The London appointment expands the firm’s capabilities in product safety, crisis management, materials science, risk assessment, and high-stakes failure analysis.

Secretariat is pleased to welcome Farah Ahmed, PhD, a leading product safety and crisis management expert, to our growing Engineering Sciences team in London. Bringing nearly two decades of experience, Dr. Ahmed helps clients around the world navigate complex regulatory matters, strengthen product safety and compliance, and address high‑stakes failures, recalls, and corrective actions that demand swift, strategic responses.

Dr. Ahmed has specialized expertise in root-cause analysis, risk assessment, material selection and analysis, fracture mechanics, multi‑scale failure assessment, and destructive and non‑destructive evaluation. Her work spans a wide range of industries, including consumer products, medical devices, manufacturing, electronics, batteries, pharmaceuticals, automotive systems, mining, aerospace, retail and hospitality, sports, medical forensics, food and beverage, and national space agencies.

Across these spaces, Dr. Ahmed advises C-suite leaders, investors, engineers, product design teams, manufacturers, and regulators. When failures occur at any stage of the product lifecycle—resulting in recalls, corrective measures, or heightened regulatory scrutiny—Dr. Ahmed’s capabilities help clients understand what failed and why, determine an appropriate response, and identify strategies to strengthen compliance and mitigate future risk.

“Product safety and regulatory challenges are growing more complex every year, and clients come to Secretariat’s experts for clear, grounded answers. Farah has an exceptional blend of unparalleled industry knowledge and practical communication that clients really value,” says Don Harvey, Managing Director at Secretariat. “She brings incredibly innovative, robust perspectives that strengthen our work and amplify our impact. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the team.”

Dr. Ahmed is also recognized globally as a leading expert in X‑ray Computed Tomography, having completed her PhD under the mentorship of the technology’s inventor. She is the Founder and President of the Tomography for Scientific Advancement (ToScA) international society, where she regularly delivers keynotes, moderates sessions, and shapes program content that unites academic researchers, industrial practitioners, and instrumentation developers. She also holds leadership roles on national technical committees, including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).