ITAD Consultancy Circular Integrity Hires Karen Fedder to Drive Partnerships

Circular Integrity, an ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) and reverse logistics consulting firm, has hired Blancco Technology Group veteran Karen Fedder as VP of ITAD partnerships.

Fedder is well-known across the ITAD sector. At Blancco from 2010 through June 2024, she focused on ITAD services for Chromebooks, networking equipment and other electronic devices. The company aligned those ITAD services with data erasure software for used IT assets.

Circular Integrity, founded in 2023, is based in Newport Beach, California. The company's mission: "Reshaping the way technology is managed across the entire lifecycle, from manufacturing, to use (and reuse), and ultimately the final disposition, ensuring a more sustainable future for generations to come." The team includes former Ingram Micro executives Todd Zegers and Tim Suhling.

In a prepared statement, Fedder said: "I’m extremely excited to join the Circular Integrity team to continue the mission of being a leading driver in the circular economy within the ITAD and eWaste industry. I have a unique opportunity to continue to add value to the network of clients and partners I’ve developed around the world by joining the Circular Integrity team."

Added Zegers: “I’ve known Karen for her entire career within the ITAD segment and couldn’t imagine a better partner to join our team and mission to help us take our clients and the industry to new levels. Karen’s relationships, work ethic, and transparent approach to doing business fits the DNA of our clients, partners, and internal team members.”

Fedder joins Circular Integrity at a key market moment. The company is expected to have a strong presence at ITAD 2024 -- an IT asset disposition conference scheduled for July 23-24 in Miami, Florida. The event typically attracts roughly 1,200 attendees, 100+ exhibitors, 50+ speakers and more.

Circular Integrity: Example ITAD Consulting Services

Key Circular Integrity services, according to the company, include:

• ITAD and Reverse Logistics consulting across OEMs, MSPs, Technology Finance, VARs and ITAD providers;
• product and downstream eWaste sales optimization;
• custom ITAD software development and implementations;
• global ITAD strategic partnership development;
• M&A corporate valuation & onboarding consulting; and
• end to End ITAD RFP development, management and onboarding.

Demand for such services appears strong. The anecdotal evidence: Annual spending on ITAD is expected to reach $34 billion by 2030, up from $16.8 billion in 2022, according to Research and Markets. That's a 9.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), the researcher said.

ITAD Market M&A, Startup Funding

Meanwhile, multiple businesses have been funding or buying their way into the ITAD market or related services. In July 2024, for instance, Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund invested in Cyclic Materials, a startup that serves ITAD companies and improves hard drive recycling processes.

M&A activity in the ITAD market has been strong. Buyers in the sector include Apkudo, Closed Loop Partners, Full Circle Electronics, Elemental Holding, Iron Mountain, Quantum Lifecycle Partners and TD Synnex, among others.

We'll be listening for potential updates at the ITAD 2024 conference.