In a historic first at Republic Services, an all-female Operations Support team was asked to support a hauling division as they were going through robust business changes.
Based in Phoenix, each team member is part of a small but mighty Operations Support team. On any given day, they help drive operational excellence in our hauling divisions by assisting with the digital transformation to RISE, building strength with local leadership teams, developing best practices, and monitoring overall operational health. Sometimes they are called to travel throughout the country to support Business Units more directly.
“One of our divisions had been through a difficult transition and requested our team spend time on-site to review operations and provide them with training and best practices to help them accomplish their goals,” said Gretchen L., Director of Operations Support Collections.
“After meeting with this site team virtually to better understand their needs, we assembled our support team comprised of the expert leaders in each of the needed areas,” Gretchen said. “After arriving onsite, as our team was walking the yard in the wee hours of the morning on our second day, which just so happened to be International Women’s Day, it struck me how interesting it was that we were all women.”
Later that day, the team’s manager, Josh R., VP of Operations Support, acknowledged and celebrated the historical achievement. “I’m beyond thankful to work for a company that is committed to developing strong women leaders in operations,” Gretchen added.
While it’s still too early to examine the overall growth from their trip, the lessons imparted to the division’s frontline leaders were appreciated. The team helped them prioritize focus areas, develop best practices for future growth, and identify several key service and efficiency metrics that will help the division monitor their progress.
At Republic, we’re honored that female employees successfully operate in every area of our company. From frontline drivers and technicians to 40% of our senior leadership, our female employees are integral to our foundation and our commitment to being Human-Centered.
