New Safety Assurance Director to Lead FirstPort’s Resident-focused Health and Safety Strategy

Following Grenfell, Keith also played a key role in shaping the national building safety agenda. Working alongside Dame Judith Hackitt and other influential safety leaders in Working Group 8 (WG8), he contributed to defining the Building Safety Manager role — a critical position in ensuring the safe management of high-risk buildings. 

At FirstPort, Keith has taken a holistic approach to reviewing the company’s health and safety strategy, reviewing resources, systems, and processes to develop a forward-thinking, risk-based approach. His goal is to empower colleagues to stay ahead of safety challenges, foster more meaningful client conversations, and strengthen partnerships around shared safety objectives. 

Speaking about his appointment, Keith said:  

“I am delighted to have joined FirstPort at such a pivotal time. Building safety remains the business’ highest priority, and I’ve joined an organisation with strong core principles and a dedicated team that is focused on keeping customers safe.  

“In the coming months, my focus will be on embedding a risk-based approach into how we work and deliver outcomes, realigning targets and ensuring everything we do is resident-focused. This includes ensuring our health and safety teams work directly with residents, so they understand our role in keeping them safe and can contribute to the safety strategy for their buildings.  

“Ultimately, we want FirstPort to be at the forefront of the industry conversation about what good risk and safety management looks like. We have the knowledge, skills, and experience to lead this, and I’m excited about the impact we can make.”  

Martin King, Managing Director at FirstPort, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Keith to the team. He brings the expertise and insight needed to elevate our existing strategy to an industry-leading standard ensuring we take our customers and clients on the journey with us, building trust and confidence.”