New Feature! Introducing COMET Companion—AI-powered assistance now available for Incident Management, Investigations & RCA, and Audits & Inspections modules.

Driven by people, defined by expertise

COMET is built on expertise, integrity, and teamwork. Get to know the people driving innovation and supporting businesses worldwide.
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Our people

This is our team, experts from diverse backgrounds working together to support and empower yours. And yes, we have a lot of fun too!
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Our leadership team

With over 400 years of combined experience, our team brings deep expertise and proven insight to every challenge
Mark Rushton
Chief Executive Officer
Mark has led COMET since 2004, overseeing strategic growth,investor relations, and major product development. With a background in Oil & Gas and software project management, he brings over 25 years of experience in operations and innovation. Mark also sits on the board of PortSkills & Safety and plays a hands-on role in shaping COMET’s partnerships,products, and long-term direction.

Alan Smith
Head of Investigations
Alan is COMET’s Head of Investigations and the original architect behind its RCA methodology. A former Detective Superintendent, he spent over 30 years leading investigations into major crime and offshore incidents. Since 2008, he has helped global organisations improve how they investigate, learn, and prevent repeat failures. Alan brings deep expertise in human factors, system failure, and building learning cultures rooted in fairness, structure, and resilience.
Steve Holmes
Chief Operating Officer
Steve is COMET’s Chief Operating Officer, bringing over 13 years of senior health and safety experience across oil and gas, rail, utilities, and waste. He plays a key role in developing and scaling our software and service lines. With a strong background in EHS and risk management, Steve helps shape COMET’s approach to tackling safety challenges and improving operational performance for clients in high-risk industries.
Arrash Nekonam
Chief Technology Officer
As CTO, Arrash leads the design, development, and delivery of our technology roadmap. With over 20 years of experience, he bridges technical innovation and commercial strategy, specialising in enterprise systems and data platforms. Before COMET was formed through the merger of STC Global and Insiso, Arrash spent over a decade as Founder and Director of Insiso delivering enterprise-grade solutions across Oil & Gas, Finance, Legal, and other sectors.
Dr Douglas Leith
Chief Intelligence Officer
Doug is COMET’s Chief Intelligence Officer, focused on turning data into clear, actionable intelligence that drives better decisions. With a background in engineering and a passion for design, he applies creative thinking to complex information challenges. Doug works across COMET and client organisations to improve how data is structured, visualised, and used to ensure insights are engaging, accessible, and strategically valuable across all levels.
Craig Smith
Head of Operations
Craig leads COMET’s learning and development strategy, delivering client-focused programmes across the UK and internationally. With a background in policing and a decade in L&D, he combines practical experience with a passion for helping others grow. From RCA training to leadership coaching, Craig designs and delivers learning that’s engaging, actionable, and aligned to real operational needs, helping teams perform at their best.
Paul Hastings
Head of Software Sales
Paul is COMET’s Head of Software Sales, with over 30 years of experience in quality, risk, and incident management. His career spans consulting and sales roles across high-risk industries including oil and gas, rail, and healthcare. With a background in Quality Management and time spent at Gael/Ideagen, Paul brings a hands-on, consultative approach that helps clients unlock value from COMET’s software across safety, compliance, and performance.
Mark Rae
Product Application Manager
Mark leads the development and delivery of COMET’s software solutions, ensuring product updates and features align with business goals. With a background in software development and experience in team leadership, Mark works closely with users and stakeholders to translate needs into technical solutions. His quality-focused approach empowers the team and supports continuous growth across the product and business.
Ravi Dinakarkumar
Head of Software Engineering
Ravi leads COMET’s engineering team, bringing over 12 years of experience delivering AI-enabled solutions across oil & gas, renewables, logistics, and construction. With deep expertise in Microsoft Azure, automation, and product development, he helps turn technical ideas into scalable, business-ready platforms. A strong believer in learning and innovation, Ravi is passionate about building tools that create value.
Nial McCollam
Chairman & Non-Ex Director
Nial brings extensive experience in executive leadership, board governance, and innovation across the energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors. Alongside his leadership role at COMET, Nial also champions initiatives in rewilding and ecological restoration to support climate resilience and global sustainability. He is also focused on supporting early-stage ventures and corporate growth, he is particularly passionate about tech-driven business models and sustainability.
Steve Mitchell
Chief Financial Officer
Steve is an experienced finance professional with over 30 years in accounting, audit, and corporate finance. A former Partner at AAB LLP, he led outsourced finance and advisory teams across multiple sectors. As CFO at COMET, Steve supports strategic growth with expert financial oversight, drawing on his background in acquisitions, fundraising, and business planning to help shape the company’s future.

Paul Nicholas
AI/ML Product Manager
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Brenda Harrison
Marketing Manager
Brenda is COMET’s Marketing Manager, bringing 17 years of experience across engineering, sales, and digital marketing. With a background spanning the UK and Mexico, she has worked in sectors including software, robotics, and media, with companies like Citrix, ZynQ 360, and DC Thomson. At COMET, Brenda leads brand, SEO, and campaign strategy, using her diverse experience to communicate the value of our SaaS solutions.
Morag Berrie
Business Manager
As Business Manager at COMET, Morag brings over 12 years of experience steering day-to-day operations and ensuring smooth execution of strategic initiatives. Before joining the tech industry, her career spanned healthcare, education, and public service—from working as a registered nurse and school nurse to serving as a sub postmistress. At COMET, Morag plays a crucial role aligning departments, optimising processes, and supporting sustainable growth.
Ross Webster
Design Manager
Ross leads the creative direction for COMET, managing branding, UI/UX, web design, and visual communications. With over 20 years of experience in graphic design, technical illustration, web design, and brand development, he has shaped the design of COMET’s software, marketing, and product ecosystem. Ross previously worked in oil & gas, bringing a versatile, user-focused approach and strong attention to detail to every project.
Beyond our leadership team, COMET is powered by a passionate group of investigators, learning and development specialists, skilled software developers, data scientists, and a dynamic marketing and design team working together across the UK and around the world.
integrations

Enhance your existing EHS tools with COMET

Unlock the full potential of your current EHS platforms with COMET’s seamless integration capabilities. No need to replace—gain more value, streamline workflows, and ensure better insights with bi-directional data connectivity.
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COMET: The agnostic solution for high-risk industries

COMET isn’t just industry-specific; it’s industry-agnostic. Our solutions are designed to support high-risk operations, where incidents can have severe consequences. If your industry isn’t listed, we still want to hear from you. Reach out to us to explore how we can assist you.
Don’t believe us, check out what our clients say.

Explore real-world experiences from our satisfied customers who have harnessed the power of COMET. From streamlined processes to enhanced safety, their stories highlight the impact of our solution.

Helped us reduce first aid cases by 29%

"When we adopted COMET, we were looking for a root cause analysis tool that would help us identify underlying causes before they lead to incidents. Since adopting the tool, COMET has helped us reduce first aid cases by 29% in the last year, contributing to Corning’s best-ever safety record in 2022.On top of this, the support from the COMET team cannot be underestimated – they are always on-hand to resolve any issues in a timely and efficient manner. I would highly recommend COMET and the STC INSISO team to anyone looking for an audit and investigation tool."

Guillermo Castillo, Global EHS Leader – OCS Division at Corning Inc.
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COMET helped us understand the systemic root causes

"The main value to LR of adopting COMET is the newfound organisational leadership education and enlightenment as to the reasons behind incident types, particularly  those which hurt us most in terms of frequency. A recent example was repeat microsleep incidents affecting our surveyors. COMET helped us understand the systemic root causes and gave the Board sufficient confidence to invest over £2 million in a preventive action programme which is already bearing fruit in terms of this type of incident reduction."

James Pomeroy,
Group Director HSEQ at Lloyds Register
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We’re maximising its value across the business

"Viridor is a relatively recent adopter of the COMET RootApp tool but is already beginning to really reap the rewards of a first class investigation system.
We’re maximising its value across the business through consistency of approach and ensuring we really do get to the root cause of our incidents so we can set the right actions to prevent recurrence.

The COMET team has been hugely helpful and supportive in getting this new process implemented."

Richard Robinson,
Head of SHQS at Viridor
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Probably the best root cause analysis process and toolkit

"Probably the best root cause analysis process and toolkit. But beyond enabling us to adequately identify root causes, COMET also allows us to track trends using the root cause codes to help address systemic opportunities in our management system."

Bertrand Piredda, Director of HSES Cummins Power Systems
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Feels more like a partnership

"Borr Drilling adopted COMET across the business in 2017/2018 and since then our relationship and trust with the STC INSISO COMET team has grown immensely.

Any issues are quickly resolved or addressed and a feature of the relationship I enjoy most is that it feels more like a partnership than that of a more traditional vendor/client arrangement."

Thomas Sunde, QHSE Director at Borr Drilling
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Positive and encouraging feedback

"STC INSISO recently delivered the 3-day COMET practitioner course to GSK R&D (UK) engineering and safety professionals.

The COMET team created a bespoke course that was well received by GSK R&D with lots of positive and encouraging feedback."

Ray Duffy, EHS Manager - Projects & Engineering at GSK
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Frequently asked questions

We've compiled answers to some of the most common questions about COMET and our services. If you don’t see your question, feel free to reach out!

Can I choose which COMET modules to purchase?
Do you still offer the same software and tech development services as when you were trading as STC INSISO?
Are leadership training options still available, like when you were trading as STC INSISO?
What is the cost of the COMET licence?
Do you provide live investigation support?
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