By Business & Finance 
Declan White is Regional Director for Water Services at Veolia, an environmental services company based in Ireland. White has been part of Veolia for close to two decades.
What was your first job?
My first job was working on a building site on Jersey island in the summer of my first year in college. The site was an apartment block, and I spent a few months pushing a wheelbarrow and carrying heavy things in 30 degrees (at least it felt like that). Looking back now, it was a different era in terms of health and safety and worker welfare, but it did incentivise me to go back to my second year in college.
What pushed you to pursue a career in this field?
I studied Engineering in college which gave me a solid technical base and then studied and worked in finance in the US after graduation. The combination of the two provided a much richer view of business – why we were building something rather than just how. Having that long term view of environmental projects, which underpins Veolia’s approach, made it a very attractive company to join when I returned to Ireland in the mid 2000’s.
What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date?
This is the type of question that all Irish people hate to be asked! I would say building teams in a business and developing that shared sense of purpose and looking out for each other has been very rewarding. It’s great to see people that you have hired develop, get promoted and end up driving the business forward themselves.
On a non-professional level – the Junior A football county medal from 2005 as a “seasoned veteran” was probably the highlight!
Career-wise, would you do anything differently?
I never had a structured career plan. I left some jobs that offered secure employment but didn’t drive my interest, moving on to jobs that were a bit of a leap of faith but worked out well. So, while my career path could have been smoother, I wouldn’t do it differently.
In one sentence, how would you define success?
Being able to look back on your career with contentment and pride.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
In my first job in engineering design, my boss told me – “never come to me with a problem without at least a suggested solution”. It was bluntly delivered but memorable.
How do you motivate yourself and your team?
Environmental services is a fast-paced, challenging environment with frequent high demands on my teams. I concentrate on setting clear goals for the business and I see my main role as removing obstacles and making it easier for them to deliver them for the business. When people have bought into the vision for the business, they are intrinsically motivated anyway.
What is your approach to overcoming challenges?
There is no silver bullet for this one. I try to approach the challenge from a few different points of view, try to not overthink it, and get some lateral thinking going. Getting the viewpoint of other people not directly affected is always very valuable. But the most important approach is to be resilient – keep plugging away, be flexible, and eventually it gets solved.
How do you relax?
I still attempt to take part in seven-a-side soccer twice a week which is relaxing and frequently embarrassing. Also, I try to get out to a few live music gigs when I can.
What are your aspirations for the future of your business?
Despite some current political headwinds, it is still an imperative that the world moves towards a sustainable and desirable future. Veolia’s mission is to lead that movement, harnessing the deployment of solutions that already exist and innovating to create those of tomorrow. My aspirations for the future are to grow our businesses in Ireland, across water, waste, and energy, by working on a shared vision with industry and state agencies. There will be short term economic and technical challenges, but it is the only way forward.
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