Speaker Biographies
Lisa Lavia - Managing Director, Noise Abatement Society
Lisa Lavia joined the Noise Abatement Society as Managing Director in January 2009. Prior to joining the Society Lisa held various private sector communications and corporate affairs roles advising senior leaders and leading strategic business communications and crisis campaigns in the technology, insurance and manufacturing sectors.
The Noise Abatement Society (NAS) was established in 1959 by John Connell OBE, who successfully lobbied the Noise Abatement Act through Parliament in 1960, establishing noise as a statutory nuisance for the first time in the UK. Now in its 50th year, the objective of the Society is to raise awareness of and find solutions to noise pollution, which profoundly affects public health, productivity and quality of life. NAS operates the UK's only national noise helpline offering free advice for noise sufferers.
Since joining the Society, Lisa has galvanised NAS' pioneering Silent Approach(TM) scheme: a quiet sustainable out of hours transport delivery solution to benefit local residents, local authorities and industry as they seek to address the compound issues of road congestion, safety for all road users, reduction of CO2 and particulate emissions and noise pollution. Silent Approach(TM) is now being proposed for an ISO standard and is being developed with government and industry for a national roll out.
Lisa has also led the Society's campaign to raise awareness of early onset of deafness in youth due to MP3 player misuse. The campaign is designed to raise awareness amongst teenagers aged 13 to 18 about the danger of permanent hearing loss due to continuous exposure to loud music from MP3 players. The Society has teamed up with the prestigious Mary Hare School for deaf and hearing impaired children and Ascent Investments, manufacturer and supplier of customised hearing devices, and the House Ear Institute to visit schools and help children become more aware of the cumulative effects of their listening habits.
Living in England since 1992 and originally from California's Silicon Valley, her passion is to help business and the public sector continually collaborate to find innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for all, especially in the area of reducing noise pollution.
Lisa has co-developed two patents, one for a more environmentally friendly drinks can based on biomimetics research and another for a virtual try-on and measurement solution for the retail industry.
