IOSH welcomed two new members to the Board of Trustees recently. Here, Interface introduces them and finds out more about what made them want to become trustees.
Keith Underhill (corporate member)
Keith is a Chartered Fellow of IOSH who also serves on IOSH’s Commercial Committee and on the West of Scotland Branch Executive Committee.
He began his career as a navigator in the Merchant Navy, serving around the world before becoming a marine surveyor investigating marine insurance claims. Keith took his first step into a safety role as safety advisor for British Gas, before joining General Accident as a liability surveyor, which later merged to become Aviva (Norwich Union).
Keith wanted to make greater use of his managerial skills so become fleet operations manager at Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, before leaving in 2004 to set up his own consultancy, QiRisk Ltd, which became 3dotdash Ltd in 2006. Keith is also a director of the Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce.
He says: “I wanted to become a trustee to help develop and implement strategy for IOSH during a period of substantial change, using the skills and experiences I have gained during my career. I would like chartered members to be held in the same esteem and status as other professionals.”
Bob Gist (independent)
Bob was born in Chicago and grew up in five countries. He started his career with the Singer Group in their audit department in New York, before joining Chrysler Corporation in Detroit as a financial analyst and then a financial portfolio trader, where he was responsible for investing hundreds of millions of dollars.
In 1977 he was sent by Chrysler to Paris to help set up Chrysler Realty Europe, which was later acquired by Peugeot. In 1983, Bob was appointed UK property manager for the PSA Peugeot Citroen Group, based in Birmingham and then Coventry. He was also given a number of assignments to carry out property acquisitions and dealership financing activities in Germany.
Bob retired from Peugeot in 2004 and has spent a lot of time travelling, and has become a business mentor to the Prince’s Trust.
He says: “Having been responsible for a number of large vacant properties before, and for the Office Services Department for Peugeot’s UK headquarters, I know how important health and safety matters are. I feel that if I can participate in IOSH’s affairs and help it fulfil its objectives, then I will have made a contribution to society. I was impressed by the calibre of people I have met and by IOSH’s mission, and I wanted to help.”
