INNOVATION AND INDEPENDENCE ATTRACTS TOP STAFF TO CAWLEYS

Kathryn Wright joins Cawleys as General Manager

Cawleys, one of the largest independent waste management companies in South East England, has added to its management team with the appointment of Kathryn Wright as general manager. Kathryn will join Cawleys later this month after working at Veolia for over a decade.

Kathryn says she was attracted to Cawleys through its reputation for nurturing talent from within and having clear identifiable career paths. Cawleys' track record for innovation and customer service was a further incentive to join the business, as Kathryn comments:

“Cawleys comes with a reputation as one of the strongest independent resource management companies in the UK offering a full range of services to a wide variety of customers. Having met with members of the senior management team I could see that my skills, experience and ideas would be an excellent fit to develop and grow the business.”

Managing Director, Phil Gudgeon, is proof of Cawleys’ commitment to internal talent development, as he himself was promoted rapidly through the business, becoming MD last year after five years starting as senior operations manager.

“Being a family business means there is a strong belief in customer service and personal responsibility for both our immediate customers and future generations to come. This, in turn, drives our commitment to the best possible recycling solutions, something which appealed to Kathryn. We’re delighted to welcome her to the management team.” 

Cawleys has a long history as an early adopter of responsive recycling solutions. Its new, specialist lithium-ion battery recycling service in Luton is the most recent example of a long list of ‘industry firsts’.

Others include working with Canary Wharf Group (CWG) in 2017 to help it become a ‘clean coffee zone’ launching coffee cup and grounds recycling. In June 2018 CWG launched its sustainability campaign: ‘Breaking the Plastic Habit’ to tackle plastic waste across the Canary Wharf Estate. Also in 2018, Cawleys introduced a new system to tackle plastic waste management and clean waste streams for all business customers called ‘Infinity.’ It was the first company in the UK to launch a commercial food collection service to anaerobic digestion working for Waitrose back in 2008, a service which is now commonplace across the retail sector.

Two generations of Cawleys sit on the board, with Chairman Jon Cawley’s daughter Anna being one of the many women working across this dynamic business. Anna is delighted to welcome another leading female member of staff, but noted that there are now so many women in Cawleys, that gender is rightly no longer a point of difference, it is the person and what they bring to the business, “and Kathryn has everything we’re looking for in an energetic and capable general manager.”

Looking forward to starting work on April 23rd Kathryn said:

“I am hugely excited to start my role as General Manager for Cawleys. I’m looking forward to leading the operational teams and playing a pivotal role in continuing and building on the success of such a strong independent company. I will bring with me a strong desire to succeed and to develop my teams to be their very best and become a reference within the industry.”