Ven graduated from North Carolina State University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. Upon graduation, he worked for Martin Marietta Orlando Aerospace for six years as a senior engineer in its systems engineering group before joining Waste Industries, his family’s waste disposal company, in 1990. After serving in risk management, procurement, human resources, engineering and corporate development roles at Waste Industries, Ven took the position of Chairman and CEO in 2008. Under his leadership, the family business grew to become one of the largest and most respected privately held solid waste management companies in the country; in 2018 Waste Industries merged with GFL Environmental, where he now serves on the Board of Directors. Bolstered by his deep well of experience across all aspects of operations, planning, and corporate leadership, Ven’s analytical approach and strategic thinking help solidify the success of each Dewitt project.