COMET, a leading Aberdeen-based provider of incident investigation and root cause analysis (RCA) software for high-risk industries, has announced two significant senior appointments: Ryan Jones as Senior Partner for North America and Chris Sherwin as Operations Manager. These strategic hires underscore COMET’s commitment to expanding its international footprint and fortifying its position within the rapidly evolving Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) software sector. The company, which rebranded from STC INSISO in Q2 2024 to sharpen its focus on risk intelligence and investigation software as a service, has been experiencing sustained growth, including relocating to new headquarters in Aberdeen in February 2025.
The global EHS software market is experiencing substantial growth, valued at approximately USD 7.06 billion in 2025 and projected to nearly double to USD 14.52 billion by 2035, with an annual compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% from 2026 to 2035. Other market analyses show similar strong growth, with figures ranging from 9.64% to 12.17% CAGR in the coming years. North America consistently holds the largest revenue share, accounting for 44% of the market in 2026 and anticipated to reach approximately USD 5.21 billion by 2035. This expansion is largely driven by increasingly stringent regulatory frameworks, such as those imposed by OSHA and the EPA in the US, alongside a growing corporate focus on sustainability, ESG compliance, and a shift from reactive compliance to proactive risk mitigation.
Mark Rushton, COMET’s CEO, emphasised the timely nature of these appointments, stating, “Ryan and Chris join the COMET team at a pivotal time for both the business and its flagship products as we establish ourselves as an AI leader in the EHS software industry. Strong growth in the USA aligns perfectly with Ryan’s arrival as our Senior Partner for the region. Chris joins as COMET Operations Manager with a strong investigative and COMET background from his years of service in the UK Oil & Gas Industry and hits the ground running with a cadre of international projects. I couldn’t be happier to secure the services of both who are well known to the business and will add so much to our culture, capability and customer experience.”
Ryan Jones, assuming the role of Senior Partner – North America, will lead commercial growth and client relationships across the region. With over two decades of leadership experience in global energy and manufacturing, Jones is an established Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) leader. His previous role as Director of HSE for Apache Corporation, a global oil and gas enterprise with operations across the United States, Egypt, and the North Sea, saw him providing strategic leadership for HSE programmes that focused on developing world-class safety cultures and navigating complex operational risks. Commenting on his new position, Mr Jones said, “I’m excited to join COMET supporting North America and to contribute to the continued growth and impact of the business. Throughout my career as a safety professional and operational partner, I’ve seen the difference organisations can make when they move beyond identifying what happened and focus on truly understanding why it happened. COMET brings together proven investigation methodologies, technology, and actionable insights to help organisations learn from incidents and strengthen prevention. I look forward to partnering with clients to enhance their investigation capabilities, translate lessons learned into meaningful improvements, and ultimately create safer, stronger, and more resilient operations.”
The significance of robust root cause analysis (RCA) cannot be overstated in high-risk sectors like energy, construction, and utilities, which COMET serves globally. RCA is a systematic approach vital for preventing recurring incidents, fostering continuous improvement, enhancing safety protocols, achieving cost efficiencies, and ensuring regulatory adherence. It allows organisations to delve beyond superficial symptoms to address underlying systemic issues that contribute to incidents. COMET’s solutions are built on a unique three-phase methodology – Discover, Analyse, Action – which combines expert investigation, root cause identification, and prevention, and has been trusted globally since 2012.
Chris Sherwin steps into the role of Operations Manager, where he will oversee daily operations and drive continuous improvement in COMET’s global service delivery. He brings over 25 years of experience in health, safety, operational excellence, and risk management, gained within demanding industrial environments, notably the UK Oil & Gas Industry. His background includes senior Health & Safety advisor roles, supporting major hazard operations, with extensive expertise in incident investigation, RCA, assurance, and cultivating strong safety cultures. Mr Sherwin expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Joining COMET feels like a natural next step for me. Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about helping organisations learn, manage risk and improve performance. Having known COMET and its solutions for many years, I’m excited to work with the team and our clients to help deliver practical improvements that make a real difference.”
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COMET is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into EHS software, utilising it to enhance investigation processes, provide predictive alerts, and offer real risk intelligence. AI-driven tools are transforming EHS risk management by enabling predictive analytics, automating risk assessments, and improving incident response, allowing organisations to transition from reactive to proactive safety models. The company launched an AI-powered chatbot, COMET Companion, in 2024 to enhance user experience. Its strategic partnership with Intelex Technologies ULC, a leading global provider of cloud-based EHSQ (Environmental, Health, Safety, and Quality) management software, further solidifies its commitment. This collaboration, announced in October 2025, introduced “Intelex Investigations & RCA, powered by COMET,” an integrated solution designed to connect incident management, investigation, and the implementation of lasting preventive actions within a seamless workflow. The partnership aims to help clients “transform incident data into meaningful prevention at scale” by leveraging AI-assisted investigation expertise and smart preventive actions.
COMET currently supports over 350,000 individuals across more than 190 global locations. These new appointments are poised to deepen regional support in North America and enhance operational delivery worldwide for clients operating in high-risk industries, reinforcing COMET’s ambition to lead the market in AI-driven EHS solutions.
