35 Under 35: Dominic Cullip, Senior Site Manager, Production

SUEZ recycling and recovery UK celebrates six of our emerging leaders named among the 2025 ’35 Under 35’ winners announced at the Resource and Waste Management Expo recently.

Over the next two weeks, we’re spotlighting each of our six 35 Under 35 winners (Dominic Cullip, Georgeeana Chinnock, Hannah Elliott, Jack Bishop, Joe Robery and Tadelayo Sodipe), sharing their stories and reflections in their own words as part of the next generation of leaders advocating for sustainable resources across the sector.

Dominic Cullip has worked for SUEZ for a little over 10 years now, eight of these being at Higher Brynn Wood shredding while also getting involved in other SUEZ operations, including MRF and transfer stations. For Dominic, being recognised in ’35 Under 35’ is “both a significant personal achievement and a meaningful professional milestone” and reaching am “incredibly rewarding” point in his career.

“Beyond personal ambition, it’s an honour to be acknowledged by the industry and peers for the contributions I’ve made, and it reinforces my commitment to continued growth and leadership within the sector,” said Dominic, who has also received the BBC Radio Cornwall’s Bravery Award in 2024. The recognition was to honour him for acting instinctively in a moment of crisis.

Here are some of Dominic’s insights and experiences:

On the job

I manage two transfer stations within Exeter and I’m involved in the site controls (H&S, environmental and financial). During this time, I work closely with the teams to ensure sites are compliant and also looking further into what we can do on site.

How it all began

I used to work for a skip hire company before SUEZ and didn’t see much in it until being made redundant. I joined SUEZ thinking it would just be another job, but it’s turned into so much more. SUEZ inspired me and gave me the chance to build a real career.

Purpose and motivation

I’ve always been a people person and being able to make a difference to the teams I manage and hopefully make their day-to-day work a little bit easier is highly rewarding and it’s what motivates me to do really do my job well.

Proud moments

One of my proudest moments has been leading our most recent WEEE project. On site, we’ve explored new ways to handle WEEE waste and turning what was once a costly disposal stream into several recyclable and profitable materials. It’s been both a challenge and an opportunity, and I’m proud that our site became the first to introduce several of these processes. It’s also opened the door for further development in the very near future.

Overcoming challenges

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced was integrating a team that joined us through a recent acquisition. It was important to introduce the SUEZ culture and ways of working without overwhelming people or disrupting what already worked well. Finding that balance took patience and communication, but it’s been rewarding to see the teams come together.

Moving the industry forward

I think there are still a lot of unknowns in upcoming legislation, which can make it difficult for companies like ours to move forward as quickly as we’d like. Clearer guidance and consistency would really help the industry progress faster and invest with more confidence.

Words of advice

Don’t be afraid to put your hand up to try new things. Question the usual way of doing things with materials as it might lead you to entirely new techniques.