LEEA Board Spotlight - Martin Halford
Introduction
In the latest of our Meet the Board series, we speak to Martin Halford, owner and Chairman of Dynamic Load Monitoring (UK) Ltd, a Load Cell and Cable Working equipment manufacturer for the Offshore, Subsea and Lifting industries. He shares what led him to stand for the LEEA board, how the board supports the organisation, and where he believes LEEA should be ambitious, and cautious, in the years ahead.
What's your day job, and what made you stand for the LEEA board?
I'm the owner of Dynamic Load Monitoring (UK) Ltd, an equipment manufacturer serving the subsea industry. Until recently I was Managing Director, but we've now appointed a new MD and I've stepped into the role of Chairman as the business has grown into a group.
I first started thinking about the board around three to five years ago, when a few people approached me over a couple of years to ask whether I'd be interested. I saw it as a chance to bring new insights and ideas to the board, draw on my experience with innovative solutions to add a different set of skills, and give something back to the industry.
It's also been a great learning curve. I've learnt a lot about how a board works, which has been really valuable in itself.
What does the board do, and what are the boundaries?
The board provides governance over the organisation. A big part of that is evaluating proposals from the CEO, and because board members come from such diverse backgrounds, we can bring insight that reflects every type of member, whatever their size or discipline.
Alongside that, we promote safe lifting and best practice across the industry, and provide the governance to support it.
In terms of boundaries, our role is to provide oversight and challenge, not to run the organisation day to day. That's the responsibility of the CEO and the team.
What's changing in members' businesses over the next five years, and is LEEA ready for it?
LEEA is constantly evaluating what's happening across the industry and adapting to it. One big change has been moving from in-person audits to remote audits. It's part of keeping pace with technology, so people no longer need to fly all over the world to carry out tasks that can be done just as well remotely.
There's also been a lot of work tidying up loose ends. Some members hadn't been audited, and the development membership category has now been scrapped.
At the same time, we're building our local presence. In Australia, for example, we have regional councils and a LEEA employee based there, and we're looking to grow that model. Overall, the focus is on growing sustainably and being more resourceful as we do it.
Where should LEEA be more ambitious, and where should it be more cautious?
LEEA is already becoming more proactive, particularly in how it engages with end users, and that's where we should keep being ambitious. If you want to drive safe lifting, you need to get involved with the big companies.
We're in the process of introducing a grading system for end users, which is a big step forward. It gives us a way to engage with large organisations and influence every level of their business.
Where we need to be cautious is in offering advice on areas outside our expertise. Our resources are finite, and while we know a lot about many different things, we don't know everything. Niche equipment, for example, can fall outside what we cover, so when we're asked about something we don't have expertise in, we need to be careful about how we respond.
LEEA's board is elected by members. How do you make sure you're hearing the whole membership?
There are plenty of opportunities for members to have their say, starting with the AGM every year. There are also working groups and technical meetings that anyone can get involved in, and events like LiftEx bring the whole industry together in one place.
Beyond that, our business supplies into the industry alongside other members, and we sell to other members too. That keeps us in constant contact with end users, who share their suggestions and opinions, and I can take those back to the board so people's voices are heard.
Each board member also brings the perspective of their own part of the industry. I work in the offshore sector, which is very different from someone supplying into construction, for example. That mix means the board benefits from a much broader range of insight.
What would you say to a member thinking about standing for the board? What would they need to bring?
You need to want to understand what's happening across the industry, and above all, be passionate about driving safety and making lifting safer for everyone. Get behind that and let it be your why.
In return, you'll learn a lot about how different businesses work and gain a much deeper insight into the industry as a whole. You'll get to engage with other professionals from right across the sector, and there's real satisfaction in being able to share advice and help others along the way.
Thinking of joining LEEA?
Our Board is always open to people who want to make a difference for members and help steer the association’s future.
If you're interested in finding out more, contact: Ross.Moloney@Leeaint.com
