How safety leaders can win board support. A keynote by Dr Megan Tranter.  

At the OHS Leaders event on the Gold Coast, Dr. Megan Tranter, Founder and CEO of Purpose Pathfinders, shared how safety leaders can gain, retain, and sustain boardroom support for safety initiatives. Her insights challenged conventional thinking and encouraged safety professionals to rethink how they communicate safety priorities to their boards. 

Dr. Tranter’s message stressed the importance of knowing your audience.  

“Just because you think something is important, it doesn’t mean it’s compelling to other people.”  

This is especially true when presenting to boards, it’s not about what’s important to you, it’s about what is compelling to them.  

She suggests a reframe of safety, “Boards are not always talking about incidents and assurance. They’re talking about business continuity, financial risk, and reputational damage. Safety is in those conversations – it’s just in a different language”. 

This fundamental truth is something every safety leader should consider as they advocate for a culture of safety in the boardroom. If you want safety to remain a priority at the highest levels of your organization, you must ensure your message sticks with the people who have the power to make decisions. And you can do this by aligning safety as risks and opportunities that drive business outcomes.  

From crisis to business critical – keeping safety as a priority.  

Dr. Tranter emphasized a critical point that safety may receive attention in a crisis, but the real challenge is maintaining that focus when things feel more stable. Support for safety often “rises in a crisis and fades when things feel more stable.” For safety leaders, the goal isn’t just getting initial buy-in, it’s about keeping that support ongoing, even when the headlines shift elsewhere. 

Safety can’t just be an agenda item when things go wrong; it needs to be woven into the long-term fabric of the business. Dr. Tranter encourages leaders to keep safety in the conversation, positioning it as a long-term strategic priority rather than a reactive measure. When safety is integrated into the broader business strategy, it’s not something that can be sidelined when the pressure lifts. 

Building Trust for the Long Run 

Dr. Tranter’s presentation highlighted the importance of building trust before you need it. She referenced McDonald’s approach to what they call a “trust bank”. The idea here is consistently building goodwill with stakeholders so that, when a crisis hits, you have the credibility to weather the storm. Dr. Tranter said:

“Build the credibility before you need it, because you never know when you’ll need to cash in the chips.” 

This is especially crucial in safety management. Safety professionals need to consistently show up, provide value, and prove that safety isn’t just a regulatory burden but a critical part of the company’s long-term success. By doing so, you earn the trust of senior leadership, ensuring that when an incident occurs, your team has the support needed to address the issue swiftly and effectively. 

Understanding the Bigger Picture 

For safety leaders, one of the most important takeaways from Dr. Tranter’s presentation is the need to understand the business beyond just the safety lens. Context is everything. When you know what drives the company and understand the business’ broader goals, you can speak about safety in a way that resonates with decision-makers. 

Dr. Tranter posed a crucial question: “Do I really understand my business?”  

To answer this, you need to understand more than just the safety challenges your company faces. The best safety professionals are those who can connect the dots between safety and business outcomes, such as profitability, efficiency, and long-term growth. By framing safety as a strategic initiative that supports these outcomes, you’ll speak the board’s language and gain their support for long-term safety goals. 

A Changing Role for Boards 

We live in a world where boards are being asked to be more nimble, collaborative, and curious. Dr. Tranter delved into the notion that management and boards have to embrace change and be open to new ideas. For safety professionals, this means understanding that boards are no longer just looking for compliance updates, they want to be part of the solution. 

Dr. Tranter stressed that boards need to engage with safety as a business priority, not a compliance issue. To navigate this shift, safety leaders need to position themselves as trusted partners, capable of providing solutions that align with the company’s long-term vision. 

Keeping Safety in the Conversation 

Dr. Tranter’s advice to safety professionals is simple but powerful.  

Always be thinking about safety in the context of the long-term business strategy. If safety is only discussed when quarterly numbers are up for review, you risk it becoming an afterthought. Instead, safety needs to be woven into the organization’s broader messaging, showing how it contributes to sustained growth and resilience. 

Dr. Tranter also left us with three key questions to consider: 

• Do I really understand the business I’m working in? 
• Do I understand what drives my CEO, senior leadership, and the board? 
• What am I doing to speak the board’s language? 

By reflecting on these questions, you’ll be better positioned to ensure that safety is a long-term, strategic element of the business that drives success. 

If you want safety to stick at the board level, it’s about more than just presenting data or making the case when crises arise. It’s about weaving safety into the company’s long-term strategy, understanding the priorities of leadership, and building trust that will serve you when you need it most. As she simply put it: 

“Your CEO doesn’t need another compliance briefing. What they need is a strategic partner”. 

Dr. Tranter reminds us, making safety a boardroom priority is a long-term commitment, one that requires insight, credibility, and an unwavering focus on the bigger picture. 

Learn more about how to get Health and Safety initiatives across the line.

About Dr Megan Tranter 

Founder and CEO of Purpose Pathfinders, Dr. Megan Tranter is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience driving transformation at global companies like Amazon, Netflix, and PepsiCo. With a deep commitment to purpose-driven leadership, she empowers professionals to align their careers with their values, amplify their impact, and foster thriving, resilient workplace cultures. 

An award-winning strategist and coach, Megan has led high-performing teams, managed multi-million-dollar budgets, and coached leaders at the CEO and Board level. She is passionate about helping leaders grow their influence, build purpose-driven brands, and create lasting positive change in their communities and beyond.