Following her re-election, BMRA President Susie Burrage, will serve a third term. Last year we spoke to her about her introduction into metals recycling for the BMRA centenary book '100 Years in Metal Recycling'. 

Susie is the fourth generation of her family to own a metal recycling company, but the first female. She is the Managing Director of Recycled Products Limited, which she established in 2001. Her childhood featured regular Saturday morning visits to the family scrap yard, Uxbridge Scrap Metal Company, and she started working full time there after completing her A levels, having turned down the opportunity to study for a degree in chemistry at Southampton University; a decision she has never regretted. 

“I was very fortunate to always work alongside my father. His knowledge and experience was imparted to me as I undertook a variety of roles including purchasing, sales, finance and customer liaison.

“Being a woman in our industry has never hindered me. I used to say to my dad, ‘you should have had a son’, to which he would reply, ‘you do everything a son would do and more!’ I have always been treated with respect by colleagues and associates, but nothing is given to you on a plate; you have to earn their respect with hard work. I found gaining industry relevant qualifications confidence boosting when dealing with others in our sector.

“In 2014, I smashed the BMRA ‘glass ceiling’ when I became the first female Board member. Being elected the first female President in 2016 has been one of the proudest moments of my career, to date. Hopefully I can inspire other females to join our industry.”