Michael Hellings, like many in the waste management industry, started his working life in road transport completing an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic with the Post Office in 1971. He subsequently worked for a heavy haulage company until he joined Viridor, then trading as Haul Waste, in 1984. He was area manager in Dorset for six years covering collection and landfill operations that included all of the waste and tanker services for the Wytch Farm Onshore Oil Exploration Project. This was followed by four years as the company's operations manager, starting in 1990, before he became Viridors' managing director some 12 years ago. So what has kept Hellings working for the waste industry for over 20 years? "It's a very hands-on business at the point of delivery with a varying customer base and customer interface. It's also very dynamic, the pace of change driven by legislation makes it extremely challenging and interesting," he says.
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