together towards
higher ambitions

Marina Arz is Managing Director of IVK Europe, the European Association of Plastic Films and Sheets. Prior to join IVK, Marina worked in the European Commission’s 'Chief Economist Team‘ in the Directorate-General GROW in 2018, before she joined the German Federal Parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as an advisor on European affairs and domestic policy.

Stéphane has joined the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) and VinylPlus in December 2021, where he is in charge of the Environmental Footprint Committee and the Additives Committee.
Previously, Stéphane worked in Cefic (2011-2021) and supported the Silicones sector group and the Plasticisers sector group. He was also a manager of Product Stewardship working on communication in the value chain.
He also worked for 11 years at Procter & Gamble (2000-2011) in analytical, product design and process development department for liquid detergent development.
Stéphane graduated in Chemistry and got his PhD in the field of photochemistry in 1998 from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. He also did a post doctoral stay at UCSD in the field of sensors (1998-2000).

Ludo Debever has served the plastics industry >35 years in various international management
functions including in operations, marketing, risk management, communication and finance. From 2001 until 2003 Ludo was general manager of the newly founded association EPPA. He held Board seats in EPPA (European Plastic Window profiles Association: 2007-2015) and Federplast.be (The Belgian Federation of Plastic Converters: 2011-2017) and Recovinyl (2019-2021). Ludo joined TEPPFA as General Manager in April 2017. In 2019 TEPPFA introduced its new visual identity and in 2021 the new TEPPFA vision 2025 with a strong focus on circular economy and sustainability. Ludo holds a Master of Arts in Multilingual Communication from the University of Ghent (Belgium).

Heribert Decher is head of sustainability at Renolit, the global market leader for high-quality plastic films. The Sustainability Division covers the topics of Renolit goes Circular, Regulatory Affairs, Environment and Occupational Health and Safety. Heribert has worked successfully for film manufacturers and coaters and has held various global management positions from development management, factory management to management of international companies in the automotive, medical technology, construction and technical textile sectors.

Céline guides Deceuninck Group in the implementation of sustainability in the business strategy and operational processes. This involves challenging current practices and developing a roadmap to integrate sustainability within the company worldwide, in close cooperation with the area specialists. Céline is the driver of the internal and external reporting of performance and ambitions in the field of climate change, circular economy and other topics such as human rights.  

Deceuninck is a Belgian designer, producer and recycler of profile systems for windows, door and building profiles. The company mission ‘Building a sustainable home’ is realized by providing innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable living and by embedding this vision in every step of the process.

Prior to working for Deceuninck, Céline worked as a consultant on sustainability during 13 years. She started her career working on youth entrepreneurship programmes for the Chamber of Commerce (Belgium) and as a policy adviser for the Flemish minister of Economics.

Personally, she is deeply concerned about the societal challenges our world is facing and convinced of the role companies play in being part of the solutions.

Patrick de Kort has a Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Utrecht. He worked for 3 years for the European Plastics Converters, focusing on regulatory affairs with regards to chemicals legislation. During this time, he developed substance-specific risk and socio-economic assessments and participated in consultations and meetings at the European Chemicals Agency. He joined Plastics Recyclers Europe in September 2018 as a Regulatory Affairs Advisor and keeps track of regulatory developments for the trade association. Furthermore, he is frequently called upon by the trade association to coordinate technical projects such as workplace exposure monitoring and risk assessment. 

Christian Fischer is a qualified engineer for plastics technology and has spent his entire professional career in the window industry since 1992.

He has been head of technology and quality management at Schueco Polymer Technologies KG since 2014 and is responsible for all issues relating to the development and application of ​​all products.

As Chief Sustainability  Officer he is responsible for the sustainability goals of the entire Schueco plastic division.

Bernhard Franken completed his studies in 1996 as Dipl.-Ing. Architect at the TU Darmstadt and was Artist in Residence at the Städelschule Academy of Fine Arts in Frankfurt, Institute for New Media from 1995-1996. He worked with ABB Architekten, Frankfurt for 5 years as a free-lancer and from 2000-2002 in a joint venture. In 2002 he founded Franken Architekten GmbH, which renamed 2021 in FRANKEN Generalplaner GmbH. Since 1998 he realized projects with a narrative design approach in the fields of Urban Design, Residental, Retail, Hospitaliy, Office, Mix-Use, Experience and Brandspaces. Professor Franken is internationally known since the “Bubble”, one of the first build “Blobmaster” buildings. In 2015 he was appointed as professor for 3D communication, Faculty of Design, at HSD University of Applied Sciences, Düsseldorf. From. 2010 -2013 he was professor at the Frankfurt University of Applied Science for Digital Design, Faculty of Architecture. Before he was teaching as assistant professor at TU Darmstadt and visiting professor at the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, the University of Kassel and the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design. His projects have been widely published and he was winning over 80 Awards in the fields of architecture and design. He was featured in various exhibitions - next to the first solo exhibition in 2008 at the
German Architecture Center in Berlin, over 60 group exhibitions such as The Architekturmachine in the TUM Architecture Museum in the Pinakothek der Moderne, Blobmaster in the DAM, the Venice Biennale, BIACF in Korea and Performalism in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art took place . In addition, Prof. Franken is a sought-after speaker and has given over 200 lectures worldwide.

Angela Freimuth studied law at the University of Bonn. She has been a self-employed lawyer since May 1998. From June 2005 to May 2012 and June 2017 to June 2022, she was Vice President of the State Parliament. She is a member of the FDP since 1987 and a member of the FDP state executive board of North Rhine-Westphalia since April 1994, including deputy state chairwoman from 2002 to January 2023 and assessor since 2023. Since 1998 she has been chairwoman of the FDP district of Westphalia-West. She was also a member of the FDP federal executive board from 2003 to 2013. Since May 2012, she has been deputy chair of the board of trustees of the Wolfgang Doering Foundation. Angela is a member of the Standing Committee after the early end of the 15th electoral term due to the self-dissolution of the state parliament. Since May 2022, she has been deputy chairwoman of the FDP state parliamentary group. She is a member of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament since June 2, 2000.

Magdalena has joined ECVM in April 2021. Prior to that, she worked for the European Aluminium Association, where she worked on the environmental and circular economy policies. She has also experience in public affairs of the machine tools sector. Her professional experience included 3^rd party quality control audits. Magdalena holds a PostGraduate diploma focused on Turbomachinery from The von Karman Institute of Fluid Dynamics in Belgium, and a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Poznan, Poland.

Jane Gardner is Managing Director of the European Resilient Floorcoverings Association, ERFMI, with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Skilled in Sustainable Development, Waste, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Renewable Energy. Strong business development professional with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from University of East Anglia.

Since October 2020, Alexander is co-shareholder and CEO of IKA Group. From 2008 until 2019, he was member of the Executive Board of Chemson AG with global responsibility for sales, marketing, product management and product development, strategy and overseas companies. He was also co-shareholder from 2009 – 2013 of Chemson Group as part of a MBO at that time. Before and in parallel, he held different board positions worldwide and chairs within the industry bodies like the ECOSA chair over many years.
Alexander is a mechanical engineer. He also has a Master Degree in Economics and Business Administration and a Master Degree in Business Education. He also followed a distance study on “Leading change for a sustainable chemical industry” at the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden.

Siân Hughes has 25 years’ experience enabling organizations to devise meaningful corporate affairs and sustainability strategies to engage internal and external stakeholders and create long-term business value. She has worked in corporate affairs, communications and human resources functions holding senior leadership roles in trade associations, international consultancy and C-suite positions in global businesses.

Siân is accustomed  to operating at the highest level of organizations, balancing shareholder expectations, commercial imperatives and regulatory demands with taking meaningful action on people and the planet. She has successfully spearheaded strategies and campaigns across areas as varied as decarbonization, circularity, wellbeing, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and community and employee engagement.

She is also a multilingual communicator and has extensive experience in supporting organisations and business leaders to communicate with their internal and external stakeholders in a way that is authentic, meaningful and engaging. She is passionate about connecting people, which is why she enjoys moderating events!

Arnaud Marquis is Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer at Tarkett, a global leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions. To lead Tarkett’s climate roadmap, Arnaud closely cooperates with many stakeholders, ie. customers, architects, designers, suppliers and distributors. Prior to this role, Arnaud was in charge of the Hardflooring EMEA business at Tarkett. Previously, he held several international leadership business roles related to sales, marketing and operations in Ahlstrom Group, a leading player in fibre products, where he spent more than 20 years.

Raoul Meys strives to reduce the climate impacts of the chemical value chain while maintaining its competitiveness and value creation. His strong understanding of life cycle assessment, greenhouse gas emissions, and sustainability sees him trusted by multi-million-dollar organizations to help reduce their climate impacts. Raoul provides a unique combination of entrepreneurship, management, and science. His scientific background at the RWTH Aachen University, including publications in Science, PNAS, and Nature, led him to co-found Carbon Minds, a company that provides supplier-specific insights into greenhouse gas emissions of the chemical value chain. As Managing Director, Raoul spearheads business and product development, delivers strategic leadership across the organization, and oversees 10+ scientists, developers, managers, and communicators to drive evidence-based decisions.

Mona Neubaur is a German politician from Alliance 90/The Greens who has been serving as Deputy Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia and also as State Minister for Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy in the second cabinet of Minister-President Hendrik Wüst since 29 June 2022. She was previously the leader of her party in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Charlotte is managing VinylPlus and ECVM since January 2024.
She has been working for the PVC  industry for  a decade, previously representing the interest of the PVC window profile industry towards policy-makers, standardization bodies and other sectors. Her functional experience includes the sustainability assessment of construction products, standardization activities, chemical and waste legislation and corresponding advocacy actions.

Charlotte Röber completed her Masters in European and International Law at the University of Maastricht. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from the Vlerick Business School in Ghent.

Dr. Karl-Martin Schellerer is Vice-President - European & Asian Chlorovinyls at Westlake Corporation since July 31, 2017. His responsibilities also include two Westlake joint ventures, the Chinese PVC resin and PVC film manufacturer Suzhou Huasu Plastics Co. Ltd. (Huasu), as well as the chloroalkali producer Taiwan Chlorine Industries (TCI), in addition to the management of the Vinnolit Group Europe. Karl-Martin Schellerer joined the VinylPlus Steering Board in 2015.

Sarah Schmidt is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Resource Management and Solid Waste Engineering at the University of Kassel. Her research focuses on applying system analysis techniques to optimize waste management systems, aiming to increase resource efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. In July 2023, Sarah Schmidt completed her doctorate in environmental engineering. In her doctoral research, she evaluated and optimized the material flows and environmental impacts of plastic packaging waste management in Germany using material flow analysis and life cycle assessment. Currently, Sarah Schmidt is involved in the IMMEC research project, where she evaluates sustainability issues associated with circular economy measures for plastics in building and construction.

Svenja Schulze is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). She serves as Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development in the cabinet of Olaf Scholz. Svenja Schulze has been serving as member of the German Bundestag since 2021, representing North Rhine-Westphalia. She served as the Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the fourth coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2018 to 2021. From 15 July 2010 to 30 June 2017, she was Minister for Innovation, Science and Research in the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia

Christoph has been trained as chemical engineer at the university of Essen in North Rhine Westphalia. After gaining a PhD degree, he joined VEBA OEL at Gelsenkirchen refineries (today BP) and worked for 13 years in the oil and petrochemical sector before he moved to BAYER’s chemical sector (today COVESTRO) for further 17 years. He has got the privilege to work and live on nearly every continent in numerous different leading functions, ranging from engineering, operations, trading and procurement as well as for the last 10 years as global lead for energy and climate policies, where he was accountable for the transformation towards climate neutrality of Covestro sites. Since December 2023, Christoph has changed perspectives and focus hence he joined the Wuppertal Institute. Here Christoph is supporting the president of the institute and is accountable for coordinating the cross-functional theme of “Industrial Transformation & Society”.

Noam Steinman is trained and experienced in organic and polymer chemistry, specifically in the organic synthesis of both small molecules and polymers, as well as in formulations. 
He is currently leading Plastic Backs R&D measures, PVC and polyolefin depolymerization and dechlorination projects, and technical communications with partners and customers.

Vincent Stone graduated in Plastics Engineering at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, where he also earned a PhD. He later earned a part-time MBA degree from the Solvay Brussels School Economics & Management. He joined UCB Group (later Cytec Industries) in 1998, where he led several resin and additive development projects for coatings, inks and adhesives applications. He joined in 2010 ArcelorMittal, where he developed and managed a portfolio of pipe coating technology development and testing services for a range of clients along the oil and gas value chain. He then joined in 2015 the Ferro’s Polymer Additives business (later Synegis) where he led the customer and manufacturing support activities, as well as the global product stewardship activities for the benzoate and polyadipate plasticizers portfolios. Since May 2018, he has joined the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM). ECVM delivers a broad range of technical, sustainability, advocacy and communication services to the leading European PVC resin manufacturers. As Technical and Environmental Affairs Senior Manager, he is mainly in charge to develop the activities of the PVC4Pipes platform. He is also actively involved in the Additives and Sustainable Product Label activities of VinylPlus®, the association managing the voluntary sustainability commitment of the PVC value chain.

Tina Teucher is an author and consultant. She inspires people to change their thinking and to embrace positive transformation in companies and society. For over ten years, she has dedicated herself to megatrends and the question of how companies can use them to remain fit for the future. Teucher completed her MBA in sustainability management at Leuphana University. From 2009 to 2014, she was chief editor at the decision-makers’ magazine ‘forum Nachhaltig Wirtschaften’. She has served as a Sustainable Matchmaker since 2015, bringing together organisations, people and companies to jointly create the underlying conditions needed for sustainable business. In doing so, she accompanies enterprises and institutions in addressing the essential questions of transformation.

Myriam Tryjefaczka joined the Tarkett Group in 2015 where she holds the position of Director Sustainability and Public Affairs  for the EMEA division. In her role, Myriam participates in the activities of European industry associations  and think tanks in the field of circular economy and construction sector. She chairs the AFNOR X30M Circular Economy standardization Commission, mirror group to the ISO TC 323. Prior to Tarkett, Myriam has developed thorough expertise on sustainability and public affairs at Camfil, a leading manufacturer of clean air solutions, where she participated in the development of EPBD  (Energy performance of buildings directive) harmonised standards on indoor environment quality and CEN and ISO related standards.

Myriam holds a Master's degree in Biochemistry and Enzymology, completed by a Master of Business Administration. She developed her professional carrier in different industrial sectors (packaging, electronics, air filtration and flooring, in quality, environment, international project management) and has been focusing on sustainable development and public affairs for the last 15 years.

Christian Untrieser is Member of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia since June 2022. He was directly elected member of parliament in the Mettmann II constituency. He is active in the Economy, industry, climate protection and energy committee and the Environment, nature and consumer protection, agriculture,
Forestry and Rural Areas Committee.

Oskar Vögler is a project manager and sustainability expert at Carbon Minds, where he strives to combat climate change for a livable future by supporting companies in assessing their status quo and defining net-zero strategies. As a renewable energy engineer with a Master of Science in Energy Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Oskar brings a wealth of expertise in life cycle assessment, product carbon footprint assessment, and climate mitigation strategies across industries. With over four years of experience at Carbon Minds, he has managed large-scale projects, collaborated with cross-functional teams, and engaged with customers and external stakeholders to ensure successful project outcomes. Driven by a deep personal commitment to creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world, Oskar leverages his knowledge to provide strategic guidance and evidence-based solutions.

Elena Vyboldina is the Managing Director of the European Trade Association of PVC Window System Suppliers (EPPA). With over two decades of experience in EU advocacy and policy legislation, Elena brings a profound understanding of regulatory environments and strategic leadership. Prior to joining EPPA, her career included substantial roles at two other major trade associations, focusing on the metals and chemicals sectors. Her prior positions include significant stints at a Brussels-based law firm and the European Commission.

Elena's educational background is extensive, with degrees in Law and Economics.