Mat Kavanagh

Mat Kavanagh is a forward-thinking environmental leader operating at the critical intersection of environmental regulation, circular economy business development, and sustainable industrial infrastructure. With over 14 years of multidisciplinary experience across the oil and gas, contaminated sites consulting, mining, and construction sectors in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, Mat has built a reputation for turning complex environmental liabilities into high-value commercial opportunities. His career began as a project technician conducting environmental assessments and site reclamation in Alberta, an early experience that solidified his core professional conviction: proactive environmental management is vastly more effective and sustainable than reactive cleanup.

Since relocating to British Columbia in 2016, Mat has advanced through increasingly complex environmental leadership roles. He has overseen regulatory compliance across extensive mining, concrete, asphalt, and cement operations spanning BC, Washington, and Oregon, consistently identifying novel pathways to recover landfill waste, monetize inactive industrial assets, and remove regulatory hurdles through technical innovation. Holding a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Environmental Site Remediation, a Master of Science in Environment and Management, a Professional Agrologist (P.Ag.) designation through the BC Institute of Agrologists, and executive training from the Ivey School of Business, Mat combines rigorous scientific knowledge with strong commercial execution.

As Senior Manager of Industrial Waste Solutions at Amrize, Mat led the design, development, and commissioning of BC’s first zero-discharge contaminated soil washing facility—a $25 million investment that marks Amrize’s first facility of its kind in North America. By establishing a fully closed-loop system that captures, treats, and recirculates process water, Mat eliminated major environmental discharge risks, streamlined regulatory approvals, and provided the local construction sector with a sustainable alternative that diverts millions of tonnes of contaminated soil from landfills annually while recovering reusable aggregates without new mining operations. In addition to managing Amrize’s soil acceptance network across BC—which handles over one million tonnes of material each year—Mat established the Cassidy Biosolids Growing Medium program, diverting 100% of Capital Regional District biosolids from landfills to create a reclamation product generating over $5 million annually.

Beyond his operational mandates, Mat is a dedicated advocate for industry-wide policy advancement and professional development. He serves as a Board Director for both the Environmental Managers Association of BC and the BC Environmental Industry Association, actively mentoring emerging professionals through the BC Institute of Agrologists and presenting nationally on circular economy practices. Through his work with the BC Stone Sand and Gravel Association, Mat spearheaded regulatory updates to BC Ministry of Environment Protocol 19, reducing unnecessary testing requirements to deliver over $1 million in annual savings for Amrize and more than $5 million in savings across the broader industry. Relentlessly positive, entrepreneurial, and collaborative, Mat exemplifies the next generation of industrial leaders who are transforming environmental challenges into sustainable, competitive advantages.