Executive Team
Salvatore “Sal” Coniglio
Chief Executive Officer
Salvatore “Sal” Coniglio
Chief Executive Officer
Sal Coniglio was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Recology on January 1, 2021. Since 2000, Sal has worked in the resource recovery industry providing operational oversight to nearly all business functions, including collections, transfer stations, material recovery facilities, landfills, and composting facilities.
Since joining Recology in 2015, Sal has held various leadership positions. Most recently he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He also served as a regional manager, overseeing many of the company’s Central Valley collection and processing facilities in California. Prior to joining Recology, Sal worked for Garaventa Enterprises and Republic Services. Sal earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Leadership & Organizational Studies from Saint Mary’s College of California. In 2022, he completed the Leading Change and Organizational Renewal program from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Cary Chen
President
Cary Chen
President
Cary joined Recology as its first in-house counsel in 2013 and has served as Corporate Secretary since 2014. Before becoming President, he served in several positions of increasing responsibility, including Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Risk Officer. Over the last decade, he has overseen various corporate functions, including legal, corporate compliance, enterprise risk management, real estate, and corporate development.
Before joining Recology, Cary practiced law at Morrison & Foerster, where he advised public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, and other corporate matters. He also worked in-house at an international mobile gaming company and a publicly listed commercial bank.
In 2018, Cary was recognized as a “Best Lawyer Under 40” by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. He currently serves as President of the Board of APA Family Support Services. Cary earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford and a law degree from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings).
Gordon Heneweer
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Gordon Heneweer
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Gordon Heneweer joined Recology in July 2023 and currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
For the past ten years and prior to joining Recology, he served as Chief Financial Officer of CooperVision, Inc, a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of soft contact lenses. Prior to CooperVision, Gordon was VP of Finance and Interim Chief Financial Officer for Electronics For Imaging, a global provider of digital print management products and solutions.
Gordon has also held a variety of senior financial management roles for Applied Materials, Inc., a semiconductor fabrication equipment and services supplier. Earlier in his career, Gordon held various accounting and finance related positions at New United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI), a Toyota Motor Corporation and General Motors Corporation automotive joint-venture.
Mario Puccinelli
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Mario Puccinelli
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Mario Puccinelli began his career at Recology in 1978 as a driver in San Francisco’s Northeast Division, which covered areas such as Chinatown, North Beach, and the Marina District. Over the course of the next three decades, he served various roles throughout the organization including a seven-year tenure as General Manager for Recology San Mateo County, which provides services to the 11 jurisdictions that are members of the South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA).
In 2015, Mario was named Vice President and Group Manager overseeing the Recology South Group. Through this role, he provided collection, material recovery, composting, and landfill operations services to 25 communities spanning a geographical area from the San Francisco border to Bakersfield.
Mario then served as Interim Group Manager in San Francisco, and in April 2021, was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Mario serves as the Chair of the Recology ESOP Administrative Committee. He also serves on the Board of the Teamsters Assistance Program and the San Mateo Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA).
Meghan Butler
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
Meghan Butler
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
Meghan Butler oversees Recology’s strategy development and execution and in doing so leads the business development, sustainability, government affairs and communications & marketing departments. Meghan joined Recology in 2010 and held various roles throughout the organization in her early career, including positions in operations, facility development, government affairs, and corporate development.
Since 2017 Meghan’s responsibilities have heavily focused on Recology’s growth strategy, including overseeing the company’s growth through acquisitions and competitive contract bidding. Serving as Vice President and Director of Business Development since 2021, Meghan became a member of the executive team as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer in April 2023.
In 2019, Meghan was recognized as one of Waste360’s 40 under 40 award winners, distinguishing top performers and rising stars in the resource recovery industry. Meghan earned her Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from UC Berkeley.
Jessica Ernst
Senior Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer
Jessica Ernst
Senior Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer
Jessica Ernst currently serves as Chief People & Culture Officer since 2022. She oversees the People & Culture organization and supports the candidate and employee experience with a people-first approach.
Jessica joined Recology in 2010 in the Pacific Northwest as Regional Human Resources Manager. In 2017, she was promoted to Director of Human Resources at the Corporate office. In 2021, she was promoted to Vice President & Sr. Director of Human Resources and appointed to the ESOP Administrative Committee.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan University and a master’s in Human Resources from Regis University.