Dr Tom Henman Appointed Chair of the SiLC Board
The Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC) Register is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Tom Henman as the new Chair of the SiLC Board. Tom takes on the role for a two‑year term, bringing more than 30 years of experience in environmental consultancy, technical leadership and industry standards development.
Tom is a Director at RSK Geosciences, where he provides senior technical oversight across complex land contamination, remediation and ground‑gas risk projects. A Chartered Chemist and Scientist, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, SiLC, and Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) under the National Quality Mark Scheme, he is widely recognised for his commitment to technical excellence and raising professional standards across the land condition sector.
Over the course of his career, Tom has worked at the interface of science, regulation and multidisciplinary practice. He has advised the Scottish Government on land contamination and mine gas issues, contributed to national guidance, and played a leading role in shaping industry standards through organisations including SiLC, AGS, EIC and CL:AIRE.
Tom’s involvement with SiLC spans several years. He served as Deputy Chair and then Chair of the SiLC Professional and Technical Panel (PTP) from 2020 to 2024, before becoming Deputy Chair of the SiLC Board in 2024. His appointment as Board Chair reflects his long‑standing dedication to supporting competence, improving assessment processes and strengthening the SiLC community.
Tom said:
“I am really pleased to take on the role of Chair of the SiLC Board and for the opportunity to contribute to leading the organisation and delivering SiLC’s mission going forward. This includes updating assessment processes for SiLC candidates, supporting higher standards in site assessment and better regulation, and integrating climate risk and sustainability issues within the land condition sector.”
Tom has a particular interest in the beneficial reuse of brownfield land and the opportunities this presents for biodiversity enhancement and rewilding. He has authored and contributed to numerous papers, research reports and technical guidance, and is a lead author of the first UK guidance dedicated to assessing and managing climate and extreme weather impacts on geo‑based risks, due for publication by CIRIA in March 2026.
His appointment comes at a pivotal time for the land condition profession, as the sector responds to the drive for economic growth through increased house building and infrastructure development needs, to be accompanied by high quality land assessment and remediation to support safe, sustainable and climate resilient development. Under Tom’s leadership, SiLC will continue to champion high standards, support professional development and ensure that land condition specialists are equipped to meet the needs of a rapidly changing environment.