This is done by providing technical advice, developing guidance documents and codes, or participating in the development of new standards or pieces of legislation on behalf of the members.
“Being director of compliance requires a mix of technical background and an understanding of global standardisation and regulatory frameworks,” said Beltrao. “It was therefore a great opportunity to use my skills and knowledge to help achieve LEEA’s ambitious new goal of reaching 5000 members.”
A civil engineer by training, with a decade of experience in designing steel structures, Beltrao moved to Brussels in 2013 to work for the European Committee for Standardisation as programme manager for the construction sector. Here, he oversaw development of European standards and the bridging between the technical committees, CEN members and the European Commission. In 2019, he started working for Tata Steel in the UK in his last role before joining LEEA as director of compliance.
Commenting on LEEA, Beltrao said: “Having worked with many industry associations in the construction, steel and gas sectors, I was very impressed with LEEA’s history of contributing to a safer lifting industry and how it was able to evolve from chain testers to addressing the wider industry, developing guidance and training and expanding the membership in the UK and internationally.”
He added: “With the expansion of LEEA to members in new geographies, new markets and new stakeholders in the supply chain, the challenge is to adapt and grow our knowledge base and services in a way that is relevant to them and helps them to improve the safety of the industry.”
Director of compliance is the third key new senior management appointment made by LEEA this spring as part of the executive management team. The team will be working with LEEA CEO Ross Moloney in the strategic development of the association, who said: “We are proud to welcome Alex to the LEEA team. He brings tremendous experience to the role of leading and managing our compliance work, with responsibility for all aspects of policy, research, and audit quality, which is a crucial aspect of the support that LEEA provides to members.”