MEET THE TEAM
The ESA’s strength lies in harnessing the depth of collective industry expertise that exists across our membership. Together, we are the Environmental Services Association.
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With more than a hundred members, the Environmental Services Association draws on a huge depth and breadth of expertise to ensure policy, regulation and standards reflect best practice and achieve the best triple bottom line outcomes.
The ESA is governed by its board of directors, selected from across our membership, and our day-to-day work is carried out by numerous topic-specific working groups working alongside our full-time Executive Team of policy experts.
Executive team
Jacob Hayler
Executive Director
Jacob leads the ESA and is responsible for strategy and operations. In his role as Executive Director, working with and reporting to the ESA’s Board of Directors, Jacob sets and oversees delivery against the ESA’s strategic priorities.
Sam Corp
Head of Regulation
Sam leads on a wide range of regulatory and policy areas within ESA, including the sectors’ role in tackling waste crime, environmental permitting, the management of hazardous waste and the regulation of landfill.
Charlotte Rule
Head of Climate and Energy Policy
Charlotte is responsible for policy relating to the ESA’s Net-Zero commitments and
our members’ Energy from Waste (EfW) infrastructure.
Emilia Peters
Environment and Social Governance Policy Officer
As the ESA’s ESG Policy Officer, Emilia leads the Association’s policy development across environmental and social issues affecting the recycling and waste management industry.
Jacob Hayler
Executive Director
Jacob leads the ESA and is responsible for strategy and operations. In his role as Executive Director, working with and reporting to the ESA’s Board of Directors, Jacob sets and oversees delivery against the ESA’s strategic priorities.
Sam Corp
Head of Regulation
Sam leads on a wide range of regulatory and policy areas within ESA, including the sectors’ role in tackling waste crime, environmental permitting, the management of hazardous waste and the regulation of landfill.
Charlotte Rule
Head of Climate and Energy Policy
Charlotte is responsible for policy relating to the ESA’s Net-Zero commitments and our members’ Energy from Waste (EfW) infrastructure.
Emilia Peters
Environmental, Social, & Governance Policy Officer
As the ESA's ESG Policy Officer, Emilia leads the Association’s policy development across environmental and social issues affecting the recycling and waste management industry. Emilia is the principal ESA policy contact for biodiversity, social value, EDI, modern slavery and carbon reporting for ESA Members.
Stephen Freeland
Policy Advisor
Stephen leads on matters related to Health & Safety (H&S) and Planning for the ESA. Additionally, Stephen also leads the Scottish Environmental Services Association (ESA) – coordinating the association’s engagement with Scottish Government, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and Zero Waste Scotland, among other bodies across the devolved administration.
Patrick Brighty
Head of Recycling Policy
Patrick is responsible for ESA policy issues relating to dry recyclables, biowaste and waste electricals (WEEE).
Toni Lockhart
Membership Communications and Events Manager
Toni is the principal point of contact for all new and prospective ESA members and is responsible for the ESA’s member communications – including the member’s area, coordination of the ESA’s weekly member briefing bulletin and the ESA’s social media channels.
Anita McCarthy
Office Manager
Anita manages the day-to-day running of ESA’s office in the heart of Belgravia, London, conveniently located next to Victoria station. Anita is the principle point of contact for members who wish to visit the ESA office or book our large boardroom- style meeting room, complete with large screen virtual conferencing technology.
Advisors
Ben Johnson
Advisor
Ben is a multi-disciplinary communications professional providing communications programme management, marketing communications services and public relations consultancy to businesses and organisations involved in the circular economy.
Mat Crocker
Advisor
Mat has over 35 years’ experience in the waste and resources sector, 27 of which were with the Environment Agency where he held multiple senior roles. Mat’s last role at the EA was Deputy Director of Waste and Illegals.
Board Members
Michael Topham
ESA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Biffa
Michael was appointed ESA Chair in November 2023. He was appointed Biffa CEO in September 2018, having previously held the role of Chief Financial Officer from 2013. He was appointed to the board of Biffa in August 2016.
Neil Grundon
ESA Treasurer and Deputy Chairman, Grundon
Neil began working for Grundon Waste Management in 1992. He considers ongoing professional development essential to ensure the company’s future growth and continuity and works to build shareholder value for Grundon through responsible innovation.
Gavin Graveson
Executive Vice-President, Veolia UK & Ireland
Gavin leads a 15,000 strong workforce positioned at the forefront of sustainable development and providing integrated waste, water and energy services.
John Scanlon
Chief Executive Officer, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK
John is responsible for driving forward the SUEZ group’s SUEZ 2030 vision in the UK and for SUEZ’s newly won contracts in Greater Manchester and Somerset.
Kevin Bradshaw
Chief Executive Officer, Viridor
Kevin joined Viridor in September 2020 and brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience to the company. He has previously served as CEO of Northgate plc, CEO of Wyevale Garden Centres and MD of AVIS Budget Group UK.
Steve Longdon
Group Chief Executive, FCC Environment
Brian McCabe
Group CEO, Beauparc Group
Brian joined Panda in 2005 as Managing Director, having held the role of Operations Director at a leading Irish PLC for 15 years prior to that. Appointed to the role of Beauparc Group CEO in 2019.
Dougie Sutherland
Chief Executive Officer, Cory
Dougie was appointed CEO of Cory Riverside Energy in April 2019, and brings more than 20 years of infrastructure experience working across both the public and private sectors, most recently on the board of multinational infrastructure provider Interserve.
Mike Maudsley
Chief Executive Officer, Enfinium
Mike Maudsley joined enfinium as Chief Executive Officer in 2022. Mike has over 30 years of experience across the power and utility sector, most recently responsible for leading all operating assets at Drax plc. Prior to Drax, Mike spent six years in the Middle East with Engie.
Owen Michaelson
Chief Executive Officer, Encyclis
Owen has a wide range of experience in the development of brownfield land, low carbon energy assets and waste infrastructure, As the Chief Executive of the Harworth Group he took over the stand-alone operations of Harworth Estates at the start of the restructuring of UK Coal in 2010.
Roger Morton
Managing Director for Technology and Innovation, EMR
Roger is a chartered chemical engineer. He has worked in the recycling sector for the past 20 years. He co-founded Axion Consulting and Axion Polymers in 2001, leading the design and operation of Axion’s advanced recycling facilities in Manchester.
Michael Hill
Chief Executive Officer, The Hills Group
Michael is the great grandson of Edward Hill, founder of the company. He joined the Hill family business in August 1994 after spending several years in Bristol working for the accountancy firm KPMG.
Andrew Elliot
Chief Operating Officer, Castle Environmental
Andrew joined Castle Environmental in April 1998 following the acquisition of the business by Hillbridge Investments Ltd and has been responsible for the transformation of the business driving the development of the specialist hazardous waste services the company now provides.
Bill Swan
Managing Director, Recorra
Bill is Managing Director of Recorra who specialises in providing complete recycling solutions to commercial real estate, education and healthcare sectors.
