Twenty-nine years ago, Tom Bird attended his first BIR convention. ‘Three things have not changed ever since: my family, my football club and the strong relationship to BIR,’ he told the world recycling organisation’s conference in Singapore where he was elected the new president.
Bird succeeds Ranjit Baxi, who had been president of BIR for four years. The new president thanked his predecessor for his ‘excellent’ work during his leadership and expressed gratitude to be at the head of ‘such an important’ international organisation. ‘BIR is long established as the sole, truly international, recycling federation,’ he said. ‘I am honoured to be serving its more than 750 member companies and national recycling federations in the coming years.’
Tom Bird is ceo of Chiho Environmental Group which is headquartered in Hong Kong and claims to be one of the world’s largest metal recycling companies. Prior to his appointment, he had been BIR treasurer and member of the organisation’s executive committee for three years.
Bird has held several leading long-term positions in BIR, including interim president of the ferrous division and chairman of the internal audit committee. He also served as president of EFR, the European Ferrous Recovery and Recycling Federation.
Bird has more than 30 years’ experience in metal recycling, starting out in the family business The Bird Group, and acting in senior positions in companies such as Liberty Metal Recycling, Van Dalen and Sims Metal Management.
