Talent, Trust, and Transactions: What Powers Circular Supply Chains
From executive search to M&A: David Watson on what really drives scale in reverse logistics
2025-08-05 31 min
Description & Show Notes
In this episode, we talk with David Watson from RL People and RL Equity about what truly drives circular supply chains at scale: the right people, systems that actually talk to each other, and strategic partnerships that go beyond pilots. From talent pipelines to private equity trends, David reveals why circularity isn’t just a sustainability buzzword — it’s an operational and investment play with real commercial edge. Expect bold takes on recommerce, reverse logistics, and why the future of circularity starts with who you hire.
🎤 Guest:
David Watson, Managing Director at RL People & Co-Founder at RL Equity
🗂️ Topics Covered:
- Why circularity became a core strategy—not a side project
- The talent gap: how to find leaders for reverse, repair, and resale
- When circularity scales—and when it fails: lessons from M&A
- Strategic partnerships: a rising trend (but not without friction)
- Why systems and people matter more than plans
- Future-ready sectors: re-commerce, ITAD, and textile-to-textile innovation
- How AI, robotics & consolidation shape circular logistics by 2030
- Why visibility, reuse and recommerce channels matter most
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
- RL People: https://www.rl-people.com
- RL Equity: https://www.rl-equity.com
- Circular Connect Newsletter by David Watson (via LinkedIn)
📬 Stay Connected:
Sven Schürer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/
Marcus Karten: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/