David P. Steiner

David P. Steiner
President and CEO, Waste Management, Inc.

Headquarters: Houston, Texas
Website: www.wm.com
Primary Business: Environmental Services
Revenues: $12 billion
Employees: 43,000

2011 CEO in Action

At Waste Management, I know that talent is our one true competitive advantage. After all, in today’s business environment, every major corporation has access to the same tools and technology. Even the smallest organization can research a world of information on the Internet—a resource previously only available to major academic institutions and prestigious consulting firms.

As the leading provider of comprehensive waste and environmental services in North America, our company has rock-solid processes, robust systems, and one of the nation’s largest fleets of trucks. But without our diverse talent, we have nothing.

We employ more than 43,000 people and serve 20 million customers each year. Our success depends on continuing to build an environment with a broad diversity strategy and a culture of inclusiveness to help us understand our millions of diverse customers.

That’s why I am committed to creating a culture that appreciates differences. My team and I seek intelligent individuals who bring unique opinions, ideas, and perspectives to our company. Diversity and inclusion are an integral part of my long-term strategy because a successful organization’s employees know their opportunities are gated only by their performance. We are making good progress toward our goals, and we will continue to evolve our business and diversity strategies to build a stronger foundation that reaches all customers, markets, and talent.

Specifically, our diversity mission is to champion an inclusive culture that embraces individual differences and unique needs while driving innovation; to leverage the diverse talent of our workforce to enhance business growth; to ensure our workforce is reflective of the global marketplace and divergent population we serve; and to cultivate relationships with strategic business partners that will ensure our ability to access, attract and retain a diverse workforce.

Diversity is about more than gender, race, or ethnicity. It’s about who we are as individuals and the unique differences we bring to Waste Management every day.

Education: BS, Accounting, Louisiana State University; JD, Law, UCLA
First Job: Delivering newspapers
What I’m Reading: I like to read books about quantum physics. It’s fascinating to ponder how the universe was created.
My Philosophy: To surround myself with great people and give them the room and support to succeed.
Best Advice: If you want someone to do something, don’t order them to do it.
Family: Wife Judy; children Paul, 15; Matthew, 14; and Michael, 12
Interests: Spending time with family
Favorite Charities: Those that support people in need.