Former Chair, Health and Safety Executive, Make (UK)
Dame Judith Hackitt is a pre-eminent voice in health and safety standards in the UK and Europe. While her background was originally in chemical engineering, she is perhaps best known for heading up the government’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety in 2018, the recommendations of which have revolutionised building regulations after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Judith initially spent 15 years in process engineering at Exxon Chemicals, eventually rising to an operations management role. From there, she focused her career on safety and risk, taking an operations director role at Elementis.
She went on to become a prominent voice on managing health and safety within the industry, having chaired several national and international committees on safety standards, and chaired the UK Health and Safety Executive for 10 years, as well as the post-Grenfell review.
In addition to her advisory policy roles, Judith has served as Chair of Make UK, Chair of Enginuity, a non-exec with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and a trustee of the Energy Savings Trust.
She has been a vocal champion for women in engineering and for engineering skills in general, and promoting ethics in engineering, serving as President of the Institution for Chemical Engineers. In 2010, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and in 2016, she was appointed a dame for services to health and safety. She was a recipient of the President’s Medal in 2024.
Ingenia article
Dame Judith Hackitt DBE FREng
