Bison Assist Team
Our team of friendly and dedicated staff help us to deliver exceptional risk assessment services across the UK. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and ensure that all of our staff are highly trained and remain up to date on the latest guidance and legislation, making them experts in health and safety best practice.
Becoming a trusted member of your herd is one of our fundamental goals. Our team will always provide straightforward and honest advice to help you cultivate a safe environment in your workplace. We are extremely proud of our customer service and will always try to go above and beyond to meet your needs.
In our mission to create safe, inclusive, and accessible workplaces, we practice what we preach when it comes to promoting wellbeing in the workplace. We work together in our collective goal to become a market leader in risk assessment services. Meet the Bison Assist team below.
Our Leadership Team
Chris Hickman
Managing Director
Chris started our business in 2010, and is the overall leader of Bison. He’s responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans, driving operational improvement, and developing our customer relationships and strategy.
A positive character, Chris brings energy and good humour to our workplace while maintaining a sharp focus on results and growth. Since founding the company in 2010, he has been instrumental in building strong client relationships and guiding the business forward.
He takes pride in creating a supportive working environment and ensuring customers always receive a service they can trust.
Raluca Badea
Quality Manager
Raluca joined our company in 2017, and thanks to her pin-sharp emphasis on detail and her methodical approach, she plays a key role in defining internal processes and making sure those standards are understood and upheld throughout the organisation.
Raluca’s structured and proactive approach helps us to drive continuous improvement, strengthen accountability, and support the delivery of reliable, high-quality outcomes for customers.
She sets standards in the business and audits work, and ensures that we keep our prestigious Legionella Control Association (LCA), ISO 9001 and SafeContractor accreditations.
Raluca holds the following quals:
- NEBOSH National General Certificate in Health & Safety
- City & Guilds Certificate in Legionella Risk Assessing – Hot & Cold Water Systems
- City & Guilds Certificate in Legionella and Water Hygiene Control within Hot and Cold Water Systems HTM 04-01
- QNUK Level 3 Award in Fire Risk Assessment (RQF)
Sam Pickles
Senior Health & Safety Consultant
Sam has been with Bison for 12 years, and he’s responsible for making sure our high standards out in the field are constantly maintained, as well as conducting internal training for new risk assessors.
Sam holds the following qualifications:
- NEBOSH National General Certificate in Health & Safety
- NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management
- QNUK Level 3 Award in Fire Risk Assessment (RQF)
- City & Guilds Certificate in Legionella Risk Assessing – Hot & Cold Water Systems
- City & Guilds Certificate in Legionella and Water Hygiene Control within Hot and Cold Water Systems HTM 04-01
Simona Stoica
Services Manager
Simona forms the bridge between the office and our assessors out in the field. She manages the health & safety risk assessors and office staff within the department, setting KPIs around productivity, report quality and client satisfaction.
Simona balances our workloads across the regions. She streamlines scheduling and makes sure that the risk assessors have the right amount of details for the jobs assigned, as well as ensures they are assigned the most appropriate jobs in the key areas they are covering.
She also handles performance issues or workload imbalances, supports ongoing training and steps in when our assessors need technical or client support.
Ryan Smith
Commercial Manager
With over 15 years management experience, focused on booking, Ryan has successfully collaborated with major national and international brands including Heineken, Carlsberg, Wetherspoons, Tesco, and Halfords to deliver high-impact results and build lasting business relationships.
Ryan makes sure that sales figures are met, and the jobs are booked in a timely manner, and manages effective scheduling across the different disciplines. He ensures that the varied types of engineers are scheduled correctly to match their different technical skills with business demands.
Ryan provides mentorship and line management for the Sales & Booking departments, and leads the recruitment process within the teams. In addition, he builds and improves processes within the team, looking to increase efficiencies and deliver high quality customer service.
Hamish
Head of Morale
Hamish is a lifelong Bison expert, having been born into the business five years ago, and is an invaluable member of the crew.
He’s in the office five days a week, never failing to boost team spirit with perfectly timed tail wags and strategic office naps.
Combined with his excellent listening skills, we consider Hamish to be a Very Good Boy!