For most people, witnessing a chemical spill would be a harrowing experience—but for others, it ignites a passion. We tend to call those people safety professionals. Autumn Crum is one such person who, after witnessing a lab spill while shadowing a safety professional at West Virginia University, instantly knew she had found her calling. The intricacies of managing risk and protecting people captivated her, setting her on a career she never knew she wanted.

Today, as the Director of Global EHS at Xylem, Autumn is in the business of preventing those types of accidents. A self-described “continual learner,” she views every experience as a stepping stone toward becoming the safety professional she aspires to be.

In this episode of My Big Safety Challenge, Autumn shares how that desire to continually learn led her to the oil and gas industry—one she admits she knew nothing about—but became a formative learning experience. You’ll also hear why she believes influence begins with trust, why strong relationships are key, and how clear communication can transform safety practices.