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Showing 'February 2026: What makes a great OHS executive'.
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What makes a
Great OHS
Executive
CSG February 2026 speaker: Helen O’Keefe - What makes a great OHS executive

What makes a great OHS executive

Presentation by: Helen O’Keefe, Director, HOK Talent Solutions

CSG event video now available (members only)
Presentation package now available (members only)

What truly differentiates top candidates in today’s current employment climate? Expert in health & safety recruitment, Helen O’Keefe, gave a presentation on 10 February to Central Safety Group that delved deeply into the critical factors driving recruitment decisions for senior HSW roles.

Helen began by discussing in-demand skill-sets. She provided a detailed breakdown of the technical expertise and strategic capabilities that employers are actively seeking. This goes beyond foundational HSW knowledge.

Helen also explored essential behavioural competencies, including the soft skills and leadership traits that are predominantly requested when she is recruiting HSW executives reporting to CEOs or C-Suite leaders.

Helen concluded with an overview of the state of the HSW market in 2025. She identified the industries that experienced the most demand for HSW talent and those that slowed down, as well as the underlying economic or regulatory factors that drove this.

A popular annual speaker for Central Safety Group, Helen’s extensive experience in the field, specialised focus and deep network, make her insights highly valued by our audience.

The presenter:

Helen O’Keefe is the founder of HOK Talent Solutions, which celebrated 10 years of dedicated service to the OHS community in 2025. Operating Australia-wide, Helen manages recruitment assignments across various sectors and her passion for the health and safety industry stems from her extensive experience in the field - from both a recruitment perspective and having worked alongside OHS peers in her earlier career. Prior to establishing HOK Talent Solutions, Helen held the position of National Recruitment Manager at the Australian Red Cross and served as an HR Manager for the pharmaceutical company Glaxo-Smith-Kline (GSK).

 
 

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Climate
Change as
an OHS issue

CSG June 2026 event - 

Presenter: Sam Hall, Researcher & PhD Candidate, La Trobe University


Climate change as an OHS issue

Presented by: Sam Hall, Researcher & PhD Candidate, La Trobe University

How: CSG Lunchtime Presentation - via zoom or in person

Date: Tuesday 9 June 2026, noon
Non-Members welcome to attend

Climate change as an OHS issue
The impact of climate change on worker health and safety, and the response by OHS professionals, will be discussed by Sam Hall in a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on Tuesday 9 June.
Sam is doing PhD research into how climate change is creating new and emerging risks for worker health, safety and wellbeing. She is also exploring how occupational health professionals in Australia perceive these impacts of climate change, as well the role they can play in workplace climate adaptation.
Sam will present preliminary findings on the perceptions of climate-related risks at work. She will also discuss how workplaces may respond proactively to climate change as an OHS and work design issue.
The talk will be followed by audience questions and discussion.
Our members always appreciate hearing about new research, especially as it stimulates new thinking and inspires innovation in OHS management. Come along for your monthly dose of inspiration from CSG!

About the Speaker:

Sam Hall is a qualified physiotherapist and ergonomist with 20 years’ experience across occupational health and safety, rehabilitation, wellbeing, coaching, and education.
She is currently a graduate researcher completing a PhD at La Trobe University’s Climate Change Adaptation Lab, investigating the climate change impacts on health at work.
Sam holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and a Masters of Health Science (Ergonomics) from the University of Queensland, and a Masters of Health Science (OHS) from Queensland Institute of Technology.

Date: Tuesday 9 June 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Where: Regus Yarra Room, 50th floor, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne. Our thanks to Helen O'Keefe for providing the venue.
How: Online via Zoom or in person - the link will be sent out on the afternoon of the Monday preceding the event
N.B. A video recording of the session will be available on the website exclusively for financial members.
Cost: Financial members* free. Others $15
RSVP: COB Monday 8 June 2026. Online using our RSVP form
Join: Join CSG now [Individual membership fee: $85.]
*If unsure of your membership status, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
   RSVP: by Monday 8 June.
Online using our RSVP form or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., phone the secretary T: (03) 9387 9768 Mobile 0417 040 252
The Zoom event link will be emailed on the afternoon of Monday 8 June.

Don’t forget to put every second Tuesday from February to December in your Calendar!

 

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