70th Conference speakers

Bryan completed a PhD in Geology in 1993 at QUB and worked on mining projects in Europe and North America before becoming an Inspector for the Health and Safety Division of DED in 1994. HSENI was created in 1999 and he was subsequently promoted to Principal Inspector in 2000. Bryan completed professional qualifications in Occupational Safety & Health and Explosives Engineering. In February 2006 Bryan was promoted to Deputy Chief Executive of HSENI and has worked in both the Field Operations and Specialist Sectors Division. He is a member of the Farm Safety Partnership (NI), leading on strategy development and implementation and an integral member of the Buildhealth construction group. Bryan is a keen sailor and is involved in youth sailing and watersports.

 

David Daly, Wellbeing Manager, Graham Group
David joined Graham Group as the inaugural Wellbeing Manager, providing support and advice on wellbeing. He came with a background of over 12 years experience of working in various mental health settings: as a forensic addictions caseworker for Start360 providing offenders with addictions support; a Health & Wellbeing Lead at the WAVE Trauma Centres treating those physically, psychologically injured and bereaved.

Graham hold the IIP Platinum award for Wellbeing and they continue to promote a positive culture of wellbeing having won this year’s BiTC NI Wellbeing At Work Award.

James Davies, Category Manager, Arco
James holds a BA Hons in Financial & Business Economics and spent most of his working life at Asda holding the role of Buying Manager from 2014. After a time as Head of Buying for Better Bathrooms (UK) Ltd. James moved into the role of Category Manager for Arco in 2021. He collaborates with, and works alongside, a vast network of specialists, both within the Arco team and through their supply network, where innovation and sustainability are a key focus. Based at Arco Head Office in Hull, he ensures that the best health and safety products are available to industry.

 

 

Dalvir Sarkaria, Produce and Procurement Manager for Clothing at Arco
After graduating with a BA (Hons) in Fashion in 2004, Dalvir has been working at Arco since 2008. She manages a large clothing product range at Arco and identifies gaps in their ranges. Dalvir sources new product innovations and develops new products in their Arco “own brand” range as well as proprietary products, also offered by the business. She is involved in design, sourcing factories to manufacture in and taking the product through testing and into production.

Brendan Digney, Founder - Machine Eye
Brendan is an Electrical and Electronic Engineer, Technologist, and founder of Machine Eye Technology, a multi award winning technology business based in Belfast. Having grown up surrounded by farms, fields, and machinery, he has intimate knowledge &
passion for the primary industries, as well as sustainable energy and infrastructure. He is now transferring this passion into the development of intelligent perception technologies to enhance the capabilities of existing industrial machinery: making industrial sites safer, smarter and more sustainable places to work.

Brendan is a Graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, Enterprise Fellow of the Royal Academy ofEngineering, Northern Ireland “30 under 30”, and IET Northern Ireland Committee member. OutsideMachine Eye, Brendan can be found on his other passions: photography, microlight aircraft, and sports.

David Donnelly, Safety, Health, Environmental & Quality Manager, Re-Gen Waste
With over 20 years’ experience in construction, resource management, manufacturing, and logistics, he completed the Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety in Practice in September 2021.

David achieved Chartered Membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and has been appointed Chartered Member of the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management in June.

Under David’s direction and leadership, the Re-Gen Health and Safety Team works across the group covering various sites on a wide range of operations including recycling, engineering, transport, oil and gas tank robotic cleaning, bathroom pod manufacture, and construction.

David is also Acting Secretary of the Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum for Northern Ireland. 

Michael Dawson, People & Corporate Services Director, Belfast Harbour Commission
Mike leads the Belfast Harbour Commssion’s Digital Transformation, IT and People Strategies Departments. He previously held senior change and transformational roles with Dale Farm, Glen Dimplex and Schrader Electronics. Mike has an LLB Honours degree in Law from the University of Liverpool, a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from Queen’s University Belfast, an MA and an MBA. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and holds SHRM-SCP status from the Society for Human Resource Management.

 

 

Darren Jones, Fleet Manager, P & O Ferries
Darren Jones is a Marine Engineer who started his career in the Royal Navy, as Engineering Officer of the Watch. After twelve years he moved into industry, studying Project Management at the University of Greenwich. Darren has worked on engineering projects for Rolls Royce, Survitec, WYG Belfast, and Harland & Wolff and has been at P&O Ferries for 5 years.  As Head of Fleet he is responsible for keeping ten owned and operated ferries in service, involving all of the technical and operational management for these ships. Recently this has included bringing two new state-of-the-art hybrid vessels into service in P&O, with a sister ship due later in 2023.

Paul Gardner(FIET, FIMechE), Advisor -Jans Group; Non Exec Director - Various
As an accomplished Senior Global Manufacturing professional and Chartered Engineer with over 35 years experience, predominately in the automotive industry, Paul has excelled at leading global teams in world class lean operations & development of automated capital process equipment & facilities. His career to date has seen him establish manufacturing facilities in NI, USA & China.

Paul oversaw the development of production at Schrader Electronics from 100k electronic modules in 1999 to over 86 million units per year in 2016, managing $150 million capital approval projects. He has an MSc (distinction) in Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Management and holds a BSc Hons in Mechanical Engineering.

Jayne Bailie – Iyengar Yoga Instructor
Jayne has been practicing Iyengar yoga for 19 years and qualified to teach in 2018. In 2019 she opened her yoga studio in Galgorm Castle Courtyard. She believes that making time for yourself is essential for well-being, allowing recharging, reducing stress, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Iyengar yoga is suitable for everybody, with a strong emphasis placed on alignment and body awareness and uses props to help the student gain the maximum benefit from each asana (pose). Jayne believes that taking care of yourself enables you to take better care of others & fulfil responsibilities effectively. She advocates establishing regular yoga practice to leave the feeling of revitalisation and calmness, and better equipped to deal with life. When Jayne is not engaged in yoga, she can be found at home with her 3 children, or out walking her dog.

Ian Campbell, Director of Service Operations, Translink
Ian has worked in Bus and Rail Public Transport for 33 years and is a Mechanical Engineering Graduate from Queens University Belfast, a Chartered Mechanical Engineer, Fellow of the IMechE and Fellow of the Institute of Railway Operators. 

After university, he joined British Rail, undertaking a number of railway management roles in England, Scotland and Wales. Following privatisation Ian worked for Central Trains in the English Midlands before returning to Northern Ireland in 1999 to join Translink. Within Translink, Ian has undertaken a number of Senior Management roles, and is currently Director of Service Operations.

In this role he is responsible for the delivery of Translink’s bus and rail services in Northern Ireland and the development of strategies and programmes that are aimed at delivering zero emission clean air public transport to Northern Ireland.

Kevin Howlette, Director Ferndale Fire Ltd. and Emergency Fire & Safety Ltd.
Kevin is a Health & Safety Consultant who specialises in fire and rescue training. His companies specialise in providing cutting-edge solutions for extinguishing Lithium Ion Battery Fires, including robotics. Ferndale Fire Ltd is a Joint Venture between Emergency Fire & Safety Ltd. from Belfast and Ferndale Lane Investments Ltd. from Cork, London and Dublin. Working both locally and widely abroad Kevin, a former member of the NIFRS, has extensive health and safety knowledge in the fire & rescue sector and a proven track record for managing and delivering training in his field.