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Richard Kirkman has been appointed the new CEO for Northern Europe at resource management company, Veolia, and will therefore also become CEO of the UK business. He takes over from Gavin Graveson, who has been appointed CEO of the Group’s Asia Pacific Zone.
Kirkman, who commenced in his new role on 2 April 2026, knows the UK well having spent 26 years leading the building and operation of key infrastructure for Veolia in the UK between 1995 and 2020. Most recently, he was CEO of Veolia in Australia & New Zealand, based in Sydney and managed the transformation of the zone which doubled in size over five years. Kirkman led Veolia’s Pacific operations responsible for 4$AUD billion in revenue, 7,000 people, and 350 operational sites.
As CEO for Northern Europe, Kirkman will oversee operations across the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland and the Netherlands which provide services to industrial, municipal and commercial clients. This zone comprises almost 20,000 people and £4 billion in revenue, with operations and combined operations across water, waste and energy. He will also head up growth and innovation at Veolia Group level, helping accelerate organic growth and new innovative offerings worldwide, and he also joins Veolia Group’s Executive Committee.
As Veolia completes the first phase of its strategic programme GreenUp, the Group is entering a new phase. Its ambition is to accelerate the transformation underway to sustainably strengthen its growth trajectory, stimulate innovation, and support international development, while continuing the solidity and performance of its operational fundamentals. It is in this context that several changes in management and appointments are being made to strengthen the global organisation.
Kirkman commented: “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.”
FMJ and Watco Webinar: Meeting compliance in a new culture of accountability
From January 2026, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) formally separated from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Created under the Building Safety Act 2022 in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the BSR is designed to raise safety standards across the built environment and introduce a stronger culture of accountability, transparency, and proactive risk management.
This shift places facilities managers in a more strategic safety assurance role – far beyond routine maintenance.
FMJ and Watco are hosting a webinar on 22 April at 11:00am to explore what this new regulatory landscape means for FMs. To register for the webinar click here.
Can’t make it no problem…
Simply register above and after the webinar has been broadcast, we will send you a link to watch the recording.
