Casella Waste Systems has named Damian Ribar its chief operating officer, effective July 20.
Ribar has more than 30 years of solid waste industry experience, particularly in leading large solid waste and recycling operations and handling the integration of acquired businesses, Casella said in a news release.
“Damian's commitment to safety, collaborative approach, and deep understanding of our industry will allow him to seamlessly integrate operationally and culturally,” said Casella CEO Ned Coletta in a statement.
Ribar most recently served as Waste Connections’ division vice president of North Florida. There, he oversaw operations across more than 30 locations. Ribar also served as vice president and operations controller at Waste Services and worked at Regus Industries as its chief accounting officer and corporate controller. He also worked at WM as region controller and at Progressive Waste Solutions as a manager of collection, disposal, and recycling operations.
Casella’s previous COO, Sean Steves, left the company earlier this year after working at Casella for eight years. At the JP Morgan Industrials Conference in March, Coletta said the company was “really sorry to see him go” and noted that Steves would take a new role outside the waste industry so he could be closer to his family. Steves is now President, North America for Anticimex, according to his LinkedIn.
When Ribar takes on the new role, which also includes an executive vice president title, he will earn a base salary of $500,000 and will be eligible to receive a cash bonus of up to 85% of his annual base salary, according to financial filings. Ribar is also expected to receive certain stock options, along with a stock unit award valued around $200,000 that will vest over a three-year period. An additional annual performance stock unit award with a grant date value of $600,000 will vest based on certain company performance targets, according to SEC filings.
Casella also announced it has promoted Shelley Sayward, its general counsel since January 2021, from senior vice president to executive vice president. She oversees Casella’s legal, governmental affairs, engineering and risk management strategies, as well as permitting and compliance initiatives.
Sayward, who first joined Casella in 2008, has helped “guide the company through a period of tremendous growth and transformation,” Coletta said.
