Name: Michael O'Laughlin
New title: CEO, Vanguard Renewables
Previous title: President of engineered materials, Kymera International
BlackRock-backed Vanguard Renewables brought in a fresh face to serve as CEO. O'Laughlin arrives at a time when the company has been working to quickly expand its network of anaerobic digesters.
Doug Vaccari, lead director of Vanguard's board and a managing director at BlackRock division Global Infrastructure Partners, praised O'Laughlin in a statement.
"His extensive experience leading global organizations and driving growth, coupled with his passion for sustainability, elegantly aligns with Vanguard’s growth strategy and our mission to create a more sustainable future,” Vaccari said.
O’Laughlin said in his own statement he looks forward to expanding Vanguard’s business of converting organics to renewable natural gas.
“The Company not only offers its partners a circular solution for materials recycling and renewable energy procurement, but we are also using innovative technology to advance anaerobic digestion outputs and to explore the production of other advanced renewable fuel sources to support market needs,” O’Laughlin said. “I am proud to be a part of this remarkable journey.”
Vanguard was founded in 2014 and built out a network of digesters that could process both food and farm waste. It was purchased by BlackRock Real Assets in 2022. BlackRock subsequently acquired Global infrastructure Partners in October of this year, and Vanguard is now a part of that group.
Executives at the time pitched the estimated $700 million deal as a means to accelerate the company's growth. Neil Smith, then CEO of the company, said BlackRock's backing would allow Vanguard to be a market leader as more companies looked to muscle their way into the organics market.
"It’s an expanding pod and there’s room for a lot of others, but I think we’re the strongest and with BlackRock sit in a very strong position," Smith said at the time.
On its 10-year anniversary in March, Vanguard announced it had achieved a network of 32 digesters and had a goal to reach 100 by 2028. John Hanselman, founder and chief strategy officer of the company, said at the time Vanguard was plotting its growth based on markets within hauling distance of each other.
The company also hired Kent Bartley to lead its organics logistics business in July. Vanguard said it was looking to expand into hauling to provide a more connected network for its digesters when the hiring was announced.
O’Laughlin began his role as CEO on Dec. 2, while Smith has departed the company, a spokesperson said. Smith had held the role since October 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The release cited O'Laughlin's commitment to a "Six Sigma" philosophy, referencing a management style focused on reducing inefficiencies to improve a business's bottom line. It also highlighted his approach to expansion via both organic and inorganic growth.
O'Laughlin became chief operating officer of Kymera two years after it was acquired by Palladium Equity Partners. He also held senior positions at manufacturer Lydall as well as stints at Raytheon and General Electric.
