Global Wind Organisation (GWO) has renewed its ambition to bring standardized safety training to a growing wind workforce under the leadership of its new Chair and Executive Committee.

Vestas Chief Specialist and Global Subject Matter Expert for Health and Safety, Paul Robbins, has been elected Chair of GWO. Paul will serve for two years and will be supported by Vice Chairs Karin Borg (Head of Corporate HSE, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy) and Jill Lees, Director of HSE and Sustainability, RWE Renewables. 

Paul has been vice chair since 2018 and he takes over from Eloy Jauregui, Safety Director at Acciona Energía who stepped down following completion of his two-years term.

A respected figure in the wind energy sector, Paul began his career in 1981 as a communications engineer and climber with the Royal Air Force, going on to become a trade trainer and course designer for Working at Heights, Engineering and Safety. A dedicated Health and Safety professional he has worked in the Wind Energy Industry since 2007 and has been instrumental in the development of Global Wind Organisation.

"GWO has become the world's most influential body in the field of wind energy health and safety," says Paul. "Representing the largest employers in wind energy - both OEMs and owner operators - our strategy is to create safety without borders, so minimum standards for safety and technical training can be available anywhere in the world, driving down the risk of injury and improving our industry's performance and, efficiency and productivity through reduced duplication.  

"I am proud to step into the role of chair and look forward to building on the fine work that Eloy Jauregui has done. During his tenure, the GWO-trained workforce has more than doubled in size to approximately 90,000 people. Over the next two years, we see the opportunity for greater safety as paramount. If we can bring GWO standards to new markets, especially emerging markets and nascent offshore wind regions, we can help make this industry injury free."

Jakob Lau-Holst, Chief Executive Officer of GWO added: "I am delighted to welcome Paul as GWO's new chairman and congratulate all our elected members, not least Jill Lees of RWE and Karin Borg of SGRE who support Paul's leadership. The industry is well represented at GWO - seven of the world's ten largest OEMs and five of the world's ten largest owner operators sit round our table at the GWO General Assembly. We hope to add more representation very soon as we embark on the next stage of this organisation's history."

GWO | https://www.globalwindsafety.org

Vestas | https://www.vestas.com