WCO Announcement - Executive Roles

5 August 2026
APPOINTMENT OF WASTECO’s NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND OTHER MOVEMENTS
Appointment of Brian Cohalan as Chief Executive
WasteCo is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Cohalan as Chief Executive. Brian
will formally join us on 31 August 2026.
Brian not only brings significant experience in the Australian waste sector, he also has deep
experience in leading transformational change.
During a period of 17 years of waste industry experience Brian held senior roles with Sita
Environmental Solutions, Sita/CEC Environmental Solutions Joint Venture and Cleanaway (a
division of Brambles Australia).
In New Zealand, Brian held the role of Managing Director of Tyco NZ, where he led major
transformation and the merger with Johnson Controls.
Most recently Brian has held the role of Managing Director at Glidepath, and subsequently as
Vice President of Alstef Group for the APAC Region following Alsef’s acquisition of Glidepath.
WasteCo Chair Sean Joyce says:
The WasteCo Board is delighted to have an individual of Brian’s calibre join our senior
leadership team and are proud to have Brian lead WasteCo on its transformation. Brian’s
extensive experience and impressive skill set will be invaluable for reshaping and
reorganising the operation and financial performance of WasteCo.
Retirement of Roger Gower as Interim Chief Executive
With the appointment of the new Chief Executive, Roger Gower will retire as Interim Chief
Executive with effect from the end of August. Roger will be retained to provide transition, and
other assistance, to the new Chief Executive. We sincerely thank Roger for stepping in as interim
Chief Executive and wish him well for the future.
Appointment of Aaron Meyer as Regional Manager, Southland & Otago
WasteCo is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Meyer as Regional Manager,
Southland & Otago.

Aaron brings more than ten years' experience in commercial and customer leadership roles,
including recent experience in the waste sector. He joined Enviro NZ in 2023 as National Key
Account Manager, managing a significant national key account portfolio, before stepping up to
Auckland Regional Sales Manager, where he led one of Enviro’s largest regional sales portfolios
while delivering strong commercial growth.
Aaron has a strong track record of building and leading high-performing teams. Known for a
practical, solutions-focused style, Aaron is looking forward to bringing his customer-first
approach and proven leadership to WasteCo. Aaron commences with WasteCo on 17 August
2026.

Appointment of Ian Gear as Regional Manager, Canterbury and Tasman
WasteCo is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Gear as Regional Manager for its
Canterbury and Tasman operations.

Ian brings extensive senior operational leadership experience gained across New Zealand and
Australia. Most recently, he spent eight years with Pirtek Fluid Systems in Western Australia,
progressing from Centre Manager to Regional Manager and Company Director. At Pirtek Ian held
operational and financial accountability for five branches, and a team of more than fifty people.
Throughout his career, Ian has built a reputation for turning around underperforming operations,
strengthening safety culture, and developing capable leadership teams across geographically
dispersed, highly regulated sites in the mining, industrial and transport sectors.
WasteCo welcomes Ian to the team and looks forward to his practical, people-focused
leadership style helping drive safety, performance and growth across the Canterbury and
Tasman regions.
Resignation of Stephen Towsen – Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Stephen Towsen, COO has resigned with effect from 4 October 2026. Stephen is taking a new
role located exclusively in the North Island. We thank Stephen for his service and wish him well
for the future.

Contact:
Sean Joyce
Chair
WasteCo Group Limited
Email: sean@corporate-counsel.co.nz
Mob: +64 21 865 704

About WasteCo
WasteCo is a national waste solution company, processing and diverting liquid and solid waste
from landfill. It provides comprehensive solutions for household, commercial, industrial and
local authority customers. The company provides waste and sorting options as well as waste
remediation, sweeping and industrial cleaning services – all delivered using leading edge
technology and highly trained customer-focused staff. The Christchurch-based business was
established in 2013.