Contact Us Recycled Plastics Technology Partnerships Mission About Us News Meet the people behind Circulus Our leadership team brings more than 65 years of combined experience in the recycling and plastics industries. David Hudson Founder & Chief Executive Officer David Hudson is the President & Chief Executive Officer at Circulus. He has over 15 years of experience in senior leadership roles in the global manufacturing and recycling sectors. Prior to joining Circulus, David served as an Operating Partner at Houston, Texas-based Ara Partners, Circulus’ parent company. Ara is an investment firm focused on sustainability and decarbonization strategies. Before Ara, David was Vice President of Commercial Business at Avangard Innovative, where he led all revenue-generating activities for the global waste and recycling optimization firm. Previously he was Director of Sales & Marketing at Recology, where he was charged with growing the revenues of a $1.2 billion fully integrated waste and recycling company. Prior to that, David served as both Vice President & Regional Manager and Vice President of Government Affairs & Business Development at Strategic Materials, Inc., where he had full P&L responsibility for the company’s facilities in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. David also spent seven years at Owens Corning, holding leadership roles in sales, government, and industry affairs and in various senior operational roles. Earlier in his career, he worked in the investment management industry, including roles at AIM|Invesco, UBS, and Prudential. David earned a Master of Business Administration, with honors, from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southwest Texas State University. He also holds a Certificate from The University of California, Berkley in Design Thinking & Innovation. John Griggs Chief Financial Officer John Griggs is the Chief Financial Officer at Circulus and is responsible for the company’s finance, accounting, treasury, tax, risk management, and FP&A functions. John has more than 25 years of diverse industry experience in matters relevant to corporate finance, including roles in commercial and investment banking, direct lending, private equity, and as a CFO. Prior to joining Circulus, John was the CFO of both Conquest Completion Services and Rubicon Oilfield International, the former a U.S. land oilfield services company and the latter a global manufacturer of drilling and completion tools, both of which were controlled by the private equity firm, Warburg Pincus. From 2011 through 2014, John was a Managing Director at CSL Capital Management, an energy-focused private equity firm. From 2005 through 2011, John was a Senior Vice President for the direct capital arm of the D.E. Shaw Group where he focused on direct debt and equity investments in companies in all industries, with a particular focus on energy services and equipment, midstream, and downstream companies. Before joining D.E. Shaw, he was an investment banker for several years at Simmons & Company International, and also held finance-oriented positions at Campus Pipeline and Southwest Bank of Texas. John earned a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. Daryl Smith Chief Operating Officer Daryl Smith is the Chief Operating Officer at Circulus, where he is primarily focused on facility development, commissioning of new facilities, process improvement, and operations. He has over 20 years of experience in management roles leading high-performance teams in waste management and recycling operations across the United States. Prior to joining Circulus, Daryl held several leadership positions at Republic Services, where he led operational improvements, project management, and new facility startups to streamline operations, capture efficiencies, and P&L management of over $100+million. He was General Manager at Greenstar Recycling in Houston, Texas, where he led the effort to design and build the first residential single stream processing facility in that market. Previously, Daryl served as both Senior District Manager and District Manager for Waste Management, directing all facets of waste/recycling collection transportation services for multiple facilities in the greater Washington D.C. area. Daryl earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology and Business from Southwest Texas State University. Nishat Jones Vice President of Marketing & Strategy Nishat Jones is the Vice President of Marketing & Strategy at Circulus and is responsible for leading the company’s marketing efforts and the development and implementation of the company’s growth strategy. She has over 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles in strategic marketing across packaging, oil & gas, and medical industries. She has consistently been recognized for her ability to strategize and plan initiatives on a global basis with expertise in developing and executing corporate strategies to increase profitability. Prior to joining Circulus, Nishat was the Head of Marketing at Victory Packaging, a WestRock company. She worked directly with senior management to define challenges, develop strategies, and create marketing/business development plans that supported national and local markets Prior to that, Nishat worked as the Global Marketing Director at TGS Geophysical Company. She worked directly with executive management to define challenges, cultivate strategies, and build successful marketing plans that supported regional business unit’s objectives for a three-year time span. Nishat was able to elevate the TGS brand within the industry on a global basis through the successful launch of new brand identity. She also has extensive experience with mergers & acquisitions and operations. Nishat earned a Bachelors in Business Administration in Marketing and Economics from Southern Methodist University. Tom Beatty Senior Vice President of Business Development Tom Beatty is the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Circulus and is focused on developing and optimizing customer relationships to support Circulus’ operations. These responsibilities include supplying raw materials, sale of finished goods, and other responsibilities to support quality control, logistics, and brokerage. Over the past 13 years, Tom has held leadership roles at Georgia Pacific, Waste Management, Greenstar, and Mid-America Recycling. He has held full responsibility of a $13 million P&L and two MRFs processing 10,000 tons/month. Tom has brokered material from the U.S. into five continents, primarily focused on plastics. Sara Madden Director of Human Resources Sara Madden is the Director of Human Resources at Circulus and is responsible for leading the full scope and function of the company’s Human Resources. She has over 13 years of experience in leadership roles in Human Resources across oil & gas and construction industries. Her primary focus is on employee relations and process improvement. Prior to joining Circulus, Sara lead the Human Resources department at Quanta Telecommunication Solutions where she had the opportunity to implement and shape the precedent set for HR, including onboarding, performance management, and employee relations. Prior to Quanta Telecommunications, Sara was an HR Business Partner at Valaris (formerly Ensco), American Bureau of Shipping, and Alert Logic. At each of those companies, she gained experience in various facets of Human Resources such as compensation, learning & development, and recruiting. Sara earned a Bachelors in History from the University of Houston and a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Houston Baptist University. Sara also sits on the advisory panel at the University of Houston for their Human Resources certification program. Partner with Circulus to advance the circular economy Connect with Circulus Privacy Policy Terms of Use © 2021 Circulus. All rights reserved. Careers We’re growing and seeking talented professionals to join our team. View Opportunities Contact Us Partner with Circulus to advance the domestic circular economy. Get in Touch Connect With Us LinkedIn