New director at family-run recycling firm

Burton-based Willshee’s Waste & Recycling has appointed Jenna Willshee to its board of directors, following a 13- year career at the family-owned waste management business.

Jenna’s responsibilities as a director will focus on leading and developing the customer service, office management, payroll and human resource functions within the company which employs 140 people.

She joined the family business straight from school, studying Business Management and taking her Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualifications alongside her job.

She said: “I was always committed to working in the family firm but the longer I’m here, the more ambitious I get for the business.

“While waste and recycling is a predominantly male environment, I have never known anything else and given that my mum Maria has been integral to the company from day one, I have always had a good role model who has consistently supported women progressing within the organisation.

This was formally recognised by J.P. Morgan in their latest annual Top 200 UK Women-Powered Business Report – and we are so pleased to be listed for the first time.”

She added: “While we are currently enjoying 20% year on year growth, I’m really looking forward to helping to develop the company further, with innovative solutions for waste and recycling management and partnering with more and more businesses to achieve zero waste to landfill, improve their carbon footprint and generally encouraging organisations to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover.”