In his current role as Group Director for Health, Safety and Environment at Transport for London, Richard has responsibility for Group level policy and strategy, assurance processes and best practice sharing for HSE, resilience and sustainability. He is also a Commissioner on the London Sustainable Development Commission and the London Health Commission and a co-opted member of the Metropolitan Police Authority Corporate Governance Committee.

He holds a degree in zoology and a PhD in marine biology, studying reproduction in oysters.

After a short time working on environmental pollution for ICI, he joined what was then the Overseas Development Administration and worked in Mexico for 3 years as a technical aid expert, advising on the impacts of intensive agricultural development on the west coast lagoon shrimp fisheries.

On his return to the UK he joined Shell to carry out research on the fate and effects of chemicals, principally in the aquatic environment. By the late 1980's he was leading a world class research team and heavily involved in the development of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, organising their first World Congress and eventually becoming president of SETAC Europe.

In the mid 1990's he moved into a corporate role in Shell, advising globally on environmental issues associated with oil and chemical products. This was followed by a move to Shell's chemicals business as head of HSE Strategy.

He was also responsible for crisis management in Shell Chemicals, including co-ordinating the global business level planning for millennium eve.

In mid 2003 he left Shell to join Transport for London as Group Director for Health Safety and Environment, a position he still holds today.