Greenstar UK - Leadership
Ian Wakelin - Chief Executive Officer
Ian Wakelin is the CEO and founder of Greenstar UK. NTR acquired a majority stake in Greenstar UK in 2003 and since then it has grown to become one of the UK’s largest recycling led waste management companies. Ian qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1987 whilst working for Arthur Andersen & Co. After leaving Arthur Andersen, Ian became Finance Director and subsequently Managing Director of UK Waste Ltd the UK’s largest waste company and a subsidiary of Waste Management Inc. Ian has been involved in the European waste and recycling industry since the late eighties and together with his cofounders has grown Greenstar UK to become one of the UK’s most respected recycling organisations.
Michael Topham - Finance Director
Michael Topham joined Greenstar UK in early 2005 as Finance Director. Michael trained as a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London, working in audit and transaction services and serving a number of large retail, FMCG and service clients. He then worked as VP Finance for GF-X, an air cargo technology services business.
Bob Barltrop - MD, Outsourced Waste Management
In the early to mid 90’s, Bob was appointed Sales & Marketing Director for a leading UK Waste Management Company and then moved on to take up the position of International Sales & Marketing Director for a Global Waste Management Corporation driving National Account growth and the Sales and Customer Services strategy for thirteen countries throughout Europe, Far East & Australasia. As Commercial Director of a £56m turnover company in the Healthcare & IT Recruitment sectors he managed 220 staff, all aspects of company P&L performance and operational delivery to customers.
Directly before joining Greenstar in January 2009 Bob, as Operations Director, was responsible for a £46m turnover company managing all aspects of the P&L performance in B2B sector with 180 staff and multiple locations.
Mick Davis - Recycling Processing Director
Mick joined Greenstar in 2007 to oversee the operation and development of new process facilities as well as manage five facilities handling over 250ktpa of dry recyclables, which include a specialist plastics reprocessing plant.
Prior to Greenstar, Mick worked for Webfell Waste Management as Director and Biffa as Business Development Manager and General Manager for Leicester.
Roger Edwards - Managing Director, Verdant
Roger Edwards initially trained as a quantity surveyor before moving into the waste industry in various management roles with Drinkwater Sabey. He was then appointed as business analyst for BFI Waste Systems at its European HQ in the Netherlands.
On returning to the UK, Roger joined waste management company Polkacrest, and was appointed Managing Director of the company when it was sold to London Waste Limited. He joined Verdant, one of the largest independent municipal services providers to UK local authorities, as Development Director in 2002, subsequently taking on responsibilities of Managing Director of Verdant.
Keith Brown - Sales Director
Keith’s background was in Engineering and Asset Finance before moving into the Waste Industry in 1990 with the UK’s leading player. He held several senior positions in sales and marketing with the three major organisations during the 90’s before becoming a founder member of Greenstar UK in November 2001, now the leader in delivering recycling led waste management solutions to all sectors of the UK market.
Matt Hutton - Operations Director
Matt has over 18 years experience in the Waste Management and Recycling industry working for three major Waste Management and recycling companies. After working in various Operational and National Account roles for Biffa Waste Services, Matt joined UK Waste where he founded and became the General Manager of the National Accounts Division assisting in growing UK Waste. After a brief spell at SITA Matt left to become a founder of Greenstar UK (formerly MRL) in November 2001 and has assisted in growing Greenstar to become the leading recycling led waste management company that it is today.