Veolia has announced the appointment of Richard Kirkman as its CEO for Veolia Northern Europe. Kirkman becomes CEO of the UK business, he has been helping the building and operation of key infrastructure for Veolia in the UK between 1995 and 2020. Gavin Graveson, outgoing Senior Vice-President, Northern Europe and CEO, UK at Veolia, has become CEO of the Group’s Asia Pacific Zone. He will also continue as a member of the Group Executive Committee.
Veolia
Veolia appoints Richard Kirkman as CEO for Northern Europe
Previously, Kirkman was CEO of Veolia in Australia & New Zealand. Based in Sydney, he managed the transformation of the zone, which doubled in size over five years. He led Veolia’s Pacific operations, responsible for 4$AUD billion in revenue, 7,000 people, and 350 operational sites.
As CEO of Northern Europe, he will oversee operations across the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, and the Netherlands. This zone comprises almost 20,000 people and £4bn in revenue, with operations and combined operations across water, waste and energy. Additionally, Kirkman will head up growth and innovation at the Veolia Group level, promoting organic growth and new innovative offerings. He also joins Veolia Group’s Executive Committee.
“I am looking forward to building on the excellence that Gavin and the team have delivered across Northern Europe and supporting my colleagues as we drive to complete our GreenUp ambitions,” said Kirkman. “Environmental security is essential for public and private entities across the zone, and our innovative solutions are primed to support economic growth with sustainable sovereignty.”
The company has completed the first phase of its strategic programme, GreenUp, and is now entering a new phase. The aim is to accelerate the transformation underway to sustainably strengthen its growth trajectory, stimulate innovation, and support international development.