Voices of Bradken-Charles Robitaille

Charles Robitaille, Category Manager – Recycled Metals and Alloys, from Mont-Joli

Circularity in action: Turning strategy into value

Meet Charles Robitaille, Category Manager – Recycled Metals and Alloys based at our foundry in Mont-Joli, Canada, who spends his days helping turn recyclable metal products into new value for Bradken’s global operations. What started as a logistics role more than a decade ago has grown into a career built on curiosity, problem-solving and a genuine interest in how things move in the world - especially when it comes to materials, systems and supply chains. Known by his colleagues as someone who really knows his stuff, Charles has become a trusted expert in recycled metals and global sourcing.

A natural organiser and proud team player, Charles is at his best when he’s bringing people together to strengthen Bradken’s circular economy programs. Whether he’s teaming up with customers on buy-back programs or finding smarter ways to recover and reuse materials, he’s all about turning ideas into action.

For Charles, circularity isn’t just about recycling - it’s about teamwork, creativity, and finding better ways to keep valuable resources in play. Read on to hear more from Charles.

Quick facts about Charles:

Current Role: Category Manager – Recycled Metals and Alloys
Joined Bradken: 2014
Bradken location: Mont-Joli, Canada
Hometown: Rimouski (Quebec, Canada)
Hobbies: Triathlons, travel, music
Favourite travel destination: Nicaragua - for the people, culture, landscapes and the sense of adventure
Three words to describe Bradken: Exciting - Dynamic - Challenging

What does your role at Bradken involve and what do you like most about it? For the past five years I’ve led the global procurement of recycled metals and ferroalloys (metals made by combining iron with elements like chromium or nickel) which means working with teams and customers around the world to secure the recycled steel and alloy materials our foundries need to produce new products while supporting circular economy initiatives. A big part of this is developing buy-back programs where we recover our own end-of-life products, mostly steel mill liners, from customers and bring those materials back into our supply chain to be melted down and reused.

I started my career at Bradken in a logistics role back in 2014, which gave me a really strong understanding of how the business operates - including transportation, warehousing, inventory movements and the connection between logistics and plant performance. Over time, I moved into supervisory, purchasing and then procurement roles, bringing me to where I am today.

What I enjoy most about what I do is how dynamic the role is. I get to collaborate with people across different countries, cultures and teams - including Sales, Operations, Finance and Sustainability - and bring those different perspectives and objectives together to achieve the best possible outcomes. I also really enjoy the challenge of the metals markets and building strategies that balance cost, risk and supply.

But maybe the most rewarding part is working with our customers on circular initiatives and finding ways to create value from materials at the end of their life that might otherwise be treated as waste. That’s where everything comes together. It’s not just about ‘buying scrap’ or reducing costs, it’s about building partnerships and recovering commercial value on both sides, while improving our supply security and reducing our environmental impact.

What inspired you to pursue a career in this field? I didn’t originally set out to work in logistics, not necessarily knowing what that even was when I was younger - but looking back, it fits who I am. I’ve always been interested in how things move, how systems work, how information flows and how everything connects. I’m naturally quite organised, so managing the movement of materials, information and resources just made sense to me.

I grew up in Rimouski in Eastern Québec, a region with a strong connection to the maritime industry, so being around logistics and transport in different forms was part of the environment. I ended up studying Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the Institut Maritime du Québec, and once I started working in the field, I quickly realised how much I enjoyed it.

Shortly after graduating I came across a job posting for a bilingual Logistics Coordinator role at Bradken - it seemed like a great fit for my background and skills, and I’ve been here ever since!

What do you think makes Bradken a great place to work? The people are a big part of it. I’ve had the chance to work with colleagues who are passionate, highly capable and genuinely care about the business, our customers and doing great work. The global footprint of the business is also something I enjoy. It can bring challenges - working across different time zones and business priorities – but balance is found through flexibility, strong communication and collaboration.

The work itself is interesting and constantly evolving, and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to learn, grow and develop professionally along the way. One of the biggest was the chance to work in the United States for three years (2017–2020), based out of our Kansas City office, which at the time was part of our Specialty Products North America (SPNAM) business. That experience really broadened my perspective. I got to better understand our North American operations and work closely with different teams and customers.

Overall, it’s rewarding to be part of a business where what we do really matters to our customers. The products and solutions we provide are critical to their operations, so you can see the impact of your work in a very real way.

What I enjoy most about what I do is how dynamic the role is. I get to collaborate with people across different countries, cultures and teams and bring those different perspectives and objectives together to achieve the best possible outcomes.

- Charles

A humble champion

Over the past several years, Charles has played a key leadership role in shaping how Bradken approaches circularity - turning strategy into practical outcomes across the business and supporting our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 (CN2030). Through his work he has delivered measurable reductions in emissions, waste and resource consumption, while helping major customers achieve their sustainability goals.

His impact was recognised by both colleagues and leadership when he received two honours in the 2025 Best of Bradken awards: Sustainability Champion and the Overall Best of Bradken Award, selected for the latter by CEO Sean Winstone. “I was truly honoured - and honestly a little surprised - to receive this level of recognition. I accepted it with a lot of humility, because this journey wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my team, as well as our Sales, Sustainability and Operations teams, and so many others across Bradken who help bring our circular economy initiatives to life. While we’ve made great progress over the past few years, the most exciting part is the work and new challenges still ahead of us.”

Is there a project or upcoming initiative you’re particularly excited to be part of? Yes! I’m really excited to be part of a team currently developing a solution for recycling our composite mill liners. It’s a different challenge to steel liners, so finding a scalable solution is both complex and interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing this evolve because it has the potential to become really important for Bradken and our customers, particularly in South America. It’s a great opportunity to expand our circularity offering, solve a new problem and continue building value in a practical way.

What does life look like for you outside of work? Outside of work, life for me is all about family and staying active. I’m a proud father to two young daughters and spending quality time with them is a big priority for me. I like to keep busy. I enjoy training for triathlons, travelling, surfing, golfing and playing music, although there never seems to be quite enough time to fit it all in. I also enjoy catching up with friends and family, especially over good food.

Being part of the community is important to me too. I’m involved in local fundraising initiatives - this summer I’ll be taking part in a 315 km charity bike ride raising funds for the Association du cancer de l’Est du Québec. I also teach logistics and operations management part-time at a local college. I really enjoy sharing practical industry experience with students and contributing to the development of future supply chain professionals.

What’s your advice for others thinking about joining Bradken? My advice would be to come in with an open mind, stay curious and don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo. Bradken is a place where there are always opportunities to improve processes, solve problems and create value, so being willing to learn and think differently really helps.

At the same time, being a strong team player is key. It’s a global business and cross-functional working is typical, so success depends on how well you collaborate with people across different sites, roles, regions – even languages. Being reliable, communicating openly and supporting your colleagues goes a long way in making an impact.

Sustainability

Circularity at Bradken

Our circularity model is more than a program, it’s a mindset. Together with our customers, we’re reclaiming materials, recasting value and returning impact.

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Circularity in action: Turning strategy into value

What I enjoy most about what I do is how dynamic the role is. I get to collaborate with people across different countries, cultures and teams and bring those different perspectives and objectives together to achieve the best possible outcomes.

A humble champion

Sustainability

Circularity at Bradken

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Circularity in action: Turning strategy into value

quoteWhat I enjoy most about what I do is how dynamic the role is. I get to collaborate with people across different countries, cultures and teams and bring those different perspectives and objectives together to achieve the best possible outcomes. quote

A humble champion

Sustainability

Circularity at Bradken

Explore
Products & Services

Explore
Sustainability

Explore
Knowledge Hub

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About

Explore
Careers

What I enjoy most about what I do is how dynamic the role is. I get to collaborate with people across different countries, cultures and teams and bring those different perspectives and objectives together to achieve the best possible outcomes.