You have been with WasteTrade for some time now, but to start, can you tell us about your background and how you first got into the recycling and commodities space?

I entered into the waste and recycling space by accident when I met John McKenna ( WasteTrade Co-Founder) in 2019. Up to that point, I never thought I would be in waste world, but now I can’t see myself doing anything else.

Thinking back to when you first joined WasteTrade, what was the business like at that stage, and what stood out to you in those early days?

In the early days, I noticed WasteTrade was already a big name in the market, and at PRSE 2025 last year I also noticed the team is very coordinated and streamlined. I feel from our current position, we have a real potential to scale-up.

Since then, WasteTrade has grown significantly. From your perspective, what have been the biggest changes in how the company operates?

Communications within WasteTrade have changed dramatically over the years; we now have many more tools at hand to communicate quickly and efficiently to keep us from losing clients, leads, opportunities, etc. For example, Salesforce and Slack combined are just awesome!

Also, one major difference I see now between our team and the market is that we don’t have to struggle to let people know about WasteTrade anymore – more often than not, the market is coming to us now.

You have been closely involved in developing the Eastern European market. How have you seen this region evolve during your time with WasteTrade?

The short answer is: it is evolving in a very good direction.

If I compare it to even one year ago, almost everybody was trying to avoid using third parties to source materials. Now, it’s completely different; they actually seem to prefer using a company which can handle it for them. They want to avoid all the problems that can occur when buying or selling.

Companies across Eastern Europe are realising how much easier and more efficient it is to have WasteTrade doing the hard work and handling everything end-to-end for them

The recycling and secondary materials industry has also been shifting. What changes have you noticed in the market over the past few years?

I’ve seen a clear shift towards greater transparency, traceability, and compliance.

This is why I think WasteTrade’s implementation of the Digital Product Passport makes us such an innovative and pioneering force in this space.

You are now working alongside newer team members in your region. How has your role evolved, and what does that collaboration look like day to day?

With the new team members, I feel we are much more active and dynamic in my area. I have a good connection with Kristofer and Dinca ; we keep in good daily contact with each other to stay up to date with developments in real time, and we are delivering good outcomes together.

From your experience, what are the key challenges when trading materials across Eastern Europe, particularly when it comes to logistics and cross-border movement?

From my point of view, the biggest challenge I have to deal with in my area is logistics prices. Compared to other regions, logistics quotes in Romania and across Eastern Europe are consistently much higher. Once we solve this, we will in such a strong position for further growth in these countries.

On the opportunity side, where do you currently see the strongest demand or growth potential in your region?

I think the biggest opportunity is the demand for materials in Poland – our network is perfectly positioned to supply exactly what they’re looking for.

WasteTrade is continuing to expand internationally. How do you see Eastern Europe fitting into the company’s wider strategy going forward?

For sure, and this is not just a feeling I have. I am doing many concrete actions already for this. I am very confident that Romania will be a key supplier for Turkey, for Poland, and for many other regions as well.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for both your region and WasteTrade over the next few years?

For sure, as I was saying before, we have built already the fundamentals. We have a great team, we have all the tools we need. From now, I am very confident the growth will be exponential.

Having been part of the journey so far, what do you think sets WasteTrade apart from more traditional ways of trading materials?

The way we do the compliance and the traceability, together with the Digital Product Passport, is what makes the difference. It’s a big difference that matters to a lot of businesses.

Finally, outside of work, how do you like to spend your time? Do you have any hobbies or interests that help you switch off?

I love the water a lot, so I often to go swim.

I also love to run; two years ago I successfully completed a half-marathon :)