”You’re Pretty Smart for a Woman”. Series 4, Episode 2. Sophy Norris in conversation with Robin Wiener, President of ReMA

Sometimes being dangerous is about longevity. About deeply understanding an industry, the space you fill, and the power you have to transform. Our Episode 2 guest exemplifies this kind of Dangerous Woman. Robin Wiener is President of the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA), where she has worked for over 30 years. She is known as a passionate and visionary leader who advocates for the economic, environmental, and social benefits of recycling

Her organisation represents more than 1,700 companies in the U.S. and around the world that produce high-quality recycled materials, supplying manufacturing industries and helping to make the supply chain more sustainable and resilient. Whether it is the cars we drive in and the bridges we drive over, the wires that bring electricity into our homes and offices, the bottles we drink from, or the boxes that carry consumer goods and food into our households, it is the recycled materials industry that is responsible for so many of the everyday items and infrastructure that we all depend upon. It is impossible to go a day – or even an hour – without using a product made at least in part of recycled materials.

We use these words deliberately because they tell such a strong story. This is not the language of manufacturing, but of the everyday, and Robin has been instrumental in helping the recycling industry tell this new tale.

Indeed, Robin has led -as all dangerous women do – fearlessly from the front to transform the reputation of her industry on more than one occasion. Under her leadership, ReMA has expanded its reach and effectiveness within the United States and globally, fostering a culture of collaboration, safety, compliance and innovation.

Like so many Dangerous Women, Robin shares her knowledge expansively and generously. In this Episode, we discuss:

• Being a woman in a man's world, and embracing the power of being the only woman in the room
• Seeing, calling out, and forgiving ignorance
• Managing imposter syndrome, and regularly evolving ("if you are going through hell, keep going!")
• Transformation as the ultimate recycling; the importance of change and keeping relevant
• Why women are excellent at leading transformation
• The moment you know you are as smart as everyone else in the room, and why we become increasingly fearless as we get older
• The responsibility of role modelling
• The importance of continually asking questions, balanced with recognising when to trust your gut
• Following passions and passing them down the line.

• BIR - Home of BIR
• Home - Recycled Materials Association
• The Alligator Pi Agency | LinkedIn
• Sophy Norris - LinkedIn
• Robin Wiener - Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) | LinkedIn