Leadership


James C. Fish

James C. Fish Jr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

James (Jim) Fish, Jr. is president and chief executive officer for WM. He is also a member of the Board of Directors.

Prior to becoming CFO in 2012 and his promotion to president in July 2016, he held several key positions with the Company, including senior vice president for the Company’s Eastern Group, area vice president for Pennsylvania and West Virginia, market area general manager for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, vice president of price management and director of financial planning and analysis. He joined WM in 2001.

Before joining WM, Fish held finance and revenue management positions at Westex, a Yellow-Roadway subsidiary; Trans World Airlines; and America West Airlines. He began his professional career at KPMG Peat Marwick.

Fish earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Arizona State University and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago. He is also a certified public accountant.

John Morris

John J. Morris Jr.

Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer

As executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) for WM, John Morris has responsibility for all field operations which includes oversight of collections, disposal, recycling, and landfills.

Morris has held several positions in his 20-plus years with the company including market area general manager of NYC, area vice president of Greater Mid-Atlantic Area, chief strategy officer, and most recently senior vice president, field operations.

John is a graduate of Rutgers University.

Devina Rankin

Devina A. Rankin

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

As the executive vice president and chief financial officer for WM, Devina A. Rankin is responsible for all finance functions for the Company. She also has executive responsibility for the internal audit, investor relations, supply chain functions and business development.

Rankin joined the company in 2002 and has held several corporate finance positions of increasing responsibility including assistant treasurer and treasurer.

Prior to joining WM, Rankin was a member of the assurance practices of Ernst & Young and Arthur Andersen.

Rankin has a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science in Accounting from Texas A&M University and is a certified public accountant licensed in Texas.

Charles Boettcher

Charles C. Boettcher

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer

Charles (Chuck) Boettcher is executive vice president and chief legal officer of WM. He is responsible for all legal, corporate secretary, ethics and compliance, government affairs, corporate development and venturing, oilfield services, security and real estate functions.

Boettcher has previously served as the Company’s senior vice president and general counsel. Immediately prior to joining WM, he was executive vice president, chief financial officer and general counsel of Dallas-based Oilfield Water Logistics, a produced water gathering, transportation and disposal company backed by private equity sponsor Natural Gas Partners.

Prior to that, Boettcher served for eight years as senior vice president, general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary of Houston-based Eagle Rock Energy Partners.

Boettcher received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota and a Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University School of Law.

Rafael Carrasco

Rafael Carrasco

Senior Vice President, Operations

As Senior Vice President, Operations, Rafael “Rafa” Carrasco has responsibility for all operations in the eastern part of North America, including oversight of collection, disposal, recycling and landfills.

Carrasco formerly served as Area Vice President for WM of the Greater Mid Atlantic. He was responsible for all profit and loss aspects of the Company’s operations in Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and the Boroughs of New York City. He led all collection, landfill, transfer and recycling operations and business support functions within this geography. Prior to leading the Greater Mid Atlantic, he served brief stints as Area Vice President of Eastern Canada and Vice President – Special Projects, directing the Company’s Bagster unit.

Before joining WM in 2016, Carrasco was an executive for Sims Metal Management for nearly 7 years, serving in several commercial and operational roles, before ultimately taking the reins of Sims’s businesses in Texas and Oklahoma as Regional General Manager.

After leaving his native Colombia, Rafa received a BBA and MBA from the University of Houston, while lettering four years as a Division I basketball athlete.

Tara J. Hemmer

Tara J. Hemmer

Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer

As the Chief Sustainability Officer for WM, Tara Hemmer is responsible for growing sustainable service offerings, including recycling, renewable energy and organics. In addition, she oversees all environmental, social impact and governance initiatives. She was previously Senior Vice President, Field Operations for the southern part of North America, including oversight of collection, disposal, recycling and landfills.

Hemmer joined the company in 1999 and progressed through various leadership roles across North America including Vice President of Disposal Operations, Area Vice President for the Greater Mid-Atlantic Area, and most recently Senior Vice President of Operations, Safety and Environmental Compliance. She also serves on the board of the Environmental Research and Education Foundation.

Hemmer graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Michael J. Watson

Michael J. Watson

Senior Vice President, Chief Customer Officer

As senior vice president and chief customer officer (CCO) for WM, Michael J. Watson leads the customer experience, sales, marketing, revenue management, and sustainability services organizations of the company. Responsible for the Company’s profitable growth strategy across all sales channels, Watson ensures the delivery of exceptional experiences across the customer’s journey. In addition, he is responsible for the Company’s purpose driven brand strategy.

Prior to his role as CCO, Watson served as area vice president of the Illinois-Missouri Valley market area encompassing six states across the Midwest. Watson joined the company in 1992 and progressed through various leadership roles across North America including corporate and field-based positions.

Watson received an undergraduate degree in Economics from Indiana University and an MBA with honors from The University of Chicago – Booth School of Business.

Donald J. Smith

Donald J. Smith

Senior Vice President, Operations

As Senior Vice President, Operations, Donald (Don) Smith is a member of WM’s senior leadership team and has responsibility for all operations in the western half of North America, including oversight of collection, disposal, recycling, and landfills. With over 33 years in the industry, Smith joined WM in 2000 and has held multiple field leadership roles including District Manager, Market Area General Manager of Central Texas, Area Vice President of South Texas and most recently, Area Vice President of the TexOma (Texas and Oklahoma) area. Prior to WM, he held leadership roles at Browning Ferris Industries, Inc. Don is a graduate of Texas State University.

Kelly Rooney

Kelly Rooney

Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer

As Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources and Diversity & Inclusion Officer for WM, Kelly Rooney is responsible for leading the development and implementation of WM’s overall human capital, employee experience and operational effectiveness strategy, with a focus on building organizational health and capability, developing talent, and strengthening employee relations. Rooney has held several positions during her tenure with the company including Area General Manager and Area Director of Collection Operations for the Heartland Area. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Roanoke College, a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University, and certificates in strategic planning, CHRO and HR management and analytics from the Wharton School of Business.