Organisation firms up plans to implement UK DRS
EXCHANGE for Change, the industry body running the deposit return scheme (DRS), has appointed five new senior leaders to its executive team as preparations continue towards the go-live date in October 2027.
The appointments are set to further strengthen the organisation’s capability across operations, corporate affairs, legal, people and technology, said Exchange for Change, all of which are core functions required to ensure the scheme is successful. This also comes after the firm solidified packaging details for containers in the scheme.
Andrew Smith has been named as the firm’s chief operating officer and brings extensive leadership experience with him to the position across consumer, supply chain, logistics, waste management and recycling. He has led major strategic and operational transformational change programmes at businesses including Diageo, IHG and Reconomy Group.
As chief operating officer, Andrew will lead operational planning and end-to-end delivery for the UK’s DRS.
Kate McFerran has been brought on as corporate affairs director and will be responsible for handling communications in regulated sectors across the UK and internationally to ensure a smooth introduction for the scheme in 2027. Prior to this position, McFerran has taken on leadership roles across Veolia, the Federation of Master Builders and LNER and has experience of the food and drink sector, including as a consultant to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
Meanwhile, Rekan Akram will take on the position of legal director and will handle regulatory compliance, governance and commercial contracting at Exchange for Change. He brings with him more than 25 years of legal experience across private sector and senior in-house roles across the UK.
The firm’s new people director Herink Malmquist will be set to lead all people and HR activity across Exchange for Change to support long-term performance for the firm. Malmquist’s career has spanned across talent acquisition, leadership development, employee engagement and organisational design.
And finally, Trevor Gordon will move into the role of chief information officer at the firm. Gordon has experience handling digital and technology positions across large-scale operational and system changes at firms that include Diageo, Vodafone and Vue Entertainment.
Russell Davis, chief executive at Exchange for Change, said: “More than 50 deposit return schemes already operate around the world, with another 20 due to launch in the next three years, and in October next year we will launch the world’s biggest DRS right here in the UK.
“Delivery is now our priority. We’re building the leadership capability that is vital to deliver this scheme, and these senior appointments strengthen our operational, legal, stakeholder and technology expertise to ensure the scheme is a success.
“Our focus is clear – finalise scheme design, build the systems and partnerships required, and work closely with producers, retailers, wholesalers and hospitality operators to ensure the scheme is practical, efficient and ready to launch on time.”
