9. Jacqueline O’Donovan OBE, O’Donovan Waste Disposal Limited
Episode 9, Sep 14, 2023, 11:00 AM
This is the 9th episode with guest Jacqueline O’Donovan OBE, Managing Director at O’Donovan Waste Disposal Limited in the new Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.
This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.
This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.
About Jacqueline O’Donovan
Jacqueline O’Donovan is unique being the CEO of UK based O’Donovan Waste, the only female in such a role in London and one of only three in the entire UK.
The business was started by her father, Joe, and it grew to a phenomenal size before his untimely death at the age of 51.
For her part Jacqueline left school at 16 and intended to become a child minder, before she was thrust into the role as MD of O’Donovan Waste at the age of 19 – with no formal training, this was a big step up.
O’Donovan Waste now offers a wide range of services including skip hire, roll on/off bins, waste transfer stations, tipper and grab lorry services, recycled aggregates, road sweepers, wheelie bins and demolition services. It’s renowned for its efforts to clean up the industry and bring it into the 21st century. The company now has 150 staff, 85 vehicles, and six different depots, and she’s won just about every recognition and award in the industry.
Although in recent years the business was sold to Sortera, a Swedish firm seeking to become one of Europe’s leading recyclers of construction waste, she remains at the coalface, running the company.
Jacqueline also does a lot of work supporting the Irish community in London, and besides being an OBE, she was also given the Freedom of the city of London, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad from President Higgins, and a host of other accolades.
The business was started by her father, Joe, and it grew to a phenomenal size before his untimely death at the age of 51.
For her part Jacqueline left school at 16 and intended to become a child minder, before she was thrust into the role as MD of O’Donovan Waste at the age of 19 – with no formal training, this was a big step up.
O’Donovan Waste now offers a wide range of services including skip hire, roll on/off bins, waste transfer stations, tipper and grab lorry services, recycled aggregates, road sweepers, wheelie bins and demolition services. It’s renowned for its efforts to clean up the industry and bring it into the 21st century. The company now has 150 staff, 85 vehicles, and six different depots, and she’s won just about every recognition and award in the industry.
Although in recent years the business was sold to Sortera, a Swedish firm seeking to become one of Europe’s leading recyclers of construction waste, she remains at the coalface, running the company.
Jacqueline also does a lot of work supporting the Irish community in London, and besides being an OBE, she was also given the Freedom of the city of London, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad from President Higgins, and a host of other accolades.