One person's trash is another person's treasure — or fortune.
That goes for recycling, as well, considering the salaries of many executives in the waste and recycling industry. Waste Dive has taken a look at some of the highest compensated CEOs, COOs, presidents, chairmans, and overall leaders in eight of the industry's biggest companies.
Figures are for publicly held companies. Compensation is not available for Rumpke, which is privately owned, and Recology, which is employee owned.
Waste Management
President and CEO David P. Steiner
2014 Base Salary: $1,186,785
2014 Total Compensation: $10,770,856
Steiner, who joined Houston-based Waste Management in 2000, has been CEO of the company since March 2004, and president since June 2010. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and a law degree from University of California, Los Angeles. When asked in 2013 how the company is faring in an environment where cities have “zero-waste” goals, Steiner told Green Biz, "It’s 100% opportunity. Our customers are demanding it, so we don’t have a choice. But in my mind, what they’ve done is created an opportunity for us to differentiate ourselves from everybody else in this industry."
Vice President and COO James E. Trevathan Jr.
2014 Base Salary: $621,923
2014 Total Compensation: $3,175,877
Trevathan started with Waste Management in 1979, holding sales, marketing, and operating roles across North America. He has held his current positions of vice president and COO since July 2012. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston.
Republic Services
President and CEO Donald W. Slager
2014 Base Salary: $1,000,000
2014 Total Compensation: $5,705,379
Republic Services, based in Phoenix, became the second largest waste hauler in the U.S. in 2008, its 10th anniversary, when it purchased Allied Waste. Slager has been president since Dec. 5, 2008, and later added the role of CEO on Jan. 1, 2011. He has completed the Northwestern University Kellogg School Advanced Executive Program and holds a certificate from the Stanford University Board Consortium Development Program.
Former CFO Glenn A. Culpepper
2014 Base Salary: $346,154
2014 Total Compensation: $2,729,682
Culpepper was CFO and executive vice president of Republic Services from Jan. 9, 2013 to August 2014. He now works as the senior vice president and controller of Newmont Mining Corporation, one of the world's largest gold producers. He is a CPA and received his bachelor’s degree and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Waste Connections
CEO and Chairman Ronald J. Mittelstaedt
2014 Base Salary: $950,692
2014 Total Compensation: $5,385,433
Based in The Woodlands, TX, Waste Connections is a leading provider of non-hazardous oilfield waste treatment, recovery, and disposal services. Mittelstaedt has been CEO and a director since the company was formed in September 1997, and was elected chairman in January 1998. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics with a finance emphasis from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
President Steven F. Bouck
2014 Base Salary: $612,039
2014 Total Compensation: $2,618,211
Bouck has been president of Waste Connections since Sept. 1, 2004, and has been with the company since 1998. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Stericycle
CEO and President Charles A. Alutto
2014 Base Salary: $379,615
2014 Total Compensation: $3,635,560
Lake Forest, IL-based Stericycle provides disposal services for medical and biohazardous waste, serving hospitals, laboratories, physician practices, and dental clinics, among others. Alutto has held his positions since January 2013, but has been with the company since May 1997 when it acquired his previous company, Environmental Control Inc. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Providence College and an M.B.A. in finance from St. John’s University.
Former COO and Vice President Richard T. Kogler
2014 Base Pay: $331,000
2014 Total Compensation: $2,026,930
Kogler has been senior vice president of international at Stericycle since Jan. 1, 2015, and was executive vice president and COO from January 1999 to Jan. 1, 2015. He previously worked at American Disposal Services, CDI, and Waste Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from St. Louis University.
Covanta
Former President and CEO Anthony J. Orlando
2014 Base Salary: $755,000
2014 Total Compensation: $3,549,168
Based in Morristown, NJ, Covanta bills itself as one of the world’s largest owners and operators of infrastructure for waste-to-energy conversion, as well as other waste disposal and renewable energy production businesses. Orlando was president and CEO from 2004 until March 2015 (succeeded by Stephen J. Jones) and currently is on the Board of Directors and the Public Policy and Technology and Finance committees. He joined the company in 1987.
Executive Vice President and CFO Bradford J. Helgeson
2014 Base Salary: $350,000
2014 Total Compensation: $1,253,113
Helgeson joined Contava in 2007 and was appointed to executive vice president and CFO in November 2013. Prior to working in waste management, he worked at two investment banking firms where he assisted clients in raising capital and M&A transactions in the industrial sector. Helgeson graduated with an A.B. degree in economics and history from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME.
Clean Harbors
President and COO Eric W. Gerstenberg
2014 Base Salary: $479,167
2014 Total Compensation: $2,000,291
Norwell, MA-based Clean Harbors provides environmental, energy, and industrial services in North America and serves a majority of Fortune 500 companies. Gerstenberg started with the company in 1989 and has been COO since Jan. 20, 2015. From 1997 to 1999, he was vice president of operations for Pollution Control Industries, then rejoined Clean Harbors in June 1999. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Syracuse University.
CEO and Chairman Alan S. McKim
2014 Base Salary: $950,000
2014 Total Compensation: $1,366,840
McKim founded Clean Harbors in 1980 and has held his positions of CEO and chairman since then. He has an M.B.A. from Ohio Northeastern University and holds an honorary doctorate from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
Casella
President and COO Edwin D. Johnson
2014 Base Salary: $351,375
2014 Total Compensation: $1,195,161
Casella started in 1975 with a single truck in Rutland, VT, and has grown to include waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling processing. Johnson joined the company in 2010 from Waste Management, and has held his positions of president and COO since December 2012. He has an M.B.A. from Florida International University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and administration from Washington & Lee University, and is a Florida CPA.
CEO and Chairman John W. Casella
2014 Base Salary: $402,016
2014 Total Compensation: $958,653
Casella been CEO of the company since 1993 and chairman since July 2001. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business education from Castleton State College. He owns Casella Construction Inc. with his brother Douglas R. Casella; they founded the business in 1987.
Advanced Disposal
CEO Richard Burke
2014 Base Salary: $520,698
2014 Total Compensation: $1,541,922
Based in Ponte Vedra, FL, Advanced Disposal acquired Interstate Waste Services and Veolia in 2012, and has already made five acquisitions this year. Burke has been CEO since July 1, 2014, and has been with the company since November 2012, when it acquired Veolia Environmental Services Solid Waste where he was president and CEO. He previously worked at Waste Management. Burke holds a bachelor’s degree from Randolph Macon College.
COO John Spegal
2014 Base Salary: $297,038
2014 Total Compensation: $1,012,787
Spegal has been with Advanced Disposal since 2013, and acted as the vice president of business development before stepping into the role of chief operating officer. As COO, Spegal is responsible for companywide operations for Advanced Disposal’s footprint, particularly oversight of the collection, recycling and landfill operations, safety, sales and acquisitions.
