Rob Harrison, Director of EHSQ Content Strategy
Among the greatest challenges in today’s digital information age is simply sorting through the morass of all things posted online to uncover what’s truly useful and valuable. You need to dig far and deep to get to the gold, especially when it comes to high-quality and trusted information.
Discovery of useful insights online is tough enough for everyday consumers. For professionals – and specifically those in the field of managing environment, health and safety, plus quality (EHSQ) regulatory compliance – it can be a world of pain. There’s never enough useful information to assist them in doing their jobs. EHSQ knowledge is always in demand, yet so hard to find.
It’s this vital need that’s behind the creation of the EHSQ Alliance, powered by Intelex Technologies – an evolving vision to construct a one-stop repository of great insights and knowledge for professionals, and to also build a co-operative virtual community and meeting place for information-sharing and collaboration. It’s an idea formed by Intelex CEO Mark Jaine and Chief Technology Officer Elie Mouzon, both industry veterans who perceived collaboration and information sharing as an essential evolution for EHSQ that will take it to new heights of effectiveness and success. Jaine unveiled his early vision for the EHSQ Alliance during Intelex’s 2017 user conference in Toronto.
Few jobs are as important as helping organizations be safe, drive quality and do good for the environment. The professionals tasked to make it all happen need a continuous flow of relevant information and the support of one another.
Intelex Technologies has taken up the cause and is spearheading the delivery of this much-needed industry effort. Leading the charge is Rob Harrison, who recently joined Intelex as Director of EHSQ Content Strategy. Harrison is moving quickly to build a team of experts, writers and evangelists who will assemble the knowledge and insights needed, then work towards inspiring an EHSQ Alliance of fellow industry professionals to share their own contributions.
“The role is likely one of the most exciting in the EHSQ industry,” Harrison said. “I believe Intelex is disrupting our industry with the EHSQ Alliance and the promise to share collective intelligence, democratize regulatory insights and drive improvement through shared benchmarking and performance insight. This philosophy was the winning combination for me.”
During a recent interview, Harrison discussed what the EHSQ Alliance is, how he hopes to create a centralized information resource hub, and ultimately inspire a professional community to work together and share knowledge for the benefit of all.
Question: What do you anticipate to be the most exciting part of your job?
Rob Harrison: Intelex is basically setting a standard for the future of how EHSQ professionals learn, provide support to their organizations, implement safety solutions and tools, accelerate and improve their businesses and ultimately shape their careers. This is something I want to be part of, and building a team of experts in content and subject matter to deliver it is super exciting.
Question: Why is the EHSQ Alliance needed and how will it serve a community of professionals?
Rob Harrison: Today’s EHSQ professional is saying he or she needs knowledge, insights and information that helps them do their jobs better than ever. To meet that need, what’s required is a trustworthy, central source that they can go to, time and again, for information that helps them to do their jobs – whether it is original content or something sourced from experts across the EHSQ industry. What’s also needed is a place where an EHSQ Alliance community can connect, share their insights and be educated. To achieve that, we need to focus not just on starting conversations, but continuing these, too. We must also identify and perhaps create the mechanisms that encourage practitioners to follow through with sharing, data and performance metrics.
Question: What do you think is the essential value of the EHSQ Alliance online community?
Rob Harrison: EHSQ practitioners need information that is always high-quality, relevant, reliable and comprehensive. It’s about providing insights, knowledge and best practices sourced from multiple trustworthy sources, including one another. Thinking from that angle, my team is going to create great information, useful tools and practical advice and will also look to continually nurture the EHSQ Alliance so that it grows and becomes more and more valuable over time. The EHSQ Alliance is all about helping leaders and practitioners who care about building better EHSQ practices and driving greater success out of their programs. We want to help them do their jobs and be successful. The EHSQ Alliance platform is a place to share resources, connect with others and innovate through collaboration. We’ll look to support EHSQ decisions based on high-quality data. This data could take the form of resources such as compliance checklists, information sheets on how emerging trends like Internet of Things (IoT) might affect the business and the EHSQ world, or simply facilitate conversations with influencers in the space to gather their perspectives and insights. Today, this sort of central resource simply doesn’t exist. Our other focus will be to help individuals who work in the EHSQ space progress in their careers. For practitioners, we’ll deliver high-quality information for education, but also give them the right tools for professional development – skill-specific learning, career path insights and mentorship from those who have walked the path before them.
Question: What’s your personal experience in the EHSQ world?
Rob Harrison: I’ve worked in the EHSQ space for 17 years, and my experience spans most areas of the industry, including software development, professional services, design, marketing and best-practice research. I have a voracious appetite for information. No matter the role or company where I’ve served, I’ve sought to help organizations not only purchase the right solutions, but to also implement these and get the most value from them.
Please see the press release formally announcing Rob Harrison and his new role at Intelex Technologies here: https://www.intelex.com/about/press-room/intelex-technologies-appoints-rob-harrison-director-ehsq-content-strategy
