Our very own Thomas Anton, Head of Customer Experience and winner of the Young Professional of the Year at the 2024 Waste Innovation and Recycling Awards shares how he got his start in the waste management sector, along with his passion for delivering outstanding customer service outcomes.
How does it feel to have won young professional of the year?
It was a very humbling experience to have won. Reflecting on my career to this point it’s easy to focus on things I got wrong but when I think about all the great experiences and opportunities to be thrown in the deep end and own a process or team, I’m definitely proud of what I have accomplished.
What does this award mean to you?
Onwards and upwards! Having started my career in a graduate role, this award has solidified my opinion of hiring young people looking to start their career and giving them opportunities across all functions of the business and starting that ownership and responsibility early in their journey. Pressure makes diamonds.
What would you say have been some notable achievements experienced by Repurpose It in the last year?
Repurpose It has been a rocket ship since I started. Over the last year the company has continued to build its reputation in the market as a brand people can trust, our internal teams across all functions have levelled up and are operating far more efficiently, and finally with our new ownership structure that’s been in place for the last year I’m very excited about big things to come in the next year!
Reflecting on the last year, would you say you did anything different in the last 12 months compared to previous years in the company?
People and Systems! I’ve spent the last year building a stable, happy team, pushing some team members to challenge themselves, and focused on helping shape the way in which Repurpose It will operate from a systems perspective
What would you say are the three most important things to keep in mind when working in a customer service-based role?
- In a price driven market, having a strong customer relationship still wins out over time.
- Listen not just hear. A customer pain point is your continuous-improvement opportunity.
- Data is king! Whether its customer insights or building a business case as to why we need to do things a better way.
What made you want to get into the waste industry?
The initial attraction was joining a relative start-up that was operating at the pointy end of the spear operationally. Having been in the industry 4 years now, I couldn’t be more excited about the innovation and materials science that’s giving once problematic waste streams second and third lives.
What advice would you give other young people hoping to get into the waste industry?
Never say no to an opportunity to learn something new, don’t accept the status quo – many small improvements make big changes, and reach out and build a network – it’s a big industry and there is lots of knowledge and support, you just need to tap into it
What are some goals you hope to achieve in the next year?
Having come from the concrete/quarry world I want to build out my understanding of the organics market and gain a deeper understanding material movements and opportunities for Repurpose It. I’m also excited about a number of initiatives I’m working on that should have a big impact on our customer experience
Is there anything else you would like to say?
I want to throw a big thank you out into the universe. I’ve been very lucky to have seen, experienced, learnt, travelled, and met some incredible people. I’m eternally grateful to the leadership team at Repurpose It for giving me the platform to be heard and the runaway to take ownership. 2025 is going to be big!