CEO MONTHLY / CEO OF THE YEAR 2022 8 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 10 2022 9 Making It Easier To Be Green Food waste is one of the major challenges faced by many businesses, and finding ways of processing that waste in an environmentally friendly way is often difficult. The team behind Green Eco Technologies, under the stalwart leadership of Rick Woods, have gone a long way to providing much-needed solutions. Recognised in CEO Monthly as CEO of the Year, 2022 - Melbourne, Australia, we caught up with Rick to uncover more of the secrets of his success. The need to make a dent in our combined carbon footprint has been the driving force behind many industries over the last few years. Often, however, these companies have not been able to achieve the results they’ve wanted without increase costs or changing back of house processes considerably. That’s where Green Eco Technologies comes in, offering patented technology for the onsite processing of food waste. The team’s services have been invaluable to businesses in the hospitality, medical, education, and shopping centre sectors, reducing a customer’s carbon footprint by up to 84%, and their food waste disposal costs by up to 30%. No two businesses are the same, so the team take the time to really understand the various processes involved and where food waste comes from. The solutions offered comes in two parts, firstly focusing on how to reduce food waste generally, then on how to save money dealing with what is left. At the heart of this innovative business is Rick Woods, an Engineer by profession who has a background in big firms such as Shell Oil, Amcor and Energy Australia. Acting as CEO of Green Eco Technologies has allowed him to stretch his abilities in new areas. “Over the years I have been privileged to have worked for a variety of leaders,” he tells us. “While all have had different levels of alignment with my own moral compass, I have learnt a lot from all of them. The most important thing I have learnt is that people respond to balanced feedback. Congratulate their successes, but don’t avoid discussing the failings either.” This focus on how to lead has been a major part of Rick’s success. He had made a point of empowering all of his employees to thrive. “For me personally, I have always got most reward from building teams into high performers,” he says. “As the most senior leader in the business, one does not need to have all the answers,” he explains. “By seeking out and listening to staff at all levels, the business grows faster and is more able to respond quickly to the many headwinds and the opportunities businesses face today.” This focus on the team was key to surviving the COVID-19 pandemic. “The strong pipeline of customers that we had seeking our services dried up over night as they were, rightly, focused on staying alive themselves,” Rick tells us. “The challenge was not to panic, but to take a deep breath and deal with what was in front of us.” The situation did unfortunately lead to some staff layoffs, but Green Eco Technologies weathered the storm and is now a stronger business as a result. “We have a broader customer base, a more refined technology and an even hungrier workforce,” Rick says with a grin. Looking ahead, the future seems bright for the Green Eco Technologies team. “We are introducing new models of the WasteMaster to satisfy varying sized businesses with different applications,” Rick explains, “and we are expanding globally into markets that are focused on greenhouse gas and cost reductions. We are also working with research organisations to develop higher order applications for the WasteMaster residue which will make an even larger environmental contribution in the future.” As the green revolution continues apace, the need for new technologies has become clear. Finding these new technologies will not just depend on the skills of innovators in the industry, but on the teams who bring those innovations to life. The success of Rick Woods is not just in his engineering prowess, but in the passion he inspires in all of his team members. We cannot wait to see what he does next! Company: Green Eco Technologies Name: Rick Woods Email: [email protected] Web: greenecotec.com.au Aug22240 MS
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