Reworld Chairman Howard Lance Takes Over as CEO

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Reworld, a sustainable waste solutions company, has named Howard L. Lance its president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. The announcement came on October 30 from the company's base in Florham Park, New Jersey.

Lance has chaired the board since 2021. That is when funds managed by EQT Group bought the business, then known as Covanta. He replaces Azeez Mohammed, who will stay on as senior adviser to Reworld and as an industrial adviser to EQT.

As chairman, Lance helped steer the company through what the announcement calls a period of significant transformation. It included the 2024 rebranding from Covanta to Reworld and a wider focus on helping customers with profiled waste reach their sustainability and zero-waste-to-landfill goals.

"Reworld provides essential services that communities and businesses depend on every day, and I'm honored to lead this exceptional team," Lance said. He listed the priorities: operate safely and responsibly, deliver for customers, and keep advancing sustainable solutions that keep waste out of landfills and turn it into value. He also thanked Mohammed for his leadership and dedication.

Mohammed called leading Reworld "the privilege of my career." Under his tenure, he said, the company nearly doubled its footprint to almost 100 facilities and built the largest zero-waste-to-landfill platform.

EQT's comment

Alex Darden, partner and head of infrastructure for the Americas at EQT, called Lance "a proven leader of global industrial and technology companies." He said Lance has been instrumental in shaping Reworld's strategy since the partnership began. EQT is confident his leadership will accelerate the company's next chapter of growth, Darden said.

Lance's background

Since 2021 Lance has been a senior adviser to EQT Group. In that role he chairs the boards of Reworld, Arcwood Environmental and Voltera Power.

From 2016 to 2019 he was president and CEO of Maxar Technologies. Before that, from 2012 to 2016, he was an executive adviser to Blackstone and board chair of Summit Materials and Change Healthcare.

He was chairman, president and CEO of Harris Corporation, now L3Harris Technologies, from 2003 to 2011. Earlier he was co-president of NCR and spent 17 years at Emerson Electric, rising to executive vice president.

Lance sits on the board of Mercury Systems, where he chairs the human capital and compensation committee. He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Bradley University and a master's in management from Purdue University.

Source: Reworld