The International Powered Access Federation named Peter Douglas as its new CEO and managing director, following a thorough recruitment process that attracted almost 50 applicants from around the world. The new CEO and MD replaces Tim Whiteman and will take up post on Dec. 1. He will be based in the U.K. Douglas most recently served as managing director at Pullman Fleet Services, according to Lift & Hoist Australasia, and has served in senior management positions at Nationwide Platforms.
Norty Turner, IPAF’s President, who served on the recruitment and selection panel, said: “The past few years have seen IPAF go from strength to strength, innovating to update its training courses into new languages and eLearning, developing virtual reality applications and creating exciting new events. With Peter being based in the UK, this will consolidate IPAF’s global headquarters and enable full-service support of the organization’s core market and membership, which in recent years has delivered more PAL Cards than ever before.”
“From its formation in the UK in 1983, IPAF has grown into a truly worldwide federation, expanding into new territories and now delivering training, safety guidance and technical expertise in multiple languages in 70 countries. It’s certainly an exciting time for Peter to come on board.”
Andy Studdert, who has served as Interim CEO of IPAF and helped lead the recruitment search, said: “I’m pleased to confirm our recruitment process has attracted some truly impressive candidates and that after such a competitive and wide-ranging search that Peter has been selected to lead this organization as it continues to thrive and grow. I’m honored to hand over the leadership of IPAF to such a well-qualified and enthusiastic CEO. Peter will take IPAF to the next level of excellence.”
“I am delighted and honoured to have the opportunity to lead such a well-recognized and respected global safety, technical and training organization,” Douglas said. “I am looking forward to the challenge of making the powered access industry worldwide as safe as it possibly can be. It is a privilege to have been selected for this exciting role and I cannot wait to get started. The work of everyone involved with IPAF is so valuable; promoting the safe and effective use of powered access worldwide and ensuring people conducting temporary work at height get to go home safe at the end of every day is about as worthwhile as any job can get. I am very grateful to be given this fantastic opportunity to bring my ideas and expertise to bear and look forward to working with IPAF staff and industry colleagues once more.”
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.