Our team in Surrey
Our team in Surrey is made up of more than 120 people – including site managers, site supervisors, engineers, machine drivers, site operatives, banksmen, maintenance staff and re-use shop assistants. We also have a team of support staff – including administrators, traffic controllers, finance and accounts staff, a project manager, a quality assurance officer and a communications manager.
Here’s some information about a few of them:
Gareth Swain
Regional Manager
Gareth is the Regional Manager for Surrey. He has worked for SUEZ since 2005 and managed the Surrey contract since 2010. Gareth is responsible for delivering a safe service and work environment for the team and the residents of Surrey who visit our facilities. Gareth works closely with Surrey County Council to deliver the service they require as well as making sure our sites are fully compliant with our operational permits and legal requirements.
With a background in Applied Chemistry and waste water treatment, Gareth has almost 30 years’ experience in the industry. Gareth is married with two teenage daughters and feels he has finally settled into life as a northerner living in the south east.
Lee Ruck
Operations Manager for West Surrey
Lee has worked for SUEZ for over 20 years and his role involves managing three transfer stations and overseeing a network of sites on the Surrey contract. These include a fabrication workshop, Electrical reuse hub, and several Community Recycling Centers.
Lee lives in Surrey and is passionate about sustainability. He has introduced a number of sustainability projects across his network such as recycled paint stations and repair and reuse of medial aids.
Steven McLaughlin
Operations Manager for East Surrey
Steven joined SUEZ in September 2021 as a Weighbridge Operator at Earlswood Community Recycling Centre and has since progressed through the business to become Operations Manager. Steven is responsible for overseeing seven Community Recycling Centers, two Transfer Stations and five Revive re-use shops.
Born and raised in Surrey, Steven is proud to play a part in managing and improving waste and recycling services across his home county.
Jason Benfield
Alternative Energy Plant Manager
Jason became the Alternative Energy Plant Manager for the Eco Park in December 2024. He has worked for SUEZ for 9 years, all at the Eco Park, starting during the build in 2017. He started as a Shift Manager before progressing to Gasifier Operations Manager, and now Plant Manager. As the Plant Manager for the Eco Park, Jason is responsible for the Operations of the Anaerobic Digestion and Gasification facilities.
Nesta Hibbert
Operations Administrator
Nesta joined the Surrey team in early 2017 as our Operations Administrator, based in our regional office in Morden. Nesta is the first point of contact for many of our customers, both residents and businesses, as she is responsible for answering the phone and responding to people’s questions about our services. Nesta also supports the rest of the team with various admin tasks.
Outside of work, Nesta lives in Surrey and has two children and one grandchild. She also likes to keep active, going to football matches and salsa dancing, as well as cooking and entertaining family and friends.
