Nicola McGovern CRSP
Speaker Bio
Company
Chair, Board of Directors, WOHSS
Title
Director, Environment, Health and Safety, Grainger
Biography

Nicola McGovern is the Director of Environment, Health and Safety for Grainger Canada and WFS, subsidiaries of W.W. Grainger, Inc., a $16.5 billion leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. Nicola is responsible for the occupational health and safety program and environmental initiatives and leads a team of health and safety professionals across Canada. Today, Nicola also serves as Chair of the Board of Women in Occupational Health and Safety Society.

With proven success in risk management and regulatory compliance, Nicola provides solutions and delivers programs that contribute to the safety culture and overall business strategy. In 2023, Grainger Canada was recognized by Canadian Occupational Safety as a 5-Star Safety Culture. Nicola is also on the corporate Emergency Preparedness and Response Council and the Business Continuity Management champion. She is a member of the corporate Disability Business Resource Group and Women’s Business Resource Group. Prior to leading EHS, Nicola was the Manager of Legal Affairs and was also responsible for the Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

Nicola has been involved with Ontario based Workplace Safety & Prevention Services since 2017 as a member of the WSPS Retail, Wholesale & Office Advisory Committee and as a Board Director since 2018. Nicola holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University, is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) and is a member of the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario. Nicola is currently on the PGA of Canada Women’s Golf Advisory Group and previously on their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce. She is a certified national competition coach, volunteer head golf coach with Special Olympics, and the recipient of the Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence award.

Sessions

Oct 30, 2025  |   13:00 - 13:55 PM PDT
In our third annual Make It Safe Online Women in Safety panel, we broaden the conversation to discuss female perspectives on physical and psychological safety—and the systems that support and challenge women in safety roles. What are the considerations for female safety practitioners new to the industry and those in (and seeking) leadership roles?
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