IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, has appointed Linda Freeman as its global director of health & safety and security.
Freeman has been working in the amusement sector for over two decades. She has extensive experience collaborating closely with manufacturers, operators, and inspectors, and brings a rich bank of knowledge and a unique viewpoint on the industry.
In her new position with IAAPA, Freeman will continue to promote industry safety and security, ensuring that the association’s members benefit from her extensive experience and forward-thinking attitude.
Leader in amusement safety
Freeman has significant experience as a functional safety engineer and instructor at Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley. In this role, she played a vital part in ride and show automation, from design and startup to maintenance and retrofits. Her talent in blending cutting-edge technology with creative intent guaranteed that attractions produced the “wow” factor and met the strictest safety standards.
Freeman began working for Rockwell Automation in 1996 and worked her way up from technical sales to a leadership role within the entertainment industry team. She has continuously supported the sales organisation, increased productivity, and worked with others on cutting-edge technologies, leading to patent awards. She is now regarded as a leader in amusement safety due to her ability to think strategically and effectively represent the industry’s requirements.
Freeman’s dedication to safety goes beyond her professional responsibilities. She is an instructor and former board member for AIMS International, a non-profit organisation dedicated to amusement industry safety, and co-chairs an ASTM Committee F24 task group on cybersecurity for safety-related control systems. As a member of the IAAPA Global Security Committee, Freeman contributed to the development of security education.
Her efforts to inspire the next generation of technologists and support women in STEM jobs have earned her many honours, including being named an Influential Woman in Manufacturing, and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.
Earlier this month, IAAPA announced details of the Legends Panel which is taking place at the IAAPA Expo on Wednesday 20 November from 4 pm to 5.30 pm in the Learning Hub, sponsored by Miral. For over 20 years, the Legends Panel, moderated and curated by Bob Rogers, CEO and chairman of BRC Imagination Arts, has provided a platform for leading creative figures to share key knowledge.
