A lot has happened within the waste industry since Inge Langhelle showed up for his first day of work at Geminor back in 2010. It has almost been a quantum leap, according to the newly appointed group quality manager.
"In 2023, waste has become a resource, and thus also a product. Geminor has moved from working only with secondary fuels to focusing more on waste treatment, material recycling, and circularity. The focus on sorting and recycling is naturally much greater now than when I started in the industry, and the development has been significant," says Langhelle.
"One of the most exciting things about this industry is that we never know for sure what will happen next. The consequences of the war in Ukraine and COVID are good examples of how things can change quickly. In addition, we have to deal with new and ambitious recycling requirements that must be met," says Chief Quality Officer at Geminor.
Moving up the ranks
When Inge Langhelle came to Geminor from a position in mechanical production, he started with logistics in the Norwegian market. Later he switched to sales with a focus on waste wood and gained experience both as Account Manager and later Country Manager for Norway. When Geminor acquired the competitor Rekom in 2019, he became General Manager of the subsidiary. Most recently he has worked as Quality Manager, a position that is now being expanded with a seat in the management team.
- In relation to the CQO tasks, where do you think the focus should be in the future?
"My main task as CQO is to seek best practice for the whole organization. In short, it should be easier to do the right things. We need to be able to identify market changes as early as possible and communicate this to both the organization and customers. An important part of best practice is to make life easier for partners, off-takers, and waste producers alike.
"Furthermore, this is about standardizing wherever we can, from the operation of processing facilities and digital work tools, to internal communication processes across borders. Working with standardization and risk analysis may seem a bit tedious, but the whole purpose is to achieve high quality and efficiency, and make many tasks easier for everyone involved," says Langhelle.
Flexibility is important
Geminor has for a long time focused on quality, but has never before had a CQO responsible for all markets. An extensive task, according to Langhelle.
"This organization is spread across many countries with different market conditions as well as industry- and work cultures. Standardization of operations will therefore require a high degree of flexibility. At the same time, it is important that we retain the entrepreneurial spirit that Geminor was built on some 20 years ago, and which still helps to drive the company in the right direction," says Langhelle.
- What makes this particular position interesting for you?
"The waste and recycling industry performs a very important social task, and I find that extra motivating. Now I will be working more on collaboration and corporate culture - as well as moving expertise across borders - which also is an appealing task. Perhaps the most motivating thing is that we are still in the early stages of the circular economy, so there is still a lot to deal with," concludes the new CQO at Geminor, Inge Langhelle.
