CHOOSE
A DIFFERENT TERRITORY
Based at one of EMR’s busiest sites, Kennedy Huhn is one of a growing number of women rising to senior positions in the recycling industry. And, since October 2024, Kennedy has taken on the role of Finance Lead at EMR Hamburg – a post that is essential to the efficient and profitable running of the vast site.
“The biggest challenge for me, at first, was having the confidence that, yes, I could do this job. There is a lot of work done with auditors and I have to be completely certain of the numbers that I am presenting – there’s still a lot to get used to.”
Fortunately, learning fast while on the job are things which Kennedy has proved adept at from the very beginning of her time with EMR.
“I first joined in 2018 in an admin role as part of an apprenticeship programme. It was an excellent way to join an industry I didn’t know very much about,” she says. “It’s a path I would recommend to others starting out in the industry, too, because so many young people only think about a few of the more typical careers they heard about at school – such as joining the police or driving a bus. This is an industry where if you work hard, you’re able to progress your career very quickly and it’s always different every day.”
And while many young people are increasingly wary of expensive university courses, Kennedy believes her route to a senior role at EMR has significant benefits:
“One of the biggest advantages of my apprenticeship was the ability to earn while I learned. During my apprenticeship, I attended trade school for around six weeks every three months, gaining both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Later, while working full-time at EMR, I pursued my accounting degree, studying after work on Tuesdays and all day on Saturdays. This allowed me to develop my skills and advance my career while remaining in the workforce.”
Though Kennedy joined EMR initially as an apprentice, she felt welcome and valued from day one:
“My first impression, was that everyone was really nice and very helpful. When you're an apprentice, they accept that you are starting with zero experience and are happy to teach you everything they know. I’d never worked in an office before, so I didn't know how everything would work out. I really appreciated that everybody was so open and accepting.”
Joining EMR represented something of a career change for Kennedy, whose previous role was as an au pair in the United States.
“Even though it was a very different job there are skills I gained as an au pair that help me now including my language skills, keeping a cool head under pressure and dealing with a number of issues all at once.”
While there are few greater responsibilities than childcare, it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that the importance of her new career was made most clear:
“Most businesses had to shut down in Germany but EMR never did that – the office team carried on working from home while the yard continued to operate as normal. It showed to me that what we do is so important that the government needs us to keep going even when most companies are being told to stop.”
Kennedy’s story is proof that, at EMR, hard work always pays off and opportunities are available for those willing to put in the time and effort.
“I’m very proud that I've made it this far, that I'm only 27 and that I have reached this level of seniority already. Looking to the future, I’m hoping there’ll be more opportunities to grow with EMR, build my confidence further and keep doing a role that helps our business to thrive in such a fast-changing industry.”
Read about other people who make EMR a great place to work, learn about our culture and values, or see our latest vacancies.
