David Cormack commences tenure as Chair of the LEEA Board

David Cormack commenced his two-year tenure as the new Chair of the Board at LEEA on 1 January 2026, taking over the role from Oliver Auston. Serving as Vice Chair alongside Auston for the last two years, he has also been a member of LEEA’s Technical Committee.

On taking up the new position, Cormack said: “I would like to thank Oliver Auston for his tremendous work in the role of Chair of the Board. During this time, LEEA has made great strides forward in supporting its members and raising standards in the Lifting Industry. I look forward to helping LEEA continue this progress as we embark on the next exciting stage of our development, with more members around the world joining our gold standard and a new member assessment geared to ensuring excellence is maintained.”

He continued: “A particularly important step in this next phase is the introduction of LEEA’s new end-user grade of membership. By directly engaging organizations that own, procure and operate lifting equipment, LEEA is strengthening its ability to influence safety and best practice at every point in the lifting lifecycle. This evolution reflects the realities of a modern, global industry and ensures that those with ultimate responsibility for lifting operations are aligned with the same high standards, guidance and education that underpin our existing membership. It is a significant development for the industry and a critical enabler of LEEA’s vision to raise standards worldwide through education, influence and leadership.”

Cormack has spent his entire career in the Lifting Industry, having started as an apprentice with Coubro & Scrutton – a founder member and keen supporter of the Chain Testers Association, which evolved into LEEA. Gaining a broad range of engineering skills, from machining and welding to design work, Cormack rose to become Marine Sales Manager. He said: “LEEA was always held in great respect at Coubro & Scrutton and when I started my own company I regarded it as important that we become a LEEA member.”

That company is Delphini, founded by Cormack in 2001 to manufacture lifting, securing and access products primarily for the marine sector, as well as producing specialist structural steelwork. It exports to ship owners, agents and port operators worldwide.

Cormack concluded: “It is important that LEEA keeps pace with a changing world, while continuing to raise standards and encourage safe practice. I will be working closely with the Board and the LEEA leadership team to ensure we maintain support for our members, champion the global Lifting Industry and continue our evolution and growth.”