CEO of $90 billion Waste Management hauled trash and went to 1 a.m. safety briefings—‘It’s not always just dollars and cents’

At first glance, it may seem unusual for the CEO of a $90 billion waste management company to have spent time hauling trash in his younger years.

But James Ringelmann, the current CEO of Waste Management, recently shared that he's not afraid to get his hands dirty and has even attended 1 a.m. safety briefings to ensure the well-being of his employees.

A CEO who rolls up his sleeves

• Ringelmann started out in the waste management industry, hauling trash as a young man to learn about the business from the ground up.
• He's spoken highly of the importance of employee safety and has made it a priority during his tenure at Waste Management.

'It’s not always just dollars and cents,' Ringelmann said in an interview, highlighting the human side of waste management. 'We have to think about what we’re doing with our employees, our customers, and our communities.'