Brian Maeck

Brian Maeck is the Head of Global Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) for Sims Limited, a leading global metals and electronics recycling company operating across North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, and Asia. Based in Illinois, Brian leads the development and execution of the company’s global EHS strategy, focusing on critical risk management, safety culture transformation, workforce engagement, and operational excellence. His work has taken him to more than fifty countries, partnering with some of the world’s largest mining organizations and gaining valuable insight into what drives sustainable safety excellence across diverse cultures and industries.

Brian brings a unique blend of experience spanning communications, construction, mining, operational leadership, and global EHS management. His career began in broadcast journalism before moving into heavy civil construction and hard rock mining, where he worked in operational roles and gained firsthand experience with high-risk work environments. Those experiences shaped his practical, risk-focused approach to leadership and safety performance.

Over nearly two decades of EHS leadership, Brian has built and led global programs that have delivered measurable improvements in safety performance and organizational culture. At Sims Limited, he restructured the EHS function into a globally aligned organization supporting more than 270 operating locations worldwide. Under his leadership, the company achieved the lowest injury rates in its 100-year history, including a 46% reduction in recordable injuries and a 73% reduction in lost-time injuries, while shifting the organization from a traditional lagging-indicator approach to a proactive, leading-indicator model focused on critical risk controls and verification.

Outside of work, Brian has lived in four countries, married for 25 years and is the proud father of two daughters. His leadership philosophy is grounded in the belief that people are not the problem to be fixed, they are the solution to be engaged. Through trust, transparency, and a relentless focus on effective controls, he continues to help organizations create safer, healthier, and more sustainable workplaces.