Kirkman will also resume the position of Group Head of Growth and Innovation.
The decision was formally announced this morning (2 April 2026) and is effective immediately.
Graveson will now take over as CEO of the Group’s Asia Pacific Zone, also effective today.
Kirkman said: “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.
“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.”
Kirkman was most recently CEO of Veolia in Australia & New Zealand, but previously spent 26 years leading the building and operation of key infrastructure for Veolia in the UK between 1995 and 2020.
While based in Sydney, he saw Veolia’s operations double in size over five years.
The new CEO led Veolia’s Pacific operations, where he was responsible for AU$4 billion in revenue, 7,000 people and 350 operational sites.
Kirkman is an engineer with a doctorate in Infrastructure for the Circular Economy.
In his former Veolia UK roles, he led the development of infrastructure including Energy from Waste (EfW) sites, recycling plants, water treatment assets, plastic recycling and composting activities.
Kirkman will now oversee Veolia’s operations across the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland and the Netherlands.
The zone comprises of almost 20,000 people and £4 billion in revenue, with operations across waste, water and energy.
As Group Head of Growth and Innovation, Kirkman will be responsible for accelerating organic growth and new innovative offerings worldwide, also joining Veolia Group’s Executive Committee.
Outgoing Veolia UK CEO Graveson will also continue as a member of the Group Executive Committee.
Subscribe for free