Sandy appointed as WRG chief executive as Huntington quits

A statement from the group said that John Huntington, currently group managing director, has decided to leave and “will co-operate to ensure a smooth transition”. Bill Trendell, group finance director, will report to Nigel Sandy.

Mr Sandy was managing director of Hanson Waste Management (HWM), the waste management division of Hanson plc, from 1991 until its acquisition by WRG in January this year. Since that time he has been undertaking a re-organisation project for the UK operations of Hanson Quarry Products Europe Limited.

Profit

Under Mr Sandy's leadership, Hanson Waste Management's operating profit grew from 3.7m in 1991 to 11.5m in 1999. During this period the business made a number of small strategic acquisitions, built up a waste to energy activity, and gained full planning approval and a substantial local authority disposal contract for the major energy from waste project at Allington in Kent.

Earlier in his career Mr Sandy held a number of financial appointments with Boskalis, a Dutch construction group, including a period as an international finance controller in Holland. In 1986 he joined the aggregates business of ARC. Following the acquisition of ARC by Hanson in 1989, he was appointed finance director, and shortly afterwards managing director, of Hanson’s newly established autonomous waste arm.

Mr Sandy, 56, has an MBA from Bath University. He was vice chairman, then chairman of the Environmental Services Association, the trade association of the waste management industry, from 1994 to 1998 during which time it was re-organised to establish itself as the leading voice of the waste management industry.

Commenting Paul Rackham, Executive Chairman of WRG, said:

“I am delighted that Nigel Sandy has agreed to join us. We share a belief in establishing industry leadership through a strong service focus and delivering solutions to our customers which address their waste disposal requirements and enable them to meet their recycling obligations. Nigel, who is very experienced in our industry and has a proven track record, will lead WRG in the next stage of its development.

“John joined the Group with the acquisition of Darrington Quarries Limited in 1997 and I would like to thank him for his contribution to the Group over that period, in particular in respect of the acquisition and integration of Yorkshire Environmental Global Waste Management and 3C Waste which were acquired in 1999.”