Colleague Spotlight
Maria Leonard, Regional Health & Safety Manager
Maria's background
Hi, I’m Maria. I joined WorkNest (formerly Ellis Whittam) in 2019 as a Health & Safety Consultant and have since progressed into a Regional Health & Safety Manager, looking after a team of consultants in the South East region.
I have 30 years’ experience in health and safety field (I’m not an anorak, honestly!). Prior to my role at WorkNest, I worked in the education and construction sectors, both of which are specialist areas of mine.
As a Regional Health & Safety Manager, I’m part of the Health & Safety Senior Management Team, and no two days are the same. I love that each day is a new challenge.
As well as supporting my team, I have my own portfolio of clients that I look after, many of whom are within the education and manufacturing sectors, and I thoroughly enjoy providing practical solutions to issues they may face in relation to health and safety.
When I’m not working, I enjoy gardening and cooking (having previously trained as a chef) and spend a huge amount of time ferrying about my teenage daughter!
Maria’s qualifications and industry memberships
Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH)
Member of The Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM)
Competent Fire Risk Assessors Register (CFRAR)
Who you’ll be working with
Client stories
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Gus Hosein
Executive Director, Privacy International
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WorkNest supports our 280 staff members with Employment Law and Health & Safety and has provided quality management training too.”
Lisa Best
Head of Service Delivery, Catalyst Choice
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We get a great deal of comfort and satisfaction knowing that we have support as and when we need it, in a decisive and responsive way.”
Richard Berry
Group HR Director, Culina Group
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We moved our legal support to WorkNest (formerly Law at Work) having previously used a time and line law firm. It was important, though, that an all-inclusive fee structure did not come at the expense of quality. Thankfully we’ve been delighted with the service we’ve received from WorkNest.”
Chief Executive
Waverley Care
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What we recognised in WorkNest is the background that they have. They are able to supply knowledge and experience in a number of disciplines, which enables us to develop our business in a way that’s safe, to do it on time and with a quality to it.”
Debbie Rainbow
Director of Human Resources and Health & Safety,
Bluestone National Park Resort
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Celia McKeon
Chief Executive, The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT)
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As the company started to get larger, we knew we had to protect our employees and our contractors both onsite and in the offices. WorkNest is exactly what we needed to move the company forward.”
Joanne Beaver
Operations Director, Beaverfit
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Pineapple have worked with the team at WorkNest (formerly Law at Work) since 2003, and we have built a trusted partnership together. We particularly like WorkNest’s concise and practical advice concerning employment law/HR issues and also appreciate their totally supportive approach in all areas of health and safety.”
General Manager
Pineapple Dance Studios
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I’ve taken WorkNest into every organisation that I’ve worked with. I’ve introduced them to many teams and many colleagues and referred them with absolute pleasure because I genuinely trust in the service that we get.”
People Director, The Works
