Leadership team
The Directors of the Association are members themselves and fulfill honorary roles. They receive no payment for the services they offer to the association.
The present Directors are as follows:
Brendan Sutton
Chairman
Managing Director of Altura – Height Safety Professionals, a specialist consultancy firm performing design, inspection and compliance review services for height, façade and confined space access solutions.
Michael Biddle
WAHA Director
Director of RIGCOM Pty Ltd. a leading provider of technical services and engineered solutions at height. RIGCOM specialise in the design, installation, and recertification business with a focus on height safety and rope access across a variety of industry sectors including commercial and wind energy.
Simon Pedretti
WAHA Director
Sales Director of SafetyLink Pty Ltd., designers and manufacturers of height safety equipment that is utilised in a wide variety of sectors including construction, wind energy, oil & gas, transportation, and telecommunications industries.
Simon is also a representative on the Standards Australia SF015 Committee.
Alistair Merricks
WAHA Director
Director at Australian Industrial Rope Access with 30 + years in the work at height industry. Former director of WAHA and IRATA International, IRATA Australasia’s representative on Standards Australia SF015 Committee, and current IRATA Technician, IRATA Instructor and IRATA Auditor.
Mark Anderson
WAHA Director
Director of Anchored Height Safety, Mark brings a wealth of experience from over 20 years in Automotive development, engineering, senior project manager (PMI PMP certified), safety implementation and quality auditing.
Tua Lowa
WAHA Director
Tua is a National Sales and Business Development Manager, Australia, for Zero Height Safety. A specialist manufacturer and wholesaler of fall protection and height safety PPE, supporting safer work at height across New Zealand and Australia for more than 25 years. Our role extends beyond product supply, with a clear commitment to leadership, education, and the advancement of best practice in working at height.
Mark Casey
WAHA Director
As the Chief Executive Officer at RISSafety, Mark has been leading one of Australia's top height safety providers for the past 3 years. With an MBA and years of international operations oversight, Mark brings a visionary and goal-driven approach to delivering practical solutions for any height safety, confined space, or rope access application.
Dr Tim Allred
WAHA Director
Tim is Head of HSE Centre of Excellence at Downer Energy & Utilities, operating across essential infrastructure sectors including energy, industrial, water and telecommunications, supporting power generation, transmission, gas networks and critical services that connect communities. With nearly 20 years’ experience in health and safety across infrastructure, consulting, healthcare and education sectors, he brings a strong focus on evidence-informed practice, linking leadership and capability to improve the safety of work in dynamic, complex and high-risk environments. He holds a Doctor of Professional Studies focused on safety leadership and performance and is a Chartered OHS Professional (ChOHSP) and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Health & Safety.
In addition to the Directors of the Association, the organisation has two paid positions: the CEO and Secretariat. Both these positions are part time, and responsibilities include the organisation of meetings, maintenance of Membership database, website etc, enquiries, articles and ensuring the Directors and Members meet regularly. These two positions are currently filled by:
Scott Barber
Chief Executive Officer
Scott Barber is a safety leader, strategist, and advocate with more than 20 years of experience helping organisations improve safety outcomes in high-risk environments. As Chief Executive Officer of the Working at Height Association (WAHA), he leads the organisation's mission to advance industry capability, promote evidence-informed practice, and foster collaboration across the height safety, confined space, and industrial safety sectors.
Under Scott's leadership, WAHA has evolved into a respected industry body and community of practice, bringing together industry, regulators, educators, researchers, and end users to address complex safety challenges and drive meaningful improvement in risk management and worker protection.
A published author and sought-after speaker, Scott contributes to industry discussions on falls prevention, risk perception, rescue preparedness, learning systems, and high-risk work design. He has worked alongside government agencies, regulators, emergency services, and academic institutions, including RMIT University and the University of Newcastle, on initiatives focused on safety leadership, workforce capability, adaptive learning, and industry engagement. Drawing on a strong foundation in human-centred design and systems thinking, Scott is passionate about translating complex safety challenges into practical solutions that strengthen organisational capability, improve decision-making, and ultimately help prevent serious injuries and fatalities.
Sharon Philp
Association Secretariat
Sharon is an accomplished Secretariat professional within the not-for-profit sector, bringing over three decades of management expertise. Sharon provides leadership for governance processes, facilitates effective board operations, and ensures the seamless execution of meetings and organisational activities. Additionally, Sharon efficiently manages communication, logistics, and compliance responsibilities, offering comprehensive support to the WAHA Board, Partners and Members.
Renée Cooper
Communications Officer
Renée plays a key role in connecting WAHA with its members, industry stakeholders, and the broader safety community. She manages the Association's internal and external communications, oversees WAHA's digital presence, and coordinates content across its website and social media channels.
With a strong focus on engagement, consistency, and member value, Renee helps ensure WAHA's initiatives, resources, events, and industry advocacy activities are effectively communicated to those who rely on them. Her work supports the growth of WAHA's community of practice and strengthens the Association's ability to share knowledge, promote collaboration, and advance safer outcomes across industry.