Toni Robinson, Risk & Sustainability Director at Grundon, has been elected as the new Chair of the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum.
She will take over from outgoing Chair Chris Jones with effect from 1 January 2026.
The voluntary role will see Toni lead the influential industry forum in identifying, developing and promoting best practice in relation to health, safety and welfare across the recycling and waste sector.
As WISH Chair, she also will be responsible for working closely with the Government, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other external stakeholders, partners and sector influencers to ensure health and safety are at the top of the agenda.
Toni said: “It is a huge honour to have been asked to step into Chris’s shoes and I am incredibly grateful to those who have trusted me to take on this very important role.
“Anyone who knows me, will also know how passionate I am about health and safety. It must be an absolute given and we owe it to each and every one of our colleagues in the sector to ensure they can do their job and return home safely every single day. ”
Toni Robinson
Risk & Sustainability Director
“Together with my WISH colleagues, I want to thank Chris for his dedication, vision and leadership, without which the organisation would not be where it is today. I am proud to pick up his baton and I will be working hard to encourage and enable positive change.”
Chris said: “It has been an absolute privilege to be at the helm of WISH from the very beginning and I must pay tribute to the undoubted strengths, knowledge and expertise of all our members, who have done so much to raise the profile of health and safety within our sector.
“In appointing Toni to this role, I know WISH will be in incredibly safe hands – in all senses of the word – and I look forward to following its continued success in the years to come.”
During her three-decade long career at Grundon, Toni’s passion for driving health and safety has previously seen her chair the WISH SME Working Group, where she played a leading role in organising the first industry-led Safety Awareness Day for SME-sized waste companies..
Chris Jones has been involved with WISH since it was formed in 2001 and has been the Chair for the last 18 years. Since then, its collaborative model has been adopted in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, and the Forum is supporting the development of similar organisations on the Continent.