London, 5 December 2024: Element Materials Technology, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification services, has appointed Natasha Bambridge as Divisional Director of Certification & Technical within its Built Environment division, where she will oversee the prestigious BM TRADA product certification brands. The strategic appointment comes as Element prepares to open its state-of-the-art $30 million fire resistance testing laboratory at Birchwood Park, Warrington in January 2025.
In her new role, Bambridge oversees all certification activities across Element's BM TRADA product certification brands including BMT QMark, Warringtonfire Certifire, Certisecure, and Firas. Her responsibilities span global manufacturing site audits, installation process verification for new and existing buildings, and technical evaluation of test evidence, with a particular focus on fire safety in construction products. The appointment aligns with Element's commitment to enhancing customer experience through streamlined certification processes.
Jason Dodds, Vice President of Built Environment at Element, welcomed the appointment: "Natasha brings exactly the kind of leadership and vision we need as we continue to evolve our product certification services. Her extensive experience in driving business transformation, combined with her focus on optimising the end-to-end customer journey, will be invaluable as we further strengthen our position as industry leaders, particularly as we launch our new Birchwood Park facility."
Prior to joining Element, Bambridge served as Strategic Solutions Director at BSI's Product Certification division, where she successfully led global initiatives across sustainability, retail, utilities, finance, pharmaceuticals, and construction sectors. Her track record includes transforming business units to achieve significant growth while maintaining technical excellence.
"I'm honoured to join Element at such an exciting time," said Bambridge. "The product certification industry is entering a transformative phase, particularly in digitisation and sustainability. With the opening of our new Birchwood Park laboratory, which triples our fire resistance testing capacity, we are perfectly positioned to lead these changes while continuing to ensure public safety through rigorous product certification processes."
Currently splitting her time between Element’s High Wycombe and Warrington sites, Bambridge will relocate to the new 101,000 square foot Birchwood Park facility, which represents a significant expansion of Element's testing capabilities. She added, "What particularly drew me to this role was not just the technical leadership opportunity, but Element's genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as sustainability. The new Birchwood Park facility exemplifies this commitment, and I’m looking forward to fostering an environment where our talented team can excel and deliver exceptional value to our clients."
Through its BM TRADA product certification brand, Element specialises in fire safety testing, building product certification, and technical assurance services for the built environment sector. This complements Element's broader global operations across multiple sectors including aerospace, energy, life sciences, and connected technologies, with over 270 laboratories worldwide.
For more information about BM TRADA's services, visit www.bmtrada.com.
About BM TRADA Product Certification
BM TRADA delivers testing, inspection, and product certification services that help make certain materials, products, and processes are safe, quality, compliant, and fit for purpose. The company's prestigious certification brands include BMT QMark, Warringtonfire Certifire, Certisecure, and Firas. BM TRADA product certification is proud to be part of Element, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services.
For more information about BM TRADA, please visit our website, connect with us on LinkedIn and X.
About Element Materials Technology
The Element Materials Technology Group is one of the world’s leading global providers of testing, inspection, and certification services for a diverse range of products, materials, and technologies in advanced industrial supply chains where failure in use is not an option. Headquartered in London, UK, Element’s c.9,000 scientists, engineers, and technologists, work across a global network of over 270+ laboratories, support customers from early R&D, through complex regulatory approvals, and into production ensuring their products are safe and sustainable and achieve market access.
For more information about Element, please visit our website, connect with us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.