Divert Names New COO

Chief Information Officer Bob Watkins promoted to leadership role as co-founder retires

3/18/2025

Divert promoted from within for its COO role, tapping Bob Watkins to take on operations.

Circular economy company Divert, Inc. announced that Bob Watkins is taking on the role of COO, elevated from his most recent role as chief information officer. The move comes as Divert continues to build partnerships, broaden its leadership team and make progress in its efforts to combat food waste.

Watkins joined the West Concord, Mass.-based company in January 2024 and, in his new capacity, will spearhead operations while continuing to lead the information and business technology functions. Given the nature of the company, he will be tasked with ensuring that the departments work together in a seamless, efficient way. Prior to Divert, he served as business and technology officer at Triumvirate Environmental and chief technology and supply chain officer of Surgalign. His 30-year career includes other executive positions with Smith & Nephew, Johnson Controls and GE.

“Over the past year, Bob’s collaborative leadership has proven instrumental in driving Divert’s growth,” said Ryan Begin, Divert’s CEO and co-founder. “In this new role, I am confident that Bob will continue to strengthen our operations, deliver better service to our industrial and retail customers, and foster our safety culture company wide. We are well positioned as we scale our infrastructure to 30 facilities nationwide.”

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Watkins is replacing the retiring COO Nick Whitman, the company co-founder who is staying on as an advisor and board member.

Watkins said he is honored to join the c-suite. “This is both an opportunity and a privilege to continue working alongside our team to strengthen our operations and support the company’s growth. We’ve made meaningful strides, and I’m excited to continue this work with our Divert team and our customers to drive even better outcomes together,” he remarked.

Earlier this month, Divert announced that co-founder Nick Whitman is retiring from his role overseeing day-to-day operations. Whitman will continue as a member of the company’s board of directors and as a strategic advisor.

“Nick has been an extraordinary co-founder and partner,” Bergin remarked. “Together, we’ve built a transformative company, driven by our shared values and passion to create a more sustainable world. I am profoundly grateful for Nick’s strategic insights, steadfast leadership, creativity, and partnership in establishing an exceptional team.”