Clean Harbors has announced the appointment of Michael Battles as senior VP Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer.<br /><br />Battles succeeds John Beals, who plans to remain at the company in a full-time capacity through mid-2014 as senior VP of finance to assist in the transition.<br /><br />“Mike brings more than 20 years of strategic financial expertise to Clean Harbors,” said James Rutledge, Clean Harbors Vice Chairman, president and CFO in a statement to media. “His accounting and CFO experience, SEC reporting background and leadership skills make him a valuable addition to our senior management team. We look forward to tapping into his considerable talents," added Rutledge. <br /><br />Prior to Clean Harbors, Battles spent 12 years in a variety of senior financial positions at PerkinElmer Inc. Most recently, he was VP and CFO of the company's Human Health portfolio. He directed the financial planning across each of the business units within Human Health driving operating performance. Prior to his role in Human Health, he served as Chief Accounting Officer for several years and Acting Chief Financial Officer during a one-year search period.<br /><br />Prior to PerkinElmer, Battles held several positions at Deloitte & Touche LLP from 1990 to 2001, including senior manager, accounting and auditing. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Vermont. He is a Certified Public Accountant.<br /><br />“In addition to welcoming Mike, I also want to acknowledge John’s significant contributions to our finance and accounting organization,” Rutledge said. “During his seven years with Clean Harbors, John has effectively overseen all of our accounting activities and played an important role in our financial reporting. We are pleased that he will be working closely with Mike and remain a key member of the finance organization during a lengthy transition period.”