New Non Executive Director Confirmed For HSE Board

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has appointed Rebecca Emmett as a non executive director of the Health and Safety Executive, replacing Martin Esom. Her background in local government regulation and project delivery is expected to support HSE as it delivers its 10 year strategy, while Debbie Gillatt has been reappointed for a further five years to provide continuity on the board.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has confirmed the appointment of Rebecca Emmett as a non executive director to the Health and Safety Executive board. She replaces Martin Esom, who left the board in March 2026, and takes up the role alongside the recent reappointment of Debbie Gillatt for a further five years.

Rebecca Emmett is currently Deputy Chief Executive at Basingstoke and Deane Council, appointed in 2022. She holds a degree in environmental science and geology from Portsmouth University and began her career as a consultant with WSP carrying out geotechnical and contamination ground investigations. She later moved into local government and spent more than a decade leading a range of frontline services at authorities including the London Boroughs of Croydon, Hackney and Southwark and Three Rivers District Council. While at Hackney she led regulatory teams involved in supporting delivery of the Olympic Park and the 2012 Olympic Games.

For health and safety professionals and regulators, Emmett’s mix of environmental, contamination and local government regulatory experience is directly relevant to issues HSE oversees. Her experience of frontline service delivery and major project regulation can inform board level oversight as HSE implements its 10 year strategy, and the reappointment of Debbie Gillatt provides continuity of governance during that period.

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