Unlocking Leadership: With Owen Michaelson from Encyclis
Welcome to our ‘Unlocking Leadership‘ series, where we delve into the minds of visionary founders, leaders, and innovators. Through our Q&A interviews, we uncover the core principles that shape leadership in today’s dynamic business world.
This week’s Unlocking Leadership interview is with Owen Michaelson, CEO of Encyclis, a leading energy-from-waste company committed to ensuring no waste is ever wasted.
Owen’s career reflects a deep passion for sustainability and innovation, with extensive experience in developing low-carbon energy projects, waste infrastructure, and brownfield land regeneration.
Previously, Owen served as Chief Executive of Harworth Group, where he led its transformation during the restructuring of UK Coal and successfully re-listed the business on the London Stock Exchange. Beyond his executive roles, he has held numerous non-executive positions with organisations like the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Sheffield City Airport, Ayrshire Power, and the Tall Ships Youth Trust, showcasing his commitment to driving progress across diverse sectors.
He is currently a Board Member of the Environmental Services Association, Chair of Resource Recovery UK and a Non-Executive Director of Exeter Port Authority and the Godwin Group.
What are three core principles that guide your approach to leadership?
1. Trust your team to do their jobs, allow them to shine.
2. Be ready to change your mind or admit you are wrong if a better solution is presented.
3. Always be ready to share your strategic vision and keep your team excited about exploring the ‘art of the possible’ while also striving to deliver the ‘impossible’.
What have been the biggest leadership challenges in the energy-from-waste industry, and how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges we face is overcoming negative public perceptions. Most people would rather our facilities didn’t exist. However, we all expect our bins to be collected and we want our waste to be recycled or treated. The alternative, with rubbish piling up in the streets, is unthinkable. This challenge is best addressed by always being transparent and ready to talk with pride about what we do. We provide essential social infrastructure and our teams across the entire business are always supported in their efforts to explain this.
What are you most excited about in terms of upcoming projects for Encyclis?
We are working towards the first full-scale deployment of carbon capture at an Energy-from-Waste facility — a project that could transform the future of waste processing and create a new blueprint for progress towards net zero.
Our carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant will be linked with the Protos Energy Recovery Facility we are building in North West England. This programme is being developed within the Hynet decarbonisation cluster and with the full support of DESNZ (Department of Energy Security & Net Zero). It offers the potential to remove over 350,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year – which is equivalent to taking around 200,000 cars off the road.
What’s the best piece of career advice that you’ve received?
Delegate upwards. When I first left university I was employed as the assistant to the Waste & Minerals Manager at the Manchester Ship Canal Company. My then boss always advised me that if I was ever overworked or didn’t know how to solve a problem, the solution is to always delegate upwards.
I share this philosophy with everyone who works for me so that we can all share in the resolution of day-to-day business challenges. My experience is that this level of transparency and trust normally empowers the team to make better decisions while also being ready and willing to admit when they need help.
The UK government aims to achieve a 65 per cent municipal recycling rate by 2035. How feasible do you think this is?
This is a very bold ambition. In simple terms, anything can be recycled if we spend enough money on separate collections, cleaning and materials processing. There is a reason why recycling rates have been stuck at circa 45 per cent for 10 years. Change cannot be delivered by the waste sector alone. Recycling rates will only increase if the government delivers a seismic change in terms of new packaging regulations and if the general public follows the rules. It’s incumbent on everyone to embrace the principles of the waste hierarchy and push forward the circular economy.
Where do you see Encyclis, and the energy-from-waste sector as a whole, in the next decade?
Even if residual waste volumes decrease, the contrasting effect of economic and population growth could be a counter-balance. As such, I lean towards the median case which means that the residual waste volumes will remain constant. I anticipate that up to four new EfW plants might be built over the next 5 years to close the remaining gap between existing capacity and demand – but only if the proposed ban of combustible and biodegradable waste to landfill is properly implemented in accordance with the agreed timeline.
To support UK decarbonisation, I think we will see CCS plants added to at least 50 per cent of the UK EfW fleet in the next 10 years. I also see district heating finally being delivered on a Scandinavian scale across the UK when the ban on new gas boilers in new homes finally comes into effect.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in EfW or a sustainability-focused industry?
As a student I got involved in an environmental campaigning group. Our one claim to fame what that we published a book titled ‘The Youth Action Guide to Sustainable Development’. At the time we all wanted to change the world and save the planet. I said that I would look for the dirtiest industry I could find because that is where I could have the biggest impact. That is how I ended up starting in the waste sector in 1990. My career advice is if you want a job with social purpose, start with the worst performers and help to make them better. The [waste] industry has come a long way in 35 years and we still have some way to go before we are perfect. So if you have passion and principles, please get on board.
What strategies do you use to foster innovation and collaboration within your teams?
Always be willing to be creative and innovative in your problem solving. Never accept the phrase “but we have always done it this way”. If you take over a new company or hire new people you need to be ready to accept that your way might not be the best way. Explore the alternatives and pick the best solution. Use the data you collect to guide or verify your thinking but remember that the best theoretical answer cannot always be delivered.
Who or what has been your biggest inspiration as a leader, and how has this influenced the way you lead?
I have met many inspirational people throughout my career and the new talent I continue to hire is a source of ongoing inspiration for me. In many cases they are looking to me as the source of all knowledge without realising that my only skill, if I have one, is to help them find and then tell me the right answer. On a more personal level, I have worked with three leaders over my working life who trusted me, hired me and then backed me. I probably didn’t fit the role profile if one had been drafted. This taught me the value of identifying and backing those individuals who have the passion and drive to make a difference.
What practical advice would you give to individuals or small businesses looking to actively support and contribute to the circular economy, particularly in their approach to waste reduction and resource efficiency?
Just be brave enough to give it a go. Any business promoting a more sustainable approach is pushing on an open door with policymakers and the general public. Just do not get seduced by the latest whizz bang technology. The waste sector is remarkably low tech and so new solutions need to be simple. A colleague once said to me: ‘The big problem with new technology in the waste sector is that we handle waste. The designers of this technology assume that the waste is homogeneous and it is not — it is waste’. So be brave but be realistic about the waste you will be handling.
Owen will be speaking at the Energy from Waste Conference 2024 in London on December 3-4. Head here for more details.
