Farewell to Ruth Doyle
23 August 2010
This week we bid a fond farewell to Ruth
Doyle, our Communications Director, and welcome to IOSH our new
Interim Communications Director, Ian Smart.
Farewell to Ruth
Ruth is leaving IOSH to take up the new challenge of Director of
Communications and External Relations at the Royal Society of
Chemistry. During the last six years she has worked tirelessly to
raise the profile of IOSH as a health and safety thought leader,
and the Institution has evolved significantly during Ruth’s time as
Communications Director.
“We’ve come a long way in six years,” says Ruth. “We’ve
developed IOSH into a public-facing campaigning and lobbying
organisation, not just representing the needs of its members, but
championing the wider cause of good health and safety in the
working world. That’s something the whole organisation has
achieved, with members, volunteers and staff working together.
“For me, the big highlights in IOSH’s communications in the last
few years have been the huge increase in our media coverage and
lobbying activity, our WiseUp2Work campaign for young people (which
won a European Agency Best Practice Award), developing a
personalised e-bulletin for all our members, launching the new
website, extending the reach and quality of our Annual conference,
refreshing our brand, and (shortly) persuading government of the
need for accredited health and safety consultants, so that small
businesses know who they can trust.”
IOSH Chief executive Rob Strange OBE says, “Over the past six
years, Ruth has played an invaluable role in directing all our
communications at IOSH. She has taken our communications activity
to new heights and IOSH’s presence in the media has multiplied
twelvefold in the time Ruth has been with us, with regular
national, regional and online coverage, and our spokespeople on the
Today programme and Newsnight. Ruth has led a major project to
redesign and introduce our new, award-winning website and our
annual conferences have gone from strength to strength.
“She goes to her exciting new role with my very best wishes and
thanks for a job well done.”
Welcome to Ian Smart
Both Ruth and Rob welcomed the appointment of Interim
Communications Director Ian Smart.
“Ian has joined IOSH to lead the Communications team at a very
challenging and exciting time for the health and safety world,”
said Rob. “The imminent publication of Lord Young’s report to the
Prime Minister on health and safety and related issues will provide
much opportunity for IOSH to comment and to add to the debate on
these issues. I am delighted to welcome Ian to the senior
management team at the Grange.”
“Ian is a very experienced marketing communications
professional, with 15 years’ strategy and team leadership
experience in the voluntary and public sectors, working in
construction, further education and social care organisations,”
added Ruth. “I know that I’m leaving the communications department
in very safe hands.”
Ian added, “I’m very excited to be joining IOSH at this
important time, and I look forward to working with the
communications department to continue the excellent work undertaken
by Ruth and her team”.