Welcome!

Welcome to the first SAFE Leader Insights newsletter! I recently relocated from London (United Kingdom) to New York City and have been settling in to my new professional life.

Part of my motivation of setting up this newsletter is to carve out a new space where I can focus all my thoughts and activities around my professional interests in safety, and DEI in engineering and STEM business/education more broadly.

My company, EqualEngineers, helps organisations “engineering inclusive cultures to attract, develop and retain talent”. We do a tonne of stuff in the UK and our regular newsletter is packed full of information. I felt time was needed for me to have my own space for my thought-leadership and work space. So here it is!

The SAFE Leader Podcast Launch

I am delighted to announce the launch of a new project, The SAFE Leader podcast, with myself as host. I have been interviewing guests from across business, academia and industry to hear their diversity stories and explore their difference.

Episode 1: Safety First in High Hazard Industries, with Trish Kerin

In this episode, Mark McBride-Wright sits down with Trish Kerin, the Director of the IChemE Safety Centre, to explore the critical intersection of process safety and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Trish shares her personal journey into the world of process safety, recounting pivotal moments that shaped her career. They delve into the challenges of fostering a common understanding of safety across engineering disciplines and the opportunities to leverage safety culture to promote more inclusive workplaces. Listeners will gain insights into the future of process safety, the role of technology, and Trish's unique "platypus philosophy" for identifying and managing weak signals. This conversation offers valuable perspectives for safety professionals, engineers, and leaders seeking to create safer, more connected, and equitable organisations.

Watch on YouTube here

Listen on PodBean here

International Men’s Day 2024

How are you engaging your majority-group workforce in the conversation around mental health, wellbeing, and psychological safety?

👨🏼‍💻 Enjoyed giving a keynote talk for TAQA Group to celebrate International Men’s Day 2024. In my talk I covered:

• Importance of engaging the majority in diversity, equity and inclusion

• Insights from our EqualEngineers Masculinity in Engineering Research

• The need for men to open up and be vulnerable about what is on our minds

• Actionable steps from The SAFE Leader framework which listeners can apply in their day to day

🏳️‍🌈 I also gave two talks entitled “Building Bridges: LGBTQIA+ Identities and the Power of Allyship” for Smith’s Group Training & Development Week. This had me up super early at 4am to be able to meet Europe/APAC time zones. I was a 🥱 tired owl following this - but thoroughly enjoyed the engagement!

All in all, I spoke to around 200 people yesterday from my virtual deliveries. It is incredible what we can do with technology these days, and I hope my message has helped expand some people’s frame of reference and learning.

Masculinity in Engineering Research Survey Now Open!

The third round of the EqualEngineers Masculinity in Engineering Research Survey is now open until end of January 2025.

Take part in the survey here.

Share with colleagues, peers, friends from across the industry who you think would like to contribute as well.

Let’s connect

Please reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn if we are not already connected.

I love helping organisations where the angle I take with the work I do might help in someway have you make traction in your culture.

Feel free to get in touch here

Stay SAFE!