Description

Frans Alferink studied mechanical and civil engineering in The Netherlands. After 10 years of working in material research in the Dutch gas industry he joined Wavin Research and Development as Development manager “Pipe System Applications”. He has been involved in several civil engineering studies in The Netherlands and joined an expert group which established a Pipeline Engineering course. For several years he also lectured the Application and design of Plastics Pipes part in this course.

In 1990 he joined the Research and Development department (R&D) of Wavin in which he was involved in the development and implementation of Plastics pipes systems in various European countries. He also managed Know-how projects with the aim to determine how Plastic chambers and manholes behave in various soils, resulting in the development of several products, fit for the application.

Next to that he carried out Multi-sponsor projects for the European Plastics Pipes and Fittings association (TEPPFA) and the Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe (APME). He published numerous papers on pipe system related issues and gave many presentations in Europe, Latin Amerika, USA & Canada, Australia, Asia and Africa.

Since 2004 he is account manager for Amanco in Latin America, nowadays called Fluent Latam, part of Mexichem. He is supporting Fluent Latam in various issues related to production of advanced products such as bi-oriented PVC pipes for water supply. However, his main effort is dedicated to sharing best practices in Water & Waste water applications. This includes the supply of potable water, the discharge of waste water and the management of storm water. The focal point in this work is to obtain a higher level of sustainability of the final solution.

The driver behind many of his presentation is expressed best in the following sentence: “In order to improve and obtain Sustainable societies above ground, the development of sustainable pipeline system below ground is very much key.”

Alfredo holds a Civil Engineering Degree from the Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Argentina) and a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering, UPC (Polytechnic University of Catalonia) Barcelona. He has worked as a Chemical Technician at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, in Argentina.

He was appointed the senior consultant, project manager and director of the Environmental Department “Instituto Cerdà” (Barcelona), between 1991-2004. Prior to that, he was a researcher and visiting professor at UPC (Barcelona) over four years.

Dr. Baunemann studied at University Gießen and holds a Doctorate in heavy metal toxicology. From 1989 he worked for Verband der Kunststofferzeugende Industrie e.V. (now PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V.)

Between 1989 and 1995 he was a technical expert in the Business Unit, Plastics and Environment. From 1995 he was Head of Business Unit “Plastics and Consumer”. In 2011 Rudiger became Director General, PlasticsEurope Deutschland and Regional Director Central Europe of PlasticsEurope.

Since 1989 Maribel is the co-owner of Plasper where she has developed the supply of P-PVC scraps at the European level. At the same time, she has been focused on understanding the needs of clients and proposes solutions for the use of Recycled P-PVC.

With experience since 1983 in the plastics industry, Plasper is specialised in the research, development and production of thermoplastic compounds.

Its main activity at the beginning was the trading of recycled plastics and in 1992 it specialised in the production of recycled Plasticised PVC compounds.

From the post industrial waste, Plasper collects from all over Europe and produces tailor-made recycled compounds for different applications mainly serving the building industry.

With a production capacity of 70.000 tonnes/year Plasper produces a wide range of Masterbatches and Additives and dedicates 15.000 tonnes/year to its PVC recycling business unit.

Industrial Engineer with a background in management and business administration with more than 25 years leading multinational business projects. Luix is skilled in developing business strategies and its implementation and optimisation of processes and organizations. Luis also has high participative leadership, positive attitude and is entrepreneurial, proactive and results-oriented. Luis likes to encourage the development and progress of the persons as well as innovation.

Education:

Superior Engineering at ICAI, specialising in mechanics (class of 1979)

Commercial Management and Marketing at ICADE (class of 1982)

MBA from IESE (class of 1989)

Profesional experience in plastic business:

2005- 2012: Aquatecnic Systems S.A. Joint-Venture with Wavin. A company focused in sale of turnkey projects of systems for rain and storm water management.CEO, Chief Executive Officer

1993-2005: Uralita Piping Systems Division. PVC Plastic pipe converter. General Manager

A highly accomplished executive, Aiñe Curran holds the position of President & CEO of the Vinyl Institute of Canada, and the position Chair of the Global Vinyl Council.

Earning her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, Aiñe lists French Immersion at L’Université de Montpellier, France, a business internship with Canon Inc. Tokyo, Japan, and graduation from The Women’s School of Political Campaign Management at Yale University as only several of her academic accomplishments.

Aiñe began her career in the Government and Public Relations industry with Rogers Communications, Canada’s largest media corporation.

As producer and moderator of several television programs including “The Business File”, and “Politically Speaking”, both public advocacy programs contributed to Aiñe’s eventual reputation as a Canadian leader in communications and advocacy management.

Having also represented global organisations as The Salvation Army in Tanzania, Africa to the crisis communications management for Arthur Andersen Canada through the global Enron crisis, Aiñe’s leadership experience extends from grassroots activism to global positioning tactics.

Residing in Donegal, Ireland until 2014 when she accepted the position of Director General - Issues Management for the plastics Industry in Canada, Aiñe went onto later accept the role of President and CEO for the Vinyl Institute of Canada in January 2016.

In September of 2016 Aiñe launched “The Sensible Environmentalist” video Master Class series featuring Greenpeace Co-Founder, Dr. Patrick Moore. The series expands on vinyl industry advocacy on subjects of C02, natural gas, fracking, vinyl, and the soon to be released episode on “Activist Campaigns in America”.

Aiñe is on the board of the Canadian Council of Sustainable Industries which is the leading association for sustainable development for manufacturing in Canada.

Aiñe is a cyclist, recreational boxer, recreational writer of fiction, and a perpetual optimist. She resides in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Dr. Brigitte Dero holds a PhD in Sciences (Molecular Biology) from the University of Brussels (ULB) in Belgium. Early in her career she worked for a special programme of the World Health Organisation on tropical diseases before moving to the metals industry to work in the occupational health, safety and environment arenas and, subsequently, on waste management and recycling.

In June 1999 she joined the European Chemical Industry Council to manage the plastic additives sector groups , PVC stabilisers, plasticisers, flame retardants, antioxidants and food contact additives.

In December 2011 Brigitte became general manager of the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM).

In January 2014 she became general manager of VinylPlus the umbrella under which 200 companies from the PVC value chain (resin, chemical additives, and plastic converters) work together to increase the sustainability performance of PVC.

In 2012 she registered VinylPlus in the UN Registry of Commitments and engaged VinylPlus with UNEP/UNIDO. IN 2013, VinylPLus became a member of the UNIDO/UNEP Green industry platform, a global high-level, multi-stakeholder partnership to mobilise action on Green Industry around the world.

She is Belgian, married and has two sons. Brigitte is passionate about science & sustainability, women in chemistry & education. She supports the ‘Women in Green industry chapter’ of UNIDO/UNEP.

Dick Doyle is the President and CEO of the Vinyl Institute, the national trade association representing major vinyl resin manufacturers throughout North America. The Vinyl Institute serves as the collective voice for the vinyl industry; engaging stakeholders throughout the vinyl value chain in expanding key markets, advocating industry priorities with government, communicating the benefits of vinyl, and promoting the life-cycle benefits of vinyl products. Dick has served in this capacity at the Vinyl Institute since 2011.

Prior to joining the VI, Dick served as the President of the International Sleep Products Association, an organisation representing 750 mattress manufacturers and their suppliers in 22 countries.

Dick worked for 18 years at the American Chemistry Council where, among other assignments, he led Responsible Care, an internationally recognised award-winning environmental, health and safety initiative that produced substantial performance improvement throughout the chemical industry.

Dick is the Past Chair of the National Association of Manufacturers Council of Manufacturing Associations, a member of the Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100, and Board Member of the Wildlife Habitat Council. Dick was Chair of the Global Vinyl Council.

Obtaining a degree and doctorate in chemistry, Dr Josef Ertl began his professional career at Hoechst AG. After assignments in research, development and production in various staff functions, he became global production manager for inorganic chemistry at the Hoechst Group, before assuming overall responsibility for the chlorine chemistry business. He played an active role in restructuring the chemical business at Hoechst.

Josef joined Vinnolit in 1998 where he led the business units Monomers and Thermoplastics. In 2001, he joined the Management Board and as managing director and CEO led the transformation of Vinnolit into a global market leader in specialty PVC. Since November 2015, Josef consults to Vinnolit as a Member of the Advisory Board, supporting the company in its strategic development.

Engaging actively in various roles in the trade bodies of the European plastics industry and German chemical industry, Josef served as the chairman of Vinyl 2010 and VinylPlus, the association putting into practice the Voluntary Commitment of the European PVC industry to sustainable development, from 2006 to 2008 and in 2011, and since April 2016 in the same function again.

Dr Mark Everard has been involved in sustainable development since the late 1970s. During this time, he has worked variously in academia, Government and the regulatory sector, industry and NGOs, advancing both the theory and practical application of sustainable development. Currently, Mark combines roles as Associate Professor of Ecosystem Services at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) with independent work as a consultant, author and broadcaster. In these roles, Mark has advised governments on strategic sustainable development issues in the UK and across Europe, in South Africa, east Africa, China and Sri Lanka.

Dr Everard is an expert in systems thinking and its application to a diverse range of sustainable development challenges. Many of these revolve around water – its ecology, uses and management, having played a leading role in development and practical application of ecosystem services. He has also been a leading thinker in sustainable resource cycles, including pioneering work with the PVC and wider plastics industry, and is not afraid to challenge established orthodoxies when justified by science.

In addition to his research, advocacy and policy development work, Mark is also a frequent contributor to printed media, TV, radio and public presentations. He is also the author of twenty-three books addressing ecosystems, ecosystem services, sustainable resource use and fishes. Also a wildlife photographer and occasional musician, Mark is inspired by his diverse activities to advance the appreciation and regeneration of ecosystems vital for sustaining wildlife and people – our basic needs, economic activities and broader dimensions of ‘quality of life’, in a highly interdependent way. Also in recognition that all human activities, ranging from what we eat and excrete to our diverse industries and resource-use habits, also operate integrally with supportive ecosystems with which we need urgently to develop more synergistic and sustainable interactions.

Timoteo is an Industrial engineer from the Madrid Polytechnic University and has been working over the last five years in the Chemicals Unit of DG GROW (Internal Market, Industry and Entrepreneurship).

During these five years, Timoteo has been involved in policies related to the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry such as energy, climate change and chemicals regulations. He recently has contributed to files like the Circular Economy Package and the Plastic Strategy.

In relation to the Plastics Strategy Timoteo follows initiatives like the Voluntary commitments as well as Voluntary pledges to boost the uptake of recycled plastics.

Dick Heinle is tje Vice President/General Manager of Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A., Vinyl Division, headquartered in Livingston, NJ.

Dick holds a degree in Business Administration, and began his career at Great American Chemical Corporation, a PVC resin and compound company, located in Massachusetts, where he gained experience in quality control, R&D, environmental laboratories, technical services and sales.

Since joining Formosa in 1981, Dick has held various responsibilities in marketing, logistics, and sales, including segments of Polyolefins and Cholorovinyls, up to his current role as Vice President/ General of Formosa’s Vinyl Division.

An Associate Fellow of London’s prestigious Chatham House think tank, Paul Hohnen is an independent consultant who provides strategic advice to a range of international organisation, business, government and non-profit clients on global sustainable development and corporate social responsibility trends and issues.

Trained as an international lawyer, Hohnen was closely involved in the 1992, 2002 and 2012 UN sustainability summits, as well as in a wide range of climate change and other global treaties. An expert on responsible business practices, Hohnen has participated in the development and/or roll out of the UN Global Compact, the OECD MNE Guidelines, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and the ISO 26000 Social responsibility guidance.

His ability to work with diverse stakeholder groups stems from a unique career, in which he has been a senior diplomat, international civil servant, policy director of Greenpeace International, and Strategic Director of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). In addition to facilitating a range of high level and expert Chatham House meetings, Hohnen has chaired ministerial and CEO level meetings for various UN and business organisations.

Matthias joined VEKA AG in 2016 as Head of Strategic Marketing. Since November 2017, when VEKA AG acquired a major share of the leading extrusion company in India. Matthias also manages VEKA’s operations in India.

Before joining VEKA, Matthias worked for the German-Japanese DMG MORI Group, the market leader in the machine tooling industry. From 2010 – 2013, he managed the merger between DMG and MORI in Europe. From 2013 – 2015 he was the managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

Matthias studied Industrial Marketing and supply-chain management in Muenster (Germany) and Austin, TX (U.S.). He holds a PhD in Industrial Marketing. In 2015/2016 he worked as a lecturer in Marketing and Management at The University of Melbourne. He has published several articles in the area of Industrial Marketing and Social Marketing.

Ms Aruna Kumari has done her M. Tech from University Department of Chemical Technology Mumbai.

She has published two research papers and four articles in National and International journals.

Aruna has a rich experience in product development, processing of PVC products and techno-commercial analysis during her tenure in the industry. Starting her career with Indofil Chemicals Company (one of the leading additives manufacturers in India), she was involved in development of various processing aids and impact modifiers for PVC.

Aruna presently works with Reliance Industries Ltd., in the Business Development Group. She works on PVC sustainability and is also the Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific Vinyl Network.

Sophi has worked with the Australian PVC sector’s industry association, the Vinyl Council of Australia, since its establishment in 1998. Based in Melbourne, she has been its Chief Executive since 2002. The purpose of the Vinyl Council is to enhance the industry’s opportunities for growth through sustainable development.

Sophi has been instrumental in the establishment and management of the Australian industry’s PVC Stewardship Program and in developing the Best Practice PVC accreditation scheme for PVC manufacturing, recognised by the Green Building Council of Australia.

She has also been responsible for initiating a successful recycling program with Australian hospitals for PVC medical waste which is now being adopted in New Zealand and other countries.

She is a director and recent past Chair of the Asia Pacific Vinyl Network, an association of PVC producers across the Asia Pacific, and an active participant in the Global Vinyl Council.

Sophi is a member of a number of advisory panels for Australian ecolabels and rating tools, and the Global Product Stewardship Council.

She has Masters degrees in Environmental Science and Economics.

Bachelor in Chemistry from the University Autonoma de Madrid, and MBA from the Instituto de Empresa (IE).

More than 20 years’ experience in Plastics (most of it in Polyolefins) and seven years’ experience in synthetic rubber. Worked for Exxon for 10 years and for Repsol Chemical for 19 years.

International experience:
Four years, working for Exxon, in Brussels

Multicultural experience
Seven years leading a company with more than 500 employees, Revenues above 500M US$, main assets in Spain and Mexico and a new plant built in China.

Vast experience in different industry associations (CEFIC, FEIQUE, EPCA, IISRP, Plastics Europe, CIDAPA)

Took current position at Plastics Europe in January 2017

For more than 15 years Lars Meeß-Olsohn has been working with lightweight structures at the interface of design and engineering.

With that experience in 2009 he initiated the competence network TEXTILE-ARCHITEKTUR

The aim is to inform planners and investors extensively about the possibility of building with tensile architecture and innovative textiles/foils.

Cooperating partners are innovative and experienced manufacturers, processors, engineers and designers with national and international orientation in the field of tensile constructions.

Jirawadee has a Master's Degree in Polymers from the Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University, and Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Chemistry from King Mongkut University of Technology, North Bangkok.

She had worked with Vinyl Industry for seven years in various fields like R&D, Technical Services, Sales, Government Liaison and Eco-product development.

She has been the Assistant General Manager since AVC was established in 2010. She played key roles in a co-research team, worked successfully with an academic to study PVC Life Cycle Assessment for pipe and fitting, Recycled PVC National Database. Jirrawadee was also invited by the authorities to be in the Technical Committee of Industrial National Standard and Eco-label product criteria.

Currently, as the General Manager, she aspires to continue working together with all supply chain, authorities and NGOs to move forward the sustainability of Vinyl Industry in ASEAN.

Master degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Salamanca University. Master degree in Food Sciences and Technologies at Burgos University. Master Degree in Environmental Management at the Industrial Organization School (E.O.I. Business School) in Madrid.

For the last 20 years, she has been working for the biggest consumer organization in Spain, OCU. She has been involved in more than 150 national and international projects as supervisor or project manager, on different environmental domains (waste, water, air quality, chemicals, environmental impact assessment, food sustainability) with different purposes (evaluation, research, education or advocacy). She is used to designing test proposals, writing technical reports as well as disseminating results in the media.

Member of the Environment Advisory Council at the Spanish Environmental Ministry. OCU representative at different national and international stakeholders’ meetings like the European Food Sustainable Consumption and Production Roundtable, the National Environmental Congress (CONAMA) and some national working groups focused on waste and circular economy.

Since 2013, she has also been collaborating with the European Commission research program as reviewer and evaluator of EU-funded projects. Furthermore, since 2017, she is the task manager of OCU activities in CIRC-PACK project (Horizon 2020 project, www.circpack.eu), that aims at a more sustainable, efficient, competitive, less fossil fuel dependent, integrated and interconnected plastic packaging value chain.

Shigetaka Seki is the Executive Director of the Vinyl Environmental Council, an association of vinyl resin and monomer manufacturers in Japan.

Before taking the positon in 2007 he held several senior positions in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) including that of Director of Chemical Control Division and Counselor for Environmental Affairs, Head of Country Studies Division of the International Energy Agency in Paris, and as Senior Researcher of the International Institute of Policy Studies, founded by former prime minister Nakasone.

With his background of energy and environment, he served as Review Editor of the IPCC AR4 WGIII, Chapter on Industry.

He received a Master's Degree from the J.F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard (MPP '87), another Master's Degree from the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo (Chemistry, 1980) and a Bachelor's Degree from the Waseda University (Chemistry, 1978).

Arjen Sevenster graduated in 1971 as chemical engineer at the University of Mulhouse in France and completed a PhD in physical chemistry in 1974. After one year of post-graduate research at the University of Lancaster (UK) he joined the Shell Group in 1975.

During his 25 years working for Shell, he held various managerial positions in France, the Netherlands, Hong-Kong and Belgium, dealing with chemical technology and production of various petrochemical products, including lubricating oil additives, solvents, higher olefins, detergents, expandable polystyrene and PVC.

In 2001 he joined the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) in Brussels. ECVM’s members are six leading European companies producing PVC resin. As Technical and Environmental Affairs Senior Manager, he is in charge of issues related to health, safety and environment. This includes active involvement in VinylPlus, the association managing the sustainability Voluntary Commitment of the PVC Industry. One of the key commitments of VinylPlus is to develop the recycling of PVC. He is also managing the Building and Construction activities of PlasticsEurope, the association of plastic raw materials manufacturers.

Nilgün Tas is the Chief for the Industrial Resource Efficiency Division and Deputy Director of the Department of Environment, UNIDO. She also leads UNIDO’s cross-departmental team for circular economy.

As a private sector development specialist with over 30 years of experience, Nilgün held various positions as Chief for Competitiveness, Business Environment and Industrial Upgrading Unit, Chairperson of the Gender Mainstreaming Steering Committee, UNIDO Representative in Vietnam and Chief/Senior Technical Advisor for various UNIDO, UNDP, OECD and TIKA projects since 1996.

Previously, Nilgün was the Vice President of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Administration (KOSGEB) in Turkey; a founder and Board Member for the Turkish Credit Guarantee Fund Company (KGF), and a founding team member of the Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TIKA). In her capacity as Projects and Programmes Coordinator of TIKA, she deployed funding for technical assistance projects in the NIS countries and helped set up the OECD Ankara Tax Training and the Istanbul Private Sector Development Centers for training tax officers, government officials, and entrepreneurs from the NIS.

Nilgün holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and a master’s degree in business administration.

Degree in Biology and Senior Civil Servant of the Central State Administration of Spain. Paz has had her professional career at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the World Bank, the Spanish Office for Climate Change (Ministry of Environment) and at the Madrid City Council.

Currently acting as Environmental and Mobility General Coordinator at the Madrid City Council, Paz is in charge of coordinating the General Directorates responsible for air quality; climate change; environmental assessment; water management; waste management; parks and green areas; and Mobility Management.

Anders Wijkman is co-president, since 2012, together with Professor Ernst von Weizsäcker, of the global think tank Club of Rome. In 2017 Anders was appointed chairman of the Governing Board of Climate-KIC, a major public-private partnership at EU level for the promotion of innovation of a low-carbon society. Since 2015 Anders is a member of the International Resource Panel (IRP), a UN appointed expert body, ”to build and share the knowledge needed to improve the use of our resources worldwide”. The Panel´s goal is to steer us away from over-consumption, waste and ecological harm to a more prosperous and sustainable future.

In 2015 Anders, with co-author Kristian Skånberg, published a report on Circular Economy, with a focus on societal benefits by moving towards a more circular economy. The main findings were that the benefits in terms of lower carbon emissions and new jobs would be significant. Altogether eight European economies were analysed, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden. Translations were made into five languages.

In 2017 Anders, with co-author Ernst von Weizsäcker, published ”Come On – Capitalism, Short-termism, Population and the Destruction of the Planet”. Anniversary in 2018 of the Club of Rome. It is a follow-up to the Club of Rome’s landmark report “The Limits to Growth”, published in 1972.

Anders is also chair of the Association of Recycling Industries in Sweden, member of the board of SIDA (the Swedish International Development Authority), member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and one of the members of the World Future Council.

In 1992 Anders was appointed Director General of SAREC – the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries. SAREC was providing support to research capacity building in some twenty developing countries.

Justin J. Zeulner, Chief Operating Officer and founding Board Member of the Green Sports Alliance (GSA), is a foremost leader in the movement to green professional sports worldwide.

Zeulner has guided the GSA in reaching critical mass and major influence within the sports industry by leading professional teams, venues, colleges, and leagues across the nation to enhance their environmental performance while mitigating carbon impacts.

Prior to joining the Green Sports Alliance, Zeulner was a Senior Project Developer at Vulcan, Inc., the investment and innovation company founded by Paul G. Allen. In this role, he was responsible for integrating human behavior and value changes through progressive public engagement and campaign development, conserving important species, improving ocean health, and reducing the impacts of climate change.

Zeulner also formerly served as Senior Director of Sustainability and Public Affairs for the Portland Trail Blazers from 1999 to 2014. In this position, Zeulner established the first known scope III carbon footprint assessment in professional sports, and implemented a corporate sustainability charter and progressive environmental policies on behalf of the organization. These efforts resulted in the first and only LEED Gold existing building in professional sports worldwide.

Additionally, Zeulner led several environmental campaigns, in addition to developing and patenting the GreenDrop Recycling Stations to help achieve landfill diversion goals and activate fan engagement. These stations are now used by sports teams, venues, and colleges across the U.S. Always willing to share his knowledge and advance organizational change, Zeulner has addressed numerous institutions, such as the Wharton School of Business and The Commonwealth Club of California, on the economics of sports greening; and delivered public testimony on the subject at the federal level, including the White House.

A graduate of the University of Oregon with a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Zeulner is a native of Portland, Oregon.