Meet our team

Ruth Kaufman OBE, FORS, FIMA, CSci

Chair of Trustees

Ruth graduated with a BA in Maths with Social Sciences from the University of Sussex and worked in Operational Research (OR) and other management functions in London Transport and the London Electricity before joining the Department of Health as an OR team leader.  She moved on to lead the OR Group at the UK Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) and was Chair of the Government OR Service for two years.  Before retiring from government in 2008, she was a member of ECGD’s Executive Board, as Head of Strategy, Change and OR.

Her charity board experience includes five years as Chair of Woman’s Trust, 10 years on the board of the Operational Research Society including two years as its President, external advisory to the Finance Committee of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.  She is currently a trustee of two other charities (Science Council and Humanists UK), and chair of the OR Society’s Pro Bono OR steering group. She received an OBE for services to OR in December 2015.

Ruth took over as Chair of CHIRP Trustees in October 2020.

Captain Jeremy Burrows

Jeremy was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1980 as a General Duties Officer.  Flying the Jet Provost, Hawk and then the Tornado GR1 operationally, he subsequently qualified as a QWI (Qualified Weapons Instructor).  After a short service commission, he joined Air 2000 in early 1990 on the B757 gaining a command after 3 years on the A320.  In 1996 he moved to Virgin Atlantic, flying the A343, A346, A320, A330 and A350.  Jeremy joined the Human Factors team at Virgin in 2006, and instructed for several years before entering the management team.  Over the next 14 years he held a number of positions in the Flight Ops department and was involved in running the Airbus Fleet technically, pastorally and from an IR perspective.  His time in the office culminated in being Chief Pilot, Nominated Person Flight Operations, and Deputy Accountable Manager.  He retired from flying at the end of 2022, and stepped down from the management role; he now teaches HF and is still involved in projects for the Virgin Flight Operations department, he will also be working as an Associate at Baines-Simmons. 

Human Factors is still a passion for him, coupled with a strong belief in a “Just Culture” that should be embedded across both the maritime and aviation sectors.

Captain Don Cockrill MBE

A chartered master mariner, Younger Brother of Trinity House in London and a Fellow of the Nautical Institute, he commenced his maritime career in 1973.

Following eighteen years of a commercial seafaring career during which he progressed from cadet to master specialising in petrochemicals, he joined the Port of London Authority as a pilot in 1991 and retired in December 2019. He held various pilotage related positions with the PLA including VTS port controller and pilot simulator training lead.

During his pilotage career he held the posts of Chairman of the United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’ Association and its Secretary General.  During much of the same period he was a Technical Adviser to the executive management committee of the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA).

He also represented IMPA in various PIANC working groups, researching and producing reports on: the design of Harbour Approach channels; the integrity Maritime Simulators; Impacts of ships on fixed structures, Climate Change Adaptation planning for ports and Impacts of ships on fixed structures.

In addition to advisory work with a number of high level commercial bodies, he has held a number of posts with organisations engaged in training pilots world-wide. A long standing member of the CHIRP MAB, he is also a member of the MASRWG and the MCA chaired MASSpeople group.

Most recently he is volunteering with the charity Mercy Ships as a fund-raising speaker, awareness ambassador and maritime adviser to the UK management office, focussing on building relationships between the charity and the UK maritime community at all levels.

Commander Mike Cripps MEng MBA CEng MIMechE RN

Mike Cripps is a Royal Navy Air Engineer Officer with broad experience of delivering of maritime aviation capability, currently working within the Military Aviation Authority. 

He has experience of operating aircraft from several Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships during front-line appointments. Beyond the front-line, Mike has worked within the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support organisation, both in acquisition roles, and as an Engineering Authority where he held Type Airworthiness Authority for all Avionic and Weapon systems on the UK’s Merlin helicopters. He’s worked within the Royal Navy’s Strategic Headquarters getting to grips with the financial realities of aviation support and spent 3 years in Canada as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 12 Wing Air Maintenance Squadron. 

Mike graduated from Cranfield University’s Executive MBA in 2019 and has been a Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and Chartered engineer since 2010.

Dr Simon Gill PhD BEng (Hons) CEng MRAeS

Simon has been involved in human factors, risk and safety management in the aviation industry for over two decades. After obtaining his first degree in Integrated Engineering Simon started his career at Airbus. Identifying the need to address maintenance human factors and the unique role played by the manufacturer, Simon undertook a secondment in BAE Systems and completed a PhD in the subject.

Returning to Airbus as Maintenance Human Factors Manager, he set up and managed a team of psychologists and engineers working together to advise on the safe and efficient maintenance of aircraft. They developed and implemented safety improvement processes focussing specifically on how designs can be assessed for maintenance error and how this might be managed before production. He coordinated the sharing of incident data from the Airbus fleet and was on the committee which triaged maintenance incidents, analysing them and proposing action to be taken. He coordinated European maintenance human factors, research trained airlines, maintenance organisations and aviation regulators worldwide and presented at many international conferences and symposia.

For the last decade, he has operated as an independent consultant advising companies on the modern approach to risk management and on organisational resilience and Safety-II. Within aviation, Simon has continued providing support on fixed wing but also on rotorcraft. Working with all the major helicopter manufacturers he has co-developed techniques to review maintenance resilience of in-service aircraft and human hazard analysis techniques to improve design. He also lectures for Cranfield University and City University, London and co- authored an internal White Paper on “Human-Centred Design for Maintenance” for the RAeS which will drive change on this important topic in the years to come.

Outside of aviation, he is a trained business coach, worked on ‘The Resilience Shift’, the drive to improve resilience in critical infrastructure, and also adapted aviation risk and safety concepts for use within a health and social care setting, in care homes, hospitals, children’s and adult social care. He is a member of ‘Q’ the UK National Health Service Quality and Patient Safety initiative and is founder of the Organisational Resilience Special Interest Group. He is also on the executive committee of the Resilience Engineering Association.

Ryan Hall

Ryan heads up the South East region for the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea.  In his role he is responsible for the fundraising, operations, education, engineering and support teams across the South East from Swanage to Dorset, including the 31 lifeboat stations and 42 lifeguarded beaches.  Prior to this role Ryan was a Harbourmaster on the tidal Thames looking after navigational safety and events across the River Thames from the estuary to Teddington.

Ryan left the Royal Navy to start life afresh in London and was lucky enough to launch the first virtual showroom for Audi UK in Mayfair, London before moving to City Cruises as head of operations.  At City Cruises Ryan oversaw the successful growth and launch of the new vessel Millennium Diamond as well as starting operations in Poole, Dorset. 

His career in the port industry took shape when Ryan joined the PLA as Deputy Harbourmaster Upper in 2013, where he was responsible for large events in central London including the annual Universities Boatrace, New Year’s Eve Fireworks and the Hollywood spectacular Spectre.  

After starting a family, Ryan re-located to the south coast where he became Pilotage Manager and Deputy Harbourmaster at Southampton, it was here that he managed a team of 70 marine pilots and pilot launch crews and over saw the introduction of a new pilot station in Gosport and a new pilot training scheme including simulation and utilisation of technology to improve the pilotage experience.  

Ryan now lives in Godalming, Surrey with his wife and children after re-locating back from the South coast. When at home he enjoys running along the river Wey and cycling.

Captain Jerry Kinder

Jerry was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1982 as a general duties officer. He was a pilot flying the Canberra, Hawk, Phantom and Tornado F3 aircraft. While serving he received 2 Green Endorsements. In 2000, having qualified for his ATPL, he ‘retired’ from active service and joined Airtours as a first officer. In 2005 he moved to Virgin Atlantic, where he flies the Boeing 787.

Away from flying, Jerry has extensive board experience, with expertise in change management, structural re-organization, and effective industrial relations. He took on the role of Chair of Governors of a large secondary school during a period of industrial dispute and a subsequent restructuring. He also served on a local authority as a Parent Governor Representative. Since then, he has been a trustee for one pension scheme and is currently a trustee for another. He is Chair of Directors for a small residential property company. He was Vice Chair of the pilot Company Council at Virgin Atlantic, again during a period of industrial unrest and subsequent, successful, restructuring; and later went on to serve 6 years on the National Executive of the pilots’ union, BALPA. He now as a member of, and advisor to, their Legal Committee.

He is a strong believer in the ‘Just Culture’, and in using the principles of human factors and threat error management to enable individuals and organisations to deliver of their best. 

John Lloyd

Captain John Lloyd was appointed Chief Executive of The Nautical Institute in May 2017 having previously been Chief Operating Officer.  In this role he was responsible for the Certification and Accreditation services including the Dynamic Positioning scheme and Oil Spill Response training programmes.

At the Nautical Institute he has pioneered a range of professional development short courses for the maritime community, led developments enhancing membership benefits globally in collaboration with KVH Videotel and developed specialist qualifications for the renewable energy sector.

Prior to joining the NI, John was Professor, Maritime Training at the Australian Maritime College (AMC) in charge of the international pathways for students and for delivery of Advanced level maritime simulation courses.  In 2014 he inaugurated a new maritime college in Angola following a two-year development programme. 

Prior to this he held appointments as: Chief Executive Officer of the Vanuatu Maritime College in Santo, Vanuatu; and senior posts at Flagship Training Limited and Warsash Maritime Centre.

John is a Master Mariner and served as a Marine Pilot in Namibia from 1994 – 1995.  He is a Master of Business Administration and an Adjunct Professor in the University of Tasmania, a Freeman of the (UK) Honourable Company of Master Mariners and a Younger Brother of Trinity House.

John is married with 2 grown-up children who live in Australia.

Stella Macaskill

Stella’s career has been spent working in healthcare. First in the NHS and then for the Royal College of Pathologists. As Director of Educational and Professional Standards she was responsible for postgraduate pathology training, examinations, assessments and continuing professional development.  More recently, as Director of Professionalism her role expanded to include delivering research to influence national workforce planning, publishing accredited clinical guidelines, quality improvement and patient safety.  

She designed and delivered pathology invited service reviews for NHS employers and implemented Disciplinary Regulations for her employer. Human factors were the common theme linking this to her patient safety and quality agenda. She has undertaken commissioned review work for the Care Quality Commission and an Independent Inquiry. 

Her board experience includes membership of the Trustee Board and Council of the Royal College of Pathologists. She was a Trustee at a London Academy school between 2016-2019. She chaired the Business, Audit, Personnel and Finance Committee and sat on Independent Review Panels.

Stella has volunteered and worked at the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust and is currently an elected Governor, representing the views and interests of patients to the Council.  

Stella is a lay representative for Health Education England who are responsible for the quality of postgraduate medical and dental education. She advises and observes the quality assurance of recruitment and selection, Annual Reviews of Competence Progression Panels and appeals in the London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex regions.   

She has a Degree in Biology, a Masters in Healthcare Education and Evaluation and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management. She recently returned to study beginning an MSc. course on Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors at the University of Edinburgh.

Captain Andrew Moll OBE

Andrew joined the Royal Navy in 1978 as a seaman officer and initially specialised as a Fighter Controller.  He served in this capacity in HMS COVENTRY from 1981 until the ship’s loss in May 1982, during the Falklands Conflict.  Thereafter, Andrew’s naval career was largely sea-going as both a surface and anti-air warfare specialist in destroyers and aircraft carriers.  His commands included: the fast patrol boat SNV AL FULK, while on loan to the Omani Navy during the later stages of the Iran-Iraq war; the Type 42 destroyer, HMS YORK, again in the Gulf and on counter-narcotics operations; and, the Type 22 frigate, HMS CHATHAM, leading NATO’s squadron in the Mediterranean and patrolling the Baltic.

He was staff trained at the Joint Services Defence College, Greenwich, and completed two appointments in the Ministry of Defence: the first in the Directorate of Naval Operations, and the second as the Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee, covering the period of the 2003 Iraq war.

Andrew joined the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in January 2005 as a Principal Inspector in charge of one the Branch’s four investigation teams.  He assumed the post of Deputy Chief Inspector in September 2010 and was appointed as the Branch’s Chief Inspector in October 2018. 

Away from work, true to form, Andrew’s activities involve boating.  He is an RYA Powerboat Trainer and Yachtmaster; a Younger Brethren of Trinity House, and the Chairman of Trustees for Southampton Sea Cadets. 

Kirsten Riensema MSC, FRaeS

Kirsten has over 25 years’ experience in both the operational and regulatory areas of aviation, including safety and risk management. She started her career with British Airways, as a station duty manager and dispatcher in Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta and London Heathrow before joining the UK Civil Aviation Authority in 2005. She headed up the Aerodrome and Air Traffic Standards Division, responsible for setting policy and providing effective, risk-based and proportionate oversight to aerodrome and ATS providers and their related activities.  

Kirsten served as member of the ICAO Air Navigation Commission from 2015-2018, including as the First Vice President and the alternate Council Member for the United Kingdom on the ICAO Council. This enabled her to have a good appreciation and understanding of the inter-dependencies within the aviation system. Since her return she has been the Head of Strategic Relationships in the CAA’s International Group.