CEO Today USA Awards

CEO Today USA Awards 2019 www.ceotodaymagazine.com - M A R Y L A N D - 55 SEAN SHEEHAN CEO of Wisetek FIRM PROFILE Key Ingredients for Success Wisetek started in 2007, which was during a recession and, being honest, I could never have anticipated the growth we have experienced to date. An essential ingredient in the successful growth of Wisetek and a key lesson I have learned over the years is to ensure you have a good team around you and be confident in their abilities... It is important to have a good work/ life balance, as life is hectic and fast paced – this will serve you long-term. Finally, listen to the advice of others but trust your gut and make up your own mind in the end. Adopt a Winning Management Style “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan. I like to be part of a team, and a key part of this is listening to others. This is central to my style of management. I ensure to surround myself with good people and listen to what they have to say. Know how to motivate others and allow teams to make decisions and trust in their knowledge and experience. Encourage continuous improvements across all aspects of the business and encourage your team to further educate themselves. At Wisetek we never stop learning. Differentiate Yourself – ‘Be Different, Be Better’ Our company was founded on the value of being different in an industry which is fast developing. Our original approach to bring manufacturing expertise to a reverse material flow is unique; and this is how we continue to distinguish ourselves from our peers. Founded on the principle of ‘lean sigma’ manufacturing methodology, we have always recognised that ensuring customers are successful through our innovation, agility and efficiency is paramount to building fruitful customer relationships. Have there been any substantial changes you’ve seen in the industry? Most used electronic equipment would have gone to landfill in the past, while still a problem, today changes in legislation make that an increasingly expensive option. With global electronic waste increasing by up to 4% annually, the pressure to keep control of the supply chain right to the end of a piece of equipment’s life is growing. Obligations on manufacturers to take back used electronics, allied to growing awareness of environmental issues have combined to drive the concept of the Circular Economy, this is a regenerative approach and is in contrast to the traditional Linear Economy, which has a ‘take, make, dispose’ model of production. Now, value is extracted from the re-use of old goods that would previously have simply been dumped. Companies are now learning of the global sustainability benefits of equipment re-use and the monetary rewards; plus, from 1970 to 2010 our natural resource consumption has more than tripled. What does the future hold for Wisetek? Wisetek is very excited about the growth possibilities the ITAD market provides given the forecasted market growth projections to double from $10Bn in 2015 to attain a valuation of over US$22B by 2026. Importantly, the marketplace while in existence for decades, has yet to stabilize on services which will be standardised and selected on cost. Also, with the recent introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, companies are looking more carefully at data security and how IT data should be disposed of correctly. Therefore, this is a tremendous opportunity for companies like Wisetek to innovate and excel in servicing the customer - a recipe to achieve further major growth. In the last year Wisetek announced a partnership with the D.C Library System and Samsung Electronics America to hold a series of monthly electronic waste recycling events throughout the year. These free events will allow both members of the public and businesses in Washington, D.C. to recycle used electronic equipment responsibly and conveniently. Also, in the last year, Wisetek announced a new, multi-year strategic alliance with Enviroserve – naming the Dubai, UAE based recycling company as its exclusive service partner for the Middle East Region. The Recycling Hub is the world’s largest integrated electronic and specialised waste recycling facility. In response to market demand and opportunity the company opened its fifth location in the United States in March,, with a new facility in Winchester, Virginia. Operating under the Circular Economy model Wisetek is a modern company which cares about the planet and is paving the way for the creation of millions of decent environmentally friendly jobs. ABOUT SEAN SHEEHAN Sean Sheehan is the Chief Executive of Wisetek, a global provider of manufacturing services, secure data-elimination and IT asset disposition (ITAD) services to the world’s leading IT corporations, data centers and global manufacturers. The company was first founded in 2007 to specifically address the operational and economic challenges the European electronics industry faced from the more stringent revision of the Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) environmental regulations. While manufacturers typically view this as a significant cost burden, Sean has transformed this regulatory requirement into a profitable activity, for large IT enterprise systems and office IT. Wisetek is turning IT Assets into IT Funds. Today, Wisetek employs over 400 people worldwide and its broadening client base of multinationals, IT manufacturers and major data operators have served to growWisetek’s operations globally. Wisetek has also recently expanded its offering to address the wider spectrum of the business market by including secure disposal and recovery services for all IT office equipment. This is being achieved through Wisetek’s on-site shredding trucks, one of the most powerful fleets worldwide. Wisetek now has a global presence, with its headquarters in Ireland and operations in the United States, Thailand, China, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. www.wisetek.net