Opening Keynote Presentation – Critical Trends Shaping the Future of Workplace Health & Safety

Tyron McGurgan, Chief Executive Officer, Focus Network

In a constantly evolving regulatory and operational environment, EHS leaders must stay ahead of emerging risks, leverage new technologies, and adapt to shifting workforce expectations. Focus Network has recently completed its latest in-depth research with senior EHS Directors across the United States to identify the most critical trends shaping the future of workplace health and safety.

This research delves into the key challenges and risks organizations are facing, while also exploring the most effective strategies to overcome these obstacles. By understanding how businesses can enhance adaptability and drive continuous improvement, EHS leaders can position their organizations for stronger safety outcomes and long-term success.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the top emerging risks and regulatory challenges organizations are preparing for.
• Reasons behind the increasing role of AI and digital transformation in proactive risk management.
• Understand what the evolving policies and best practices in contractor and supply chain safety are
• The latest insights on workplace mental health and strategies for fostering a culture of well-being.

20min

Tyron McGurgan

Tyron McGurgan is an accomplished entrepreneur, media specialist, and events professional with over 17 years of experience in the industry. He is [...]

Speaker Session – Beyond Compliance: A 360° Leadership Approach to Transforming Safety Culture

Dana Dawsey, Global Vice President EH&S, Pentair

In a time of rapid technological advancement and organizational transformation, traditional safety strategies are no longer enough. True safety excellence requires a holistic, people-centered approach—one that integrates leadership principles, cross-functional collaboration, and a strong relational foundation.

In this session, Dana Dawsey, VP of Environmental Health and Safety at Pentair and a certified leadership coach, shares how a 360° leadership mindset can break down silos, align safety with business objectives, and inspire a culture of ownership at every level.

Drawing on real-world success stories, Dana will explore:

• How to gain employee and contractor buy-in
• Drive cultural transformation
• Prepare your workforce to embrace innovation without sacrificing core values.

You’ll leave with actionable strategies to lead through change, empower your teams, and embed safety into the DNA of your organization.

30min

Dana Dawsey

Dana Dawsey is a highly respected Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) expert, entrepreneur, and leadership coach with over 20 years of [...]

Networking Break

15min

Speaker Presentation – The Purpose-Driven Leader: Building a Legacy of Impact

Dr. Megan Tranter, CEO and Founder, Purpose Pathfinders

In this powerful keynote, Dr. Megan Tranter takes the audience on a journey to discover what it truly means to lead with purpose in today’s rapidly evolving world.

Drawing on her experiences as a global executive and her insights into leadership and resilience, Megan challenges attendees to think differently about their careers, their teams, and their legacy. She will share actionable strategies to unlock potential, foster innovation, and drive long-term impact, inspiring leaders to elevate their influence while staying grounded in their values.

Key Takeaways:

• Gain clarity on the purpose that fuels your leadership and learn how to align it with your organization's mission for maximum impact.
• Explore strategies for building trust, sparking change, and influencing at every level of your organization.
• Learn how to navigate challenges with confidence and use setbacks as springboards for growth and innovation.
• Shift your focus from titles and accolades to creating a lasting legacy that improves the lives of others and drives meaningful results.

30min

Dr. Megan Tranter

Founder and CEO of Purpose Pathfinders, Dr. Megan Tranter is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience driving transformation at global [...]

Free Time

1h 25min

Keynote Presentation – Aligning Safety with Business Strategy

Nicole Thunich, Executive Vice President, Chief Safety Officer, MV Transportation

Aligning safety with business strategy is about integrating workplace health and safety into the core of an organization’s decision-making and operations.

This session will help leaders and safety professionals understand how safety performance and business success go hand in hand. Companies that prioritize safety not only protect their workers but also see improvements in productivity and financial performance.

30min

Nicole Thunich

Nicole Thunich is an accomplished safety and risk management executive with a passion for workplace safety and a track record of designing and [...]

Keynote Presentation – Beyond the Binder: Cultivating a Culture of Active Safety

Max Rutz, Senior Director, EHS, Veolia

This session explores a transformative, people-first approach to workplace safety,one that goes far beyond forms and formalities.

Instead of relying solely on static documents like JSAs and checklists, we’ll look at how to build a dynamic safety culture where every team member is actively engaged, empowered, and thinking critically about risk on a daily basis. By focusing on education, meaningful conversations, and individual choice, leaders can foster a proactive environment where safety becomes second nature, not just compliance.

Gain practical strategies for leveraging workforce expertise, building trust, and making safety a shared responsibility, ultimately unlocking the full potential of your people to drive sustainable safety excellence.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how to Shift from paperwork-driven safety to a culture of daily, mindful risk assessment.
• Use education, conversation, and personal ownership to drive proactive safety behavior.
• Understand how to empower leaders to foster trust, collaboration, and shared accountability.
• Learn how to tap into the expertise and insights of your workforce to achieve long-term safety success

25min

Max Rutz

Max Rutz is a NAEM NexGen Leader award-winning EHS leader with extensive experience in global industrial facilities and aviation operations. He [...]

Keynote Panel Discusssion – How Leading Companies Are Embedding Mental Health into Their EHS Framework

Panelists:

Catherine West, Vice President EHS, Amentum

Bill Kosek, EHS Leader, Sandvik

Moderator:

Mental health is no longer a separate conversation from workplace safety—it’s an essential part of a holistic EHS strategy. As companies recognize the direct link between mental wellbeing and incident prevention, many are embedding mental health initiatives into their EHS frameworks. This panel will feature senior EHS leaders from top organizations who have successfully integrated mental health programs, policies, and training into their overall safety culture.

It will also equip EHS leaders with the knowledge and tools to champion mental health as a core element of their safety programs and drive lasting cultural change in their organizations.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how top organizations have successfully embedded mental health initiatives into their EHS strategies and safety cultures.
• Explore common challenges in integrating mental health programs and how to gain leadership buy-in for sustained change.
• Gain actionable insights on effective mental health training, peer support programs, and stress management initiatives that align with EHS goals.
• Discover key metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of mental health initiatives within an EHS framework.

30min

Catherine West

As a broad practitioner, I support Amentum's commitment to prioritizing environmental, health, and safety (EHS) commitment to excellence. By [...]

Bill Kosek

I am a highly analytical and self-motivated professional with a track record of successfully overseeing all facets of environmental, health and [...]

Arrival & Registration

40min

Breakout Session – Creating an Accountability Framework within Your Safety Program to Ensure Commitment to Its Promises

Winston Newman, Corporate Director of Safety, Kaufman Lynn Construction

This interactive breakout session will explore the essential role accountability plays in driving successful safety outcomes. EHS Directors will learn how to establish a clear, practical framework that integrates accountability into every level of their safety program.

The session will offer real-world strategies to help ensure that safety policies are not only communicated but actively followed, resulting in a stronger culture of responsibility and long-term program commitment.

Key Takeaways

• Gain a clear understanding of what accountability truly means within a safety context—and why it is critical for the success and integrity of your safety initiatives.
• Learn how to build and implement an accountability framework that aligns seamlessly with your existing safety program and organizational goals.
• Discover practical approaches to encourage consistent adherence to safety protocols by fostering a culture where every team member feels responsible and empowered.
• Explore methods to ensure that safety policies are actively enforced and supported at all levels, from leadership to front-line workers, reinforcing long-term commitment to safety promises.

30min

Winston Newman

Winston Newman is an experienced local safety professional and currently the Corporate Director of Safety at Kaufman Lynn Construction. He boasts [...]

Breakout Session – Seeing and Eliminating Risk in Our Operations

Ray McGuire, CSP, Director of Operations Startup, Nestlé USA

As safety leaders, our most critical responsibility isn’t just identifying risk, it’s teaching others to see it for themselves.

This session takes a deep dive into how we, as leaders, can elevate risk awareness across our teams by embedding the mindset, tools, and communication strategies needed to recognize and manage risk in real time. By equipping our workforce with the ability to perceive and act on potential hazards, we protect not just individuals, but our entire operations. Join us as we explore how leadership, culture, and communication can drive sustained behavioral change and significantly reduce workplace risk.

Key Takeaways

• Learn how individuals perceive and tolerate risk differently—and how this model can help you tailor safety approaches that resonate across various teams.
• Discover how to leverage the phases of risk perception to instil proactive safety behaviors and create an environment where people take ownership of risk control.
• Understand the pivotal role culture and behavior play in achieving lasting safety outcomes—and why technical controls alone are never enough.
• Explore how your actions, language, and example set the tone for risk awareness, and why consistent leadership communication is key to shaping a resilient, safety-first culture.

30min

Ray McGuire

Bio [...]

Breakout Session – Safety Culture – Changing Behaviours by Influencing Attitude

Yasser Rady, Director Safety Quality and Compliance, Harrington Process Solutions

For most organizations, all the safety rules, policies, and procedures still result in safety incidents where the root cause should have been addressed through training and rules. Whenever the questions arise “What were they thinking” or “Why didn’t they follow the rules” the answer is that, at their very core, those impacted associates, and likely more folks within your organization were never culturally bought in, they were simply following the rules to avoid a negative consequence.

In this session we will discuss instilling pride of ownership and cultural buy-in for HSE by assessing the power of attitudes, influence, behaviours, and change management.

Key takeaways:

• Attitude informs Behaviour, influencing one changes the other.
• Rules alone will not stop the most common injuries, because at their core they only work when associates make their own risk tolerance calculus
• Workers work for money to live their lives, having a direct ownership stake in one’s own safety translates when the 2 are tied together
• Change management is critical, and it goes beyond training, incentivisation, and other external motivators

30min

Yasser Rady

Yasser has been in the HSE field for the past 17 years, spanning Active Duty service in the US Navy, and working for and with global industry [...]

Breakout Session

40min

Breakout Session – Safety Meets Savings: Strategies for Efficient Workforce Compliance Management

Matt Smith, Chief Executive Officer, MyPass Global

Industries involving hazardous work are often confronted with operational inefficiencies, rising costs and heightened risks when managing workforce competency and compliance.

Safety risks are exacerbated by heavy reliance on contractors and the lack of real-time assurance in workers’ credentials.

In this interactive session, we will discuss:

• How to unlock cost savings while improving safety performance in workforce compliance management
• How to significantly improve efficiencies, lower costs and reduce complexities in safety operations with innovative technology.
• Key strategies for safety excellence by ensuring the right people with the right skills at the right time are on site.
• Practical tips on building a business case and change management for EHS transformation initiatives.

40min

Matt Smith

Matt is the CEO and Founder of MyPass Global, a digital platform designed to reduce the risk and cost of managing workforce competency, safety [...]

Breakout Session – Doing HOP Right

Rob Fisher, President, Fisher Improvement Technologies

HOP (Human and Organizational Performance) has been around for a while, and companies still struggle with how to effectively deploy the concepts to achieve the desired results.  This interactive session will cover the concepts, methods, processes, and tools for effectively deploying HOP, regardless of what your company does. FIT has deployed the concepts effectively for over 30 years, and in over 400 organizations around the world.

Hear about how Education (what and who you teach), Integration (putting it into day-to-day work), and Sustainability (this is how we do business) play into Doing HOP Right.

Key Takeaways:

• Gain a clear understanding of the key principles, methods, and processes behind Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) and why it’s critical for organizational success.
• Learn how to effectively deploy HOP concepts across any industry, with real-world examples and practical tools for implementation.
• Discover how FIT has successfully implemented HOP in over 400 organizations worldwide and how those experiences can guide your own deployment efforts.
• Explore how Education, Integration, and Sustainability are essential to embedding HOP into your business practices and ensuring it delivers lasting results

40min

Rob Fisher

Rob is a pioneer in Human and Organisational Performance and all aspects of performance improvement including incorporating the understanding of [...]

Keynote Presentation – Futureproofing Workplace Safety: Evolving Beyond Traditional Approaches

Jon Liesmaki, Director of Environmental, Health, & Safety, Harmon Inc.

1. Identifying where your organization currently stands (more advanced or just beginning)
2. Finding the right vendor to fit your needs
3. Rolling out new tools and processes to your managers, front-line employees, and executives – including a “performance index” you can use to measure engagement and success at every levels

30min

Jon Liesmaki

Jon is responsible for deploying Harmon’s Corporate EHS Management System to all Harmon project sites and manufacturing locations. Jon has [...]

Keynote Presentation – Real vs Fake Safety – Make your choice

Laura Harting, CSP, Director, EHS&S, Tesla

What truly defines a good safety program? In this session, we’ll challenge traditional EHS metrics and uncover how many of the indicators used to measure safety performance are, in fact, promoting a false sense of security, what we call fake safety.

We’ll debunk long-standing myths within the EHS profession and shine a light on the critical difference between appearing safe and actually being safe.

The session will dive into the concept of real safety — building resilience and capacity into your systems so that when failure happens, it doesn’t result in harm. You'll explore how Tesla applies Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles to enhance learning and improvement across its operations, all anchored by a powerful belief: "Safeguards Save Lives."

Join us to rethink safety and take away actionable insights to build a culture that prioritizes real safety over the illusion of it.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand why safety is not the absence of accidents
• Learn how building capacity into systems creates the ability to fail safely
• Learn how to choose company metrics and reporting to help promote real safety vs fake safety
• The importance of moving from OSHA lagging indicators as a global lagging metric, towards ASTM as the global metric for safety success

30min

Laura Harting

Laura Harting is the Director of EHS at Tesla, where she leads safety oversight for North American Sales, Service, Delivery and Collison centers [...]

Keynote Panel Discussion – How AI & Digital Transformation Are Redefining Safety

Panelists:

Brie Minarik, Director of Training & Safety, HomeWorks Energy

Moderator:

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and predictive analytics is transforming workplace health and safety by enhancing risk detection, streamlining compliance, and enabling real-time hazard monitoring. However, EHS leaders must navigate the complexities of emerging technologies and strategically implement them to drive meaningful safety improvements.

This panel will explore cutting edge advancements in AI-driven risk management, wearable safety tech, and automation. Experts will discuss how organizations can effectively adopt and scale these technologies, the barriers to implementation, and the broader impact of digital transformation on workplace safety. Panellists will also examine the role of machine learning in predictive analytics, real time data collection for incident prevention, and automation’s potential to reduce human error in high risk environments.

Join this session and gain a deeper understanding of how digital transformation is reshaping the industry and equip yourself with some actionable strategies that will allow you to future proof your organizations through technology adoption.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding how AI-powered algorithms can detect safety risks before incidents occur and improve proactive decision making.
• How real-time data collection and analytics can help organizations track safety performance, identify patterns, and make informed adjustments to safety protocols.
• Addressing key barriers such as cost, workforce adoption, and regulatory compliance when integrating new EHS technologies.
• Best practices for ensuring technology adoption aligns with organizational goals, employee training, and a strong safety-first mindset.

30min

Brie Minarik

Ambitious and passionate about a sustainable future while bringing an infectiously positive attitude to work every day. [...]

Networking Dinner

2h 30min

Networking Drinks

30min

Networking Break

20min

Networking Lunch

40min

Welcome & Master of Ceremonies

5min

Speaker Presentation – Leaning In and Listening to the ESG Conversation: What to Know Within the Intersections and Harmony of EHS and ESG

Katie Martin, Director, Sustainability, Avetta

EHS and ESG often intersect in high-stakes, emotionally charged conversations. Are these communities set up to compete or collaborate on shared goals? Explore how integrating EHS metrics into ESG frameworks can align priorities and promote lifesaving initiatives in the workplace.

What are some of these conversations for the EHS professional?

• Have the EHS and ESG communities been set up to compete against one another – or serve broader, similar, and catalyzing goals and objectives?
• Is there a common framework through ESG to better promote EHS goals and objectives, and vice versa?
• And what if better integrated EHS metrics within an ESG framework promoted the lifesaving goals, resources and priorities we can all be invested in?

Join us for this fun but crucial conversation, in which we’ll explore perspectives, definitions, common frameworks and intersections where today’s safety professional is learning to influence and lead in today’s world of work.

30min

Katie Martin

Blending experience in business development, product management, and client advisory, Katie brings over 15 years of experience leading businesses [...]

Speaker Presentation – Embedding Sustainability into Safety Culture and Enterprise Risk Management 

Dr. Peter Simpson, Former Global Head, Safety, Security and Sustainability, Standard Chartered

As ESG priorities continue to reshape the business landscape, the integration of sustainability into safety culture and enterprise risk management is becoming a strategic imperative.

This session will explore how forward-thinking EHS leaders are evolving their roles to influence broader ESG strategies, turning traditional compliance obligations into drivers of innovation, resilience, and long-term value.

Gain insights into aligning safety, sustainability, and risk in a way that supports organizational goals while positioning EHS as a core contributor to sustainable growth and performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the evolving role of EHS leaders in shaping and delivering ESG strategy
• Explore how compliance can be reframed as an opportunity for value creation
• Learn strategies to future-proof EHS programs through innovation and resilience

30min

Dr. Peter Simpson

A global executive with over 25 years of leadership in the areas of risk management, safety, health, wellbeing, security, sustainability/ESG, [...]