David Riggs

Chairman & Managing Director of URS – Worldwide Operations

David was formally trained in the Science and Technology of the Paper Industry (at Robert Gordon’s Institute in Aberdeen) and started working as a management trainee for the DRG (group) in the UK.

After qualifying, David was a manager for the finishing operations of Croxley Mills, which was the main mill of the group. However, after a six-year term at DRG, foreign competition resulted in closure of the mill.

A short spell in sales and a study period at Bradford University, David joined the British Standards Institution working for BASEC (British Approvals Service for Electric Cables) – product certification scheme.

David was then asked to support the first management scheme operated by Bsi for the management standard, then known as BS 5750 for the Telecommunication section involved in maintenance of call routing apparatus and installation of the equipment.

After working in this sector and then the electro technical sector, David headed up the Information Technology Sector of the Bsi inspectorate for Wales and South West of England.

Being approached by the certification body, then known as NICQA – (now NQA), which had just formed, as schemes manager and company secretary, David was instrumental in widening the scope of certification from just electrical contractors to the wider business sector and in the need to change the name to NQA in order to provide a wider appeal to industry.

A period of independent consultancy for businesses took place from 1992-94, before being a founder member and managing director of URS since May 1994 and now also of ROS- Registrar of Standards (Holdings) Ltd. With innovative ideas, decisions and straight leadership- ROS have worldwide operations as one of the leading management system registrar of the World.