Executive Search Success Story: Rebuilding the Compliance, Operations, and Commercial Leadership for a Hazardous Waste and Industrial Services Company

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a hazardous waste and industrial services company with the environmental compliance, operations, and commercial leadership required to resolve regulatory exposure, restore customer confidence, and return the business to growth.

The Challenge

A hazardous waste management and industrial services company operating multiple permitted treatment, storage, and disposal facilities had received significant regulatory findings following inspections at two sites. Several industrial customers had suspended shipments pending resolution, revenue was declining, and the company’s permits and operating licenses were at risk. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the organization:

• Regulatory findings at two permitted facilities with corrective action deadlines
• Compliance leadership that had departed, leaving no executive owner for remediation
• Inconsistent operating procedures and training across facilities and field service crews
• Key industrial customers suspending shipments and auditing the company’s compliance posture
• Declining revenue and margin pressure as the sales organization lost credibility with customers
• Board and lender concern about permit continuity and enterprise value

Recognizing that regulatory remediation, operational standardization, and customer recovery had to proceed simultaneously, the board engaged JRG Partners to lead a confidential multi-role search for a Chief Operating Officer, VP Environmental Health, Safety & Compliance, VP Facility Operations, VP Sales & Industrial Services, and Director of Regulatory Affairs. The company required an executive search partner with deep hazardous waste expertise and immediate access to leaders who had resolved regulatory actions and rebuilt customer trust.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Hazardous Waste and Environmental Compliance Expertise

JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across hazardous waste operators, environmental services firms, and regulated industrial companies, including compliance, facility operations, and field services leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of permit requirements, corrective action processes, and customer audit expectations.

Turnaround Leadership Experience

Our team specializes in identifying executives who have led regulatory remediation, standardized operations across permitted facilities, and restored customer relationships in environmental services businesses under scrutiny.

Speed and Discretion

JRG Partners prioritized the compliance placement to meet corrective action deadlines while managing the broader search confidentially to protect customer, regulator, and employee confidence.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Compliance & Operational Review

Our consultants partnered directly with the board, CEO, and outside environmental counsel to assess regulatory findings, corrective action timelines, facility operating gaps, and customer concerns. This review sequenced the search to place compliance leadership first.

Phase 2 — Industry Talent Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting compliance, facility operations, field services, and commercial executives at hazardous waste operators, environmental services companies, industrial services providers, and regulated chemical and process companies. Over 360 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of closing regulatory findings, maintaining permits through enforcement actions, standardizing procedures across permitted sites, and recovering suspended customer accounts. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Final Selection

Finalists completed comprehensive leadership assessments and regulatory scenario evaluations, participated in structured interviews with the board and CEO, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified compliance, operational, and commercial outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 360+ hazardous waste, environmental compliance, and industrial services executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Placed critical compliance leadership within 45 days to meet regulatory corrective action deadlines.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning chief operations, compliance, facility operations, sales and industrial services, and regulatory affairs.
• Closed all regulatory findings and preserved permits at both affected facilities.
• Restored suspended customer relationships and returned the business to revenue growth.
• Reduced recordable incident rates by more than one-third through standardized operations and training.