Sophie Hager hopes to be an enabler for Veolia to ‘GreenUp’. The recently appointed Chief Financial Officer shares her first impressions and enthusiasm for environmental sustainability.
A new job can be daunting. The stakes are raised when that role is a senior leadership position at one of Australia and New Zealand’s leading waste management companies, which plans to be the missing link in the nation’s ecological transformation.
But just months into her new role as Chief Financial Officer, Sophie Hager is driven to bring Veolia’s big picture to life and take stakeholders along for the ride.
As an internal auditor for Veolia in France for more than a decade, Sophie knows the importance of financial results to fund long-term plans and projects. She also brings a fresh perspective to the CFO role and a passion for her work.
“It’s an interesting time to be with Veolia now in Australia because we have this big challenge – our GreenUp strategy – to develop all these amazing projects that can help make a difference for everyone in Australia,” Sophie says.
“For me, it’s fascinating. GreenUp is really a game changer, and I see every day that people are really committed to it. I’m really driven by the enthusiasm and the energy that the team is bringing.”
Veolia’s GreenUp strategy is a three-year plan aimed at accelerating ecological transformation by focusing on decarbonising, depolluting, and regenerating resources through its waste, water, and energy services.
It aims to position Veolia as a key player in the transition towards a more sustainable future by investing in innovative solutions, expanding into areas such as hazardous waste management, and prioritising sustainable practices across its operations.
Sophie will play a key role in ensuring the company financials back up the strategy.
“The environmental outcomes that we want to deliver are dependent on our financial solidity, as what enables our projects,” she says. “In order to grow our capabilities and to Green Up at scale, our investments need to be successful. We have a very clear strategy for this.”
Sophie is well placed to help deliver major projects. During her 16 years with Veolia, she has worked across all business groups including water, energy and waste and has a keen sense of the company’s purpose.
While based in France she was part of the team which, in 2024, secured a 12-year contract to manage the public drinking water service for the Greater Paris Water Authority. The contract is the largest water management contract in Europe and will deliver potable water to four million people.
It was a huge achievement, and one that left Sophie searching for bigger challenges. Seeking more international travel, a new culture, and the chance to hone her English, she began her role at Veolia Australia in January.
“I was always very passionate and enthusiastic about protecting the environment and that’s really what drew me to Veolia,” Sophie says.
“It’s a company that has a purpose, that has a meaning, especially now. Ten years ago, people were not really seeing all the implications of climate change, but now it’s really something that is on everybody’s mind and Veolia has a big role to play in combatting that.
“When I tell people I’m with Veolia, they are aware of the projects we’re invested in. It’s no longer ‘okay you work in waste collection’. People understand the meaning behind what we’re doing for ecological transformation. And I’m very proud to be working with Veolia.”
There are many challenges, but also “exciting new opportunities” that come with the role of CFO.
Coming from Europe, one of the challenges is trying to understand Australian regulation and the context. And Sophie’s motivated by Australia’s current shift away from landfill oriented waste disposal.
When talking energy-from-waste, she says Europe is well ahead, but Veolia’s global knowledge has been brought to Australia to support the country on its energy from waste journey.
She adds that Veolia also can have a big impact on treating different streams of pollution, such as Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
“Veolia definitely has a role to help Australia depollute, and we bring expertise to provide customers with viable waste solutions,” Sophie says.
“We have teams capable of solving almost every waste problem, and my role is to ensure those activities are appropriately invested in. The numbers are an important point of entry to solve environment-related problems.”
It’s not just Veolia’s environmental credentials that have drawn Sophie to the role. The company is committed to diversity and setting the benchmark to develop a skilled workforce.
In 2025 Veolia reached a 50-50 gender split in its leadership group and has several programs to support women including Women in Leadership and Women on Wheels.
The Women on Wheels program has resonated with Sophie. The program is as much about bringing a diverse balance to Veolia’s operational teams, which have traditionally been male dominated, as it is to providing women with flexibility in the workforce.
The program was adopted from Veolia’s global know-how and is being rolled out across Australia, offering skills and a pathway to the industry.
“I met some of these women, and kudos to them. They’re extraordinary,” Sophie says. “This program would not have existed 30 years ago and I’m extremely touched that now we can give women this opportunity.
“I’m a big advocate for diversity.”
Without an Australian licence Sophie won’t be getting behind the wheel of a Veolia truck any time soon. But she is more than happy to drive the company toward success in other ways. That means achieving financial targets so that Veolia can continue to grow and implement its long-term plan.
Sophie is part of strategic meetings to work through any ‘blocks’ and ensuring everyone and everything is on track. She hopes she brings fresh eyes, a new perspective and energy to the role.
“I’m passionate about what I do, and about supporting my team. I try to convey that,” she says. “Day-to-day I bring good energy with my peers, my teams and the people around me. I hope I can make a difference.”
For more information, visit:
www.veolia.com.au
