Meet the Reconomy Team ““ Richard Walker

Job title: Marketing Manager
Daily number of hot beverages consumed: Worryingly, it must be in double-figures”¦ I’d say 10 or 11.
Accompanying biscuit of choice: I’ve switched to a healthier option, so I’m currently on carrot and cucumber sticks. So far my biscuit cravings haven’t got the better of me.
How long have you worked at Reconomy?
I’ve been with Reconomy for just over five years now. When I joined, the turnover of the business was £37m and now we’re up to £119m, not that I’m taking all the credit for that! For the first 3 ½ years of my time with Reconomy, the marketing department was a team of one, but over the last 15 months the department has grown and we’re now a team of four.
This has allowed us to bring in-house a lot of work that previously had to be outsourced to external agencies. This has not only helped us to stretch the marketing budget a lot further, it’s also allowed us to broaden our horizons and deliver a lot more tangible marketing materials to support the business.
What are your core responsibilities?
As Marketing Manager, I’m responsible for overseeing all marketing activities for the company. This includes branding, advertising and our online presence. I’m also responsible for all the strategic elements of marketing, such as determining our market share, analysing the segmentation of our customers, the long-term planning of marketing campaigns, and looking at how marketing interacts with other areas of the business.
Lead-generation is another core responsibility of mine. The marketing department is tasked with maximising all opportunities for new sales leads as well as helping to retain existing clients through brand acknowledgement and awareness. It’s my job to oversee this process and to also ensure there is a steady stream of sales leads being disseminated to the correct departments.
How do you make a difference everyday?
When you work in marketing you’re constantly having to reinvent the way your business is positioned and how you want to be perceived by the market place. Its only by doing this that we’re able to stand out from our competitors. I’d like to think that during my time at Reconomy we’ve always managed to improve upon what we’ve done before. Sometimes these improvements can be quite subtle but can still deliver big results.
How is the changing face of the waste industry directly impacting upon Reconomy and your job role?
Reconomy’s goal is to change the way waste and waste management is perceived by the business community. This is a very big challenge because the waste industry is quite traditional and doesn’t have the greatest reputation for innovation. Though our supply partners and service providers are all exceptionally good at what they do, some of them don’t always market themselves as well as they could.
At Reconomy, we want to help raise standards across the waste industry by presenting ourselves in a modern and professional way without alienating our longstanding customers. We’re confident that by doing this we’re setting the standard for the industry which will inspire those around us to do the same.
What did you do before you joined Reconomy?
I studied marketing at university, so it was always my intention to pursue a career within this field. I’ve always worked in marketing in some capacity and have previously worked for main contractors within the construction industry as well as brownfield contractors who were involved in demolition and large scale muck away projects. This allowed me to develop a good understanding of the housebuilding and commercial construction industries which was very beneficial when I joined Reconomy.
What one possession could you never live without and why?
My phone is probably the one thing I miss when I don’t have it with. What’s strange is that if I deliberately leave it at home or if I go on holiday and it doesn’t work then I’m totally fine with that and it can be a blessing. However, if I accidentally forget to bring it with me then I feel completely disconnected from the world and I go into a panic!
What is the best thing about your job?
The great thing about working in marketing is that we’re actively encouraged to try and do things differently. Because so much of what we produce is subjective we’re always trying to think outside the box and reinvent the way we communicate our offering to customers and clients. This certainly helps to keep things interesting.