is in high-risk manufacturing and workplaces. Former HSE Director of Vesuvius PLC (a world leader in steel industry consumables) and Global Environmental Leader of ESAB (the world’s leaders in welding and cutting technologies), his roles have enabled him to successfully implement a range of risk reduction initiatives. A key component of this has been through people engagement and development, reducing risks, and saving lives. His primary risk reduction strategy -- Safety Breakthrough, a management change programme, resulted in him receiving the 2018 IIRSM Excellence Award for Best International Risk Initiative.

With a passion for ongoing improvement, he continues to develop others wherever possible. He was part of the IIRSM Mentoring pilot since and continues to support our members where possible. He is also an IIRSM ambassador and currently chairs the IIRSM Fellowship recommendation assessment panel. He was recognised for his Mentoring efforts in 2019 and again in 2022 as the IIRSM Mentor of the Year. He believes in the importance of planning for the future through people, applying innovative technologies and reducing risks wherever feasible and continues to work closely with our IIRSM senior management team whenever he can support the needs of others and the IIRSM.