WM announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Tara Hemmer to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), reporting to John Morris, the company’s President, who had also been serving as COO. Hemmer will assume responsibility for the company’s operating platform, in addition to continuing to lead the Sustainability businesses, including Recycling, Renewable Energy, and Advisory Services.
“Tara is an outstanding leader with a proven track record of delivering strong results over her 27-year tenure with WM. As I’ve worked closely with her throughout that time, I have witnessed firsthand Tara’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value and growing the WM business through operational excellence,” said John Morris, WM’s President. “Over the last five years, she has successfully led WM’s Sustainability growth strategy – expanding our asset network to include the addition of 14 new RNG sites and 37 recycling facilities with state-of-the-art technology. There is no one more well-prepared than Tara to lead and evolve WM’s operations for the future.”
“I’m honored to be named as WM’s Chief Operating Officer and continue to build on the company’s reputation as an operational and environmental innovator. I’m looking forward to accelerating WM’s Operations transformation focused on deploying next-generation technology that will advance the modernization of our operating model – delivering increased productivity and valuable solutions for our customers while also delivering results for shareholders,” said Hemmer. “Most importantly, I’m proud to have the opportunity to lead such an exceptional Operations organization, including our over 47,000 frontline employees.”
Hemmer joined WM in 1999 and has progressed through various leadership roles, including Senior Vice President of Field Operations, Senior Vice President of Operations, Safety and Environmental Compliance, Vice President of Disposal Operations, Area Vice President for the Greater Mid-Atlantic Area and, most recently, Chief Sustainability Officer. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The company also announced that Rafael Carrasco, WM’s Senior Vice President of Enterprise Strategy and President of the WM Healthcare Solutions business, will be retiring from WM in July. “I want to thank Rafa for his 10 years with the company in a range of operational leadership roles,” said Jim Fish, WM CEO. “His leadership over the Stericycle business and a successful integration have set the WM medical waste and Shred-it businesses up with a strong foundation for future growth. We wish Rafa well in his next chapter.” With Rafa’s retirement, the WM Healthcare Solutions business will report directly to John Morris.