Amy Fanagan has found her passion : “I’m here for life”

There is a saying about somebody being a force of nature and around a minute into my chat with Amy Fanagan, this is how I see her. She comes at you with full force – in the best way possible. Right away I get the feeling that this is a woman who gets things done.

No wonder that in the almost fifteen years she has been working at Dublin-based waste management service company Greyhound Recycling, she has quickly moved up the career ladder. She started as a Sales and Marketing Manager and is now Group Customer Care Officer by way of project manager and Group Head of Operations. She has been involved in and proactively helped shape and develop the company so that it is now a leading service provider, especially in the fields of customer service, innovation and dynamic reporting tools.

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Did she have a career plan when she was young? “Definitely not,” she says. “I moved out of home at 17 and started working. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of going to college. And then I had my first child quite young and found myself a single mom at 21,” she says in a matter-of-fact way. “This is not a negative story. Just young love that wasn’t really love.” But she always wanted a family and a good career. So she set herself on making money. Since she always had a good understanding of technology, she found a job in the motor industry. Fast forward a couple of years and here she is in the waste industry at Greyhound Recycling. She heard about the job vacancy through a friend and even though she knew nothing about the waste management industry, she excelled at the job interview. They wanted her to start right away.

Amy soon discovered that it was an exciting industry to work in. “I also realised the lack of education in the domestic sector on waste disposal. I saw it in myself! I’m glad it is changing now. The things my children learn about recycling and waste disposal ‒ we were never taught any of it at school,” she says. The knowledge younger generations grow up with also enables them to live more environmentally consciously, she adds.

The company grew quickly and Amy Fanagan with it. “Right after I started the number of customers was growing rapidly thanks to a new Dublin City Council contract. We needed to bring in systems to charge, to monitor and also to educate customers on the importance of recycling properly. It was all hands on deck,” Amy remembers. And you can see how much she enjoys being challenged: “I love working under pressure.”

Greyhound is a pioneer of data analysis in Ireland, but getting there requires a lot of effort. “I don’t have a mundane job. No day is like the other and I like that even after all these years I am still learning.”

Even though she has been in management for several years now, she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Quite literally. “I remember one winter before Christmas it was snowing a lot, which in Ireland we are not overly equipped for. Anyway, a truck was stuck in snow and there was no one else around. So of course, I took a shovel to help get the truck out,” Amy Fanagan remembers with a laugh. “I will put my hand to anything to make sure operations continue. And I will always be there for my team. I call them my family. They really are my extended family. They were all at my wedding seven years ago.”

Talking about family, she admits that one of the biggest challenges is home life because she very often works long hours. For some projects like setting up a call centre in Cork, which is a three-hour drive from Dublin, she spent four days per week away from home over a period of 18 months. “I have an amazing husband and children who support me,” she says. Her eldest is over 20 now and there are six and nine years respectively between the other two. Her son is old enough to mind the younger ones if she or her husband are at work. “I’m really grateful for them.” She also cites the big age gaps between her children as one of the reasons she was able to have the career she has. “I don’t think it’s possible if you have three under seven.” But I must admit, after getting to know her a little bit through our conversation, I am pretty sure she would have made that work as well. After all, she says: “I don’t like failure.” That doesn’t mean though that she will pressure her team. “I think I have a great talent for directing people where their strengths lie. I never want people to drown in something they can’t do or aren’t capable of,” Amy says. And even though she can be tough on herself, she describes her leadership style as approachable, empathetic and supportive. “I give a lot of encouragement. I think in our fast-paced world people have forgotten to acknowledge other people’s work. But in my opinion, it is essential.”

Does she see a difference between working with men and women? “I think I approach things differently with some of the men I work with,” she says after a pause, adding: “At the beginning of my career, I got the feeling that some men might have been intimidated by me. Or they gave me the feeling that I did not progress because of my achievements and the good work I do but for something else. I never let that stop me. But I would say this industry is definitely not for the shy and timid. You need confidence.”

Nevertheless, she hopes more women would consider a career in the waste sector because according to her it has been the most rewarding industry to work in. “Don’t dismiss a job opportunity just because it’s in the waste sector. Women can thrive here as well. Just look at me!”

For Amy Fanagan, working in the waste management industry is for life: “It has opened my eyes to the value of waste, to the importance of the waste sector. I cannot imagine ever working in another industry.”

About Amy Fanagan:

Amy Fanagan hails from Dublin, Ireland, and currently works as the Chief Customer Officer for Greyhound Recycling Group. When she is not working, Amy is a devoted mother who spends time with her children helping them with their interests, which includes horse riding, drama, and swimming. In the evening she loves to "Netflix and chill" with her husband. When she gets some real time off, she enjoys travelling, cooking, and spending time with her wider family.