letsrecycle.com

Shake up at Viridor as Piddington replaced

Viridor has confirmed Kevin Bradshaw as its new chief executive, succeeding Phil Piddington.

Viridor CEO Kevin Bradshaw, who joined in September 2020

Mr Bradshaw, 51, joined Viridor in September 2020. Most recently he was chief executive of van business Northgate plc for just under three years, before departing in December 2019; he has an MA from Cambridge University in mechanical engineering.

Mr Bradshaw said: “I’m delighted to be joining Viridor at such an exciting time in the development of the business. Viridor has outstanding potential as a leading player in the circular economy and I look forward to working with KKR and the entire Viridor team to realise this.”

The appointment of a new chief executive for Viridor comes after the sale of the business by Pennon Group earlier this year to a company formed by global investment funds group KKR.

Mr Piddington will now take on a non-executive role and will be involved in completing key projects over the next few months, the company said.

Plastics

Viridor has also made clearer today where its future priorities lie, stating that under Mr Bradshaw’s leadership,  its “business strategy will continue to focus on infrastructure investments in the energy from waste and polymer recycling markets, backed by long-term contracts”.

Viridor sold its WEEE recycling division to Shore Recycling earlier this month (see letsrecycle.com story) and its other recycling activities, including glass and paper are expected to be divested but the business is keeping its polymer activities, a sector in which it has a strong and developing presence.

“I am very pleased to welcome Kevin to the business”

Ian Wakelin, Viridor chairman

Track record

Chairman of Viridor, Ian Wakelin, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Kevin to the business. His impressive track-record in senior leadership and deep industry expertise will be invaluable as the business enters its next phase of growth. I would also like to thank outgoing chief executive Phil Piddington for his dedication and commitment over the past few years at a truly transformative time for the business.”

KKR

Phil Piddington has stepped down from the chief executive role at Viridor

KKR’s joint head of infrastructure in EMEA, Tara Courtney Davies, said Mr Bradshaw was a highly experienced CEO with a “strong track record of leadership in both the public and private equity markets”.

She added: “We welcome Kevin’s appointment. His experience of delivering transformation and growth in complex, capital-intensive businesses will serve Viridor well in its continuing focus on strategic growth.

“With KKR’s support, Viridor is uniquely positioned to invest further and continue to build critical infrastructure, helping the UK meet long-term sustainability and environmental goals. We look forward to working closely with Kevin and the team to do so.”

 

Share this article with others

Subscribe for free

Subscribe to receive our newsletters and to leave comments.

Back to top

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest waste and recycling news straight to your inbox.

Subscribe