Driving Sustainability and Innovation: Veolia’s 2025 Vision with Jim Sullivan
Join host Sean Grady as he welcomes Jim Sullivan, Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Veolia North America’s Environmental Solutions and Services (ESS) group. In this insightful conversation, Jim discusses his extensive career journey at Veolia, detailing how his roles in sales, operations, and strategic leadership have shaped the company’s sustainability vision and innovation strategy.
Discover how Veolia’s ESS group is driving significant advancements in hazardous waste management, recycling solutions, and circular economy initiatives across North America. Jim shares insights into the upcoming launch of the groundbreaking Gum Springs facility, a cutting-edge project set to redefine sustainable waste management through innovative energy recovery and zero-discharge operations.
This episode dives deep into key industry trends, including the challenges and strategies around managing PFAS, regulatory shifts, leveraging AI and data analytics for improved customer experience, and the critical role of mergers and acquisitions in expanding Veolia’s environmental capabilities.
If you're interested in environmental sustainability, waste management innovations, or the future of the environmental services industry, don't miss this episode!
Thanks to our sponsors: Cascade Environmental, E-Tank, and WASTELINQ
Jim Sullivan
Chief Strategy & Development Officer
In July of 2024, Jim Sullivan became Chief Strategy & Development Officer for VNA's Environmental Solutions & Services (ESS) group. In this new role, he is responsible for supporting the actualization of the ESS strategy and the execution of the business plan by leading the commercial operations group along with business development, marketing and mergers and acquisitions.
Jim joined the Veolia group in 1989 in Operations, and has held roles of increasing responsibility across several disciplines, including Sales Management, Director of National Sales, Vice President of National Sales and Vice President of Eastern Operations. From 2018, Jim served as Senior Vice President of Service & Treatment Operations that included direction and oversight of ESS's field service operations as well as the fuel blending and solvent reclamation facilities. Most recently, Jim led the ESS group in a business transformation program focusing on growth, standardization and optimization of the service delivery process.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lally School of Management & Technology.)
