Richard Kirkman
According to Veolia, Richard Kirkman 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, Kirkman 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 AUD4 billion ($2.8 billion) in revenue, 7,000 people and 350 operational sites.
Kirkman said: “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.”
Taking over from Kirkman is Chief Operating Officer Resource Recovery, Craig Barker, who has been with Veolia group for more than 17 years in Australia, with a strong focus on diverting waste from landfill through recycling, resource recovery and energy from waste.
Barker said: “I am humbled to be given this leadership role as our Australian and New Zealand businesses gather momentum. With the region’s circular economy accelerating, it will create new opportunities for Veolia to serve our Australian and New Zealand customers and those visionary businesses poised to play a key role in the future.”
In his new role, 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 ($5.4 billion) in revenue, with operations and combined operations across water, waste and energy.
Kirkman 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.
Gavin Graveson, outgoing Senior Vice-President, Northern Europe and CEO, UK at Veolia has been appointed CEO of the Group’s Asia Pacific Zone effective from 2 April 2026. He will continue as a member of the Group Executive Committee.
