Speedy appoints first ESG director

Speedy Hire has appointed Amelia Woodley as is first Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) director, as part of an ongoing strategy to achieve its “ambitious” sustainability goals.

Amelia Woodley, Speedy Hire’s new ESG Director.

The company employs around 3,000 people across 200 UK and Ireland sites and its long-term ‘Energise’ ESG programme aims to lower the environmental impact of its activities.

With almost 20 years of experience in similar roles, Woodley will be responsible for overseeing the ESG programme in its entirety.

She will also help deliver a number of strategies that will provide more sustainable products and services to Speedy’s customers.

Russell Down, Chief Executive at Speedy, said, “Responsibility and sustainability have always been at the heart of everything we do at Speedy and we are committed to working with our people customers and suppliers to build a more sustainable future.

“Amelia has a strong track record of delivering transformation and award-winning sustainability programmes across large organisations. She brings experience that will help us continue our journey to drive down carbon emissions and enhance social value across our business and the wider supply chain.”

Before joining Speedy, Woodley served as South Western Railway’s head of sustainability. During her career she has also held senior positions at companies that include Network Rail, AIG Engineering and BAE Systems.

Amelia Woodley, ESG director at Speedy, said, “I’m thrilled to be joining Speedy. It’s an exciting time to be part of a business that is leading the way in a sector making significant ground towards delivering a net zero built environment.

“I’m looking forward to building on the progress the company has already made, from providing greener logistics and zero-emission products to introducing active health and wellbeing programmes, and creating new initiatives that will drive positive change for our customers, our business and our suppliers.”

Speedy, which is also planning to introduce new employee and community support programmes, said the creation of an ESG director role was just one of its most recent sustainability investments.

The past few months have seen Speedy invest €5.6 million in its power fleet to cater to the growing demand for low-carbon site equipment and its Speedy Powered Access division added €2.2 million worth of new units to its hybrid equipment fleet.

Speedy’s Chief Operating Officer, Dan Evans, also joined the board of the Supply Chain Sustainability School earlier this year. The school aims to help construction businesses meet the targets set out by the UK Construction Strategy 2025.