“I empower corporate boards and executive teams in complex, regulated industries to achieve sustainable growth and operational resilience through strategic foresight, rigorous governance, and a commitment to people-first leadership.”
Matthew C. Lewis is a seasoned executive whose career reflects more than four decades of transformational leadership, strategic growth, and operational excellence across the environmental services, hazardous waste, oil and gas, petrochemical, wastewater, and industrial services industries. Throughout his professional journey, he has earned a reputation as a results-driven executive who combines business acumen with hands-on operational expertise to solve complex challenges, develop high-performing organizations, and create sustainable growth. His ability to identify opportunities, improve processes, and inspire teams has consistently positioned the organizations he serves for long-term success. Today, after a distinguished executive career leading some of the industry’s most recognizable organizations, Matthew is seeking opportunities to leverage his extensive experience in the boardroom, where he can help companies navigate growth, manage risk, and execute strategic initiatives.
Matthew began his professional career with Shell Oil, where he spent nearly seven years developing a strong foundation in sales, marketing, territory management, and commercial business development. Working throughout the Midwest, he gained invaluable experience in customer relationship management, market expansion, and strategic planning while learning the operational disciplines that would shape the remainder of his career. His early exposure to one of the world’s premier energy companies provided him with an appreciation for operational excellence, disciplined execution, and customer-focused leadership that would remain central to his executive philosophy throughout every stage of his career.
Following his tenure at Shell Oil, Matthew joined Waste Management, where he would spend more than two decades ascending through progressively larger leadership positions that demonstrated both his technical expertise and executive capability. During his remarkable career with the organization, he served in numerous executive capacities including Regional Special Waste Marketing Manager, Southern Group Industrial Sales & Marketing Manager, Division President, Director of Industrial Sales & Marketing, Vice President of Manufacturing & Industrial Sales, and Director of Disposal Operations for Chemical Waste Management. Along the way, he successfully managed operations generating billions of dollars in annual revenue while overseeing hundreds of employees across sales, operations, environmental compliance, transportation, engineering, technical services, remediation, and hazardous waste management. His leadership contributed to significant revenue growth, improved profitability, operational efficiencies, innovative remediation technologies, and award-winning safety performance that established new standards throughout the organization.
Matthew’s expertise extends well beyond traditional executive management. Throughout his career, he has led hazardous waste treatment facilities, industrial remediation projects, environmental compliance initiatives, emergency response organizations, wastewater treatment services, transportation logistics, and complex commercial operations involving Fortune 500 customers across North America. His experience includes overseeing multi-site operations, managing extensive P&L responsibilities, directing pricing strategies, implementing enterprise-wide process improvements, negotiating national master service agreements, leading acquisitions, and building scalable commercial organizations capable of delivering sustained financial performance. His deep understanding of environmental regulations, RCRA compliance, hazardous waste management, industrial services, and operational risk management makes him uniquely qualified to advise organizations operating in highly regulated industries.
As Senior Vice President of Emergency Response and Environmental Services with United States Environmental Services (USES), Matthew further expanded his executive leadership by directing nationwide emergency response operations involving natural disasters, environmental remediation, industrial cleaning, oil spills, pipeline incidents, transportation emergencies, and hazardous material response. Under his leadership, the organization secured major government contracts while building one of the company’s most profitable business units. His ability to lead under pressure, coordinate large multidisciplinary teams, and deliver critical environmental solutions during complex emergencies demonstrated both operational excellence and exceptional executive judgment. Those experiences strengthened his understanding of crisis management, organizational resilience, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder communication—qualities that translate exceptionally well into board leadership.
Matthew continued building his executive portfolio through senior leadership positions with Quest Resource Management Group, BioDAF, TRADEBE Environmental Services and Chief Commercial Officer of Strategy and Growth at Reworld Environmental Services. In these executive positions, he has led commercial organizations responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue while overseeing national sales organizations, pricing departments, customer service operations, business development teams, marketing organizations, proposal development, wastewater treatment services, industrial cleaning operations, remediation services, and hazardous waste solutions. His ability to develop commercial strategies that consistently outperform expectations has resulted in record revenues, increased EBITDA, expanded market share, improved customer retention, and stronger organizational performance. Equally important, Matthew has demonstrated a consistent commitment to mentoring future leaders, developing talent pipelines, and building organizational cultures focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Beyond his operational accomplishments, Matthew is widely respected as a strategic business leader capable of balancing long-term vision with disciplined execution. He has spent decades presenting strategic initiatives to executive leadership teams, senior stakeholders, and corporate boards while helping organizations navigate changing market conditions, evolving regulatory environments, emerging technologies, and competitive pressures. His expertise spans business strategy, operational transformation, commercial growth, environmental sustainability, process improvement, transportation logistics, hazardous waste operations, wastewater treatment, pricing strategy, contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions support, and enterprise-wide organizational development. Combined with international business exposure throughout Canada and Mexico, these experiences provide him with a broad perspective that enables him to evaluate complex business challenges from multiple viewpoints while identifying practical, value-driven solutions.
Matthew believes that effective leadership is ultimately measured by the success of the people and organizations entrusted to your care. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to developing strong teams, building trusted customer relationships, fostering innovation, and creating cultures where continuous learning and accountability drive exceptional results. His reputation as a thoughtful problem solver, collaborative executive, and trusted advisor has earned him respect across the environmental services and industrial sectors. As he enters the next chapter of his professional journey through board service, Matthew is motivated by the opportunity to share a lifetime of business experience while helping organizations strengthen governance, improve operational performance, accelerate strategic growth, and create lasting value for shareholders, employees, customers, and the communities they serve.
Character:
Matthew leads with integrity, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to doing what is right for both people and organizations. His decades of leadership demonstrate humility, resilience, and a genuine passion for developing others while consistently delivering results.
Knowledge:
He possesses extensive expertise across environmental services, hazardous waste management, oil and gas, remediation, wastewater treatment, logistics, commercial strategy, and executive operations. His breadth of experience enables him to quickly understand complex business environments and provide informed guidance across operational, financial, and strategic matters.
Strategic:
Matthew has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to identify emerging opportunities, improve business performance, and position organizations for long-term success through disciplined planning and thoughtful execution. He approaches every challenge with a balanced perspective that aligns operational excellence with sustainable growth and shareholder value.
Communication:
An accomplished executive communicator who has spent decades presenting to executive leadership teams, corporate boards, customers, and large audiences. His collaborative communication style builds trust, aligns stakeholders, and enables organizations to move confidently toward shared strategic objectives.
