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CEO Climate & Company
Having started his first climate change job in 1998, Ingmar Juergens is one of the pioneers of carbon finance and one of the most experienced experts in the field of climate economics and sustainable finance. He spent most of 2002-2017 in increasingly responsible positions within the OECD, the UN (FAO) and the EU Commission, and is one of the very few experts covering the entire range of climate policy and finance dossiers: from adaptation and mitigation, to finance, policy, and the economics of climate change. A champion of evidence-based decision-making, Ingmar has kept his analytical edge throughout his career, publishing applied work about climate policy, finance and economics in areas spanning from land use to industry and energy. His unique mix of skills covering science, finance and policy has enabled him to play key, low-profile roles in crucial policy processes at national and international level. He has been working as an observer for the German government‘s sustainable finance advisory committee and is member of one of EFRAG’s expert working groups for drafting the European sustainability reporting standards. Ingmar co-founded the Sustainable Finance Research Platform and is a member of the scientific advisory group of Germany’s #1 sustainable finance association (VFU) and vice-chair of the board of Germanwatch (Germany’s leading NGOs in the field of international climate policy, corporate social responsibility, food security and sustainable finance). Join us at #CCS2023 and find out more about Intersectionality in the context of climate change from Ingmar Juergens.
Intersectionality
Managing Director, Element Four, former UNESCO special Junior Envoy for Youth & Environment, and legal activist
An environmental engineer, Chartered Environmentalist, and former UNESCO Special Junior Envoy for Youth & the Environment, Georgia started her career as one of UK construction’s first Environment Managers. Founder and Managing Director of sustainability consultancy Element Four, Georgia now works with organisations such as Amnesty International, Patrizia, Grosvenor Estates, Nike, and Bank of England delivering her “disruptive sustainability” approach – a combination of best practice and activism that drives meaningful change in industry. Georgia is a director of One YMCA Development Company and sits on the steering committee of She Changes Climate, a global campaign for promotion of women in climate negotiations and solutions. In 2021, Georgia successfully challenged the UK government in the High Court over the UK Emissions Trading Scheme's failure to uphold the Paris Agreement. She is an Extinction Rebellion activist and contributor to leading technical committees including the UK Green Building Council and London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI).
Intersectionality
Project Manager at IBA’27 Stuttgart
Stefanie Weavers is Project Manager at IBA’27 Stuttgart, a ten-year project concerned with making the Stuttgart urban region a liveable, sustainable place. Originally from the Stuttgart Region, after studying Geography at the University of Tübingen, Stefanie completed a Masters in Architecture and Environment and has since worked at numerous companies involved in urban development and residential construction. Join #ClimateChangeSummit2023 and get to know more about Stefanie’s field of interest as she tackles her assigned topic, Cities & Mobility.
Cities & Mobility
Director for “Adaptation & Resilience, Communication, and Civil Society Relations” at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action
Ms. Elina Bardram was appointed Director for “Adaptation & Resilience, Communication, and Civil Society Relations” at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action in October 2022. She joined DG CLIMA in 2010 and has held different senior and middle management functions in the area international relations, including as Head of the EU Delegation to the UNFCCC negotiations between 2014- 2018. Between 2003-2010, Ms. Bardram worked in the Strategy Directorate of the External Relations Directorate-General. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Her academic work has focused on the impacts of globalisation.
Policy
Co-Founder Gallifrey Foundation and She Changes Climate
Antoinette is passionate about the complex interrelationship between ocean, plastics, gender and overfishing when talking about social injustice, human health and the environment. She has worked with migrant refugees in order to understand the impact of EU subsidies for fisheries on migration from Africa, she helped creating a Twitter campaign to empower citizens to tweet airlines on their policies regarding carrying shark fins as cargo, and she curated Voices from the Ocean, an educational podcast series interviewing creatures of the ocean to find out their perspective. Antoinette’s work is varied and she is always on the lookout for unidentified gaps, where little to no attention is paid. Join us at #ClimateChangeSummit2023 and get to find out Antoinette’s views on her assigned topic, Food & Agriculture.
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Shareholder, Perini Group
Giovanni graduated from Warwick Business School with a degree in Management with Finance. After working in management consulting and an Executive Education specialisation from INSEAD, he occupies various roles in Romstal, a member company of Perini Group, amongst them Regional Director for Transylvania. Currently he leads the Marketing, IT, Organisational Transformation, and E-Commerce departments in Romstal, and is a member of its Executive Committee. This year he launched a Digital Transformation programme which aims to improve the quality of the customer experience and the efficiency of organisational processes. He is a shareholder in Perini Group and is involved in different projects across the Group’s companies, including its sustainability strategy.
Intersectionality
Country Director for The Hunger Project
Listed in Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35 in 2020 and in 2019 in the WISE100, Rebecca is an accomplished leader. In April 2022, she joined The Hunger Project UK as Country Director, following leadership roles in sectors including climate, health, policy and gender. A confident speaker, she has been invited to share her thoughts on a variety of forums, including the prestigious Sustainability Leaders Forum. Before joining The Hunger Project, Rebecca worked as Interim Director at She Changes Climate. A passionate environmentalist and advocate for gender equality and human rights, Rebecca calls for these issues to be tackled together, not separately. She also wants to make sure that the voices of those who are the most impacted by climate change and poverty are heard, something central to The Hunger Project’s global strategy. Rebecca also worked for Eunomia, and it was through working with the European Commission on their now passed Single-Use Plastics Directive, that Rebecca felt inspired to do more in the fight against single-use plastic. Join us at #ClimateChangeSummit2023 and get to find out more about Food & Agriculture from Ms. Rebecca Burgess.
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Chief Operation Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Komerční banka, Sóciété Générale
Jitka Haubová is overseeing the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of a business and innovations in the Day- to-day banking. She is the coordinator of ESG at KB. She started her professional career by joining the Czech Government’s agency for trade support, CzechTrade, where she also acted as the CEO. Jitka joined KB’s Global Transaction Banking in 2006. Since 2012, she has held various managerial roles in Corporate and Municipal Banking. She graduated from the University of Economics in Prague, majoring in Finance and Accounting, completed Financial Management course at Galilee College in Israel, obtained a certificate as a structural funds’ specialist from the European Commission, and is a certified international auditor for quality processes and Python language programmer. Jitka Haubová is the Executive manager of @International Chamber of Commerce CZ, the Chairing of the Supervisory Boards of Open Banking start-up Finbrics and Foundation KB. Jitka Haubová was awarded several times amongst the top 25 women managers by Economia, among the most influential women by Forbes and FinTech Woman 2023 by Forbes, Face of the Sustainability 2022, all in the Czech Republic.
Finance
Co-Founder Futerra, Inspirational Keynote Speaker, Writer, Poet and Futurist
Ed Gillespie is lead facilitator at the Forward Institute, where he works on responsible leadership with 40 of the UK’s biggest institutions, Director of Greenpeace UK, Trustee of Ecolibrium and Chief Futurist at the Global Destination Sustainability Movement. He is also actively involved in a number of pioneering ethical businesses as a director or investor, and has held speeches all over the world, giving dozens of talks a year from Hong Kong to Bratislava, Korea to Auckland. Ed has been heard by every kind of audience, from people in the UN and in national governments, to people working for multinational corporations and global associations. Gillespie is the author of Only Planet – a Flight-Free Adventure Around the World, a book about his circumnavigation of the globe without getting on a plane. He also co-presents two leading podcasts, The Great Humbling with Dougald Hine, and Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts – Book of Revelations with comedian Jon Richardson and fellow reluctant futurist Mark Stevenson. Join #CCS2023 and get to listen to Ed Gilesspie’s speech on Intersectionality.
Intersectionality
Mayor of Câmpulung
From 1996 until March 2020, as an employee of Pro TV News, Elena Lasconi worked as a reporter, producer and TV moderator, war correspondent, presenter and trainer. Local issues and the exodus of Romanians led her to enter politics. The goal: changing Romania for the better, starting with a small town, Câmpulung Muscel. She ran for Câmpulung City Hall and won with a historic score, becoming the first female mayor of the former Capital of Wallachia. This whole time, Elena has signed European funding contracts and has turned the City Hall, the mayor's institution, into people's institution. She demolished almost two thousand garages to create parking lots, green spaces and safe playgrounds for children and extended the gas network by more than 40 kilometers. All her projects aim to increase the quality of life of the people of Câmpulung, which is also one the first cities in Romania to have its own plan for mitigating and adapting to climate change. Join #CCS2023 and get to learn more about what it takes to be a successful community leader in times of climate change.
Cities & Mobility
Leader on Responsible Business Practices, ESG and Impact, Chair of the Board at Value for Women, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation Mentoring Women Programme
Previous to her current role as Senior Associate Partner with Climate Horizons, Giulia joined the Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2018 as the Global Head of Programmes for TrustLaw. With an experience of over 15 years in the NGO and social enterprise sector, Giulia sets and manages TrustLaw’s global strategy with NGOs, INGOs, social enterprises and corporate foundations. Before joining the Foundation, Giulia spent 6 years with the Cherie Blair Foundation, including a spell as Chief Executive Officer, and played a pivotal role in starting and growing a small not-for-profit start-up into a global brand. She is passionate about women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship and technology and has built global, high profile, cross-sector partnerships in each of these spaces. Join #ClimateChangeSummit2023 and get to know Giulia Corinaldi’s views as she talks about Intersectionality.
Intersectionality
Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Integrated Economic Research
Hans Van der Loo is Chairman of the Advisory Board of IIER, CEO of the Blue Cooling Initiative and Ambassador of the EU STEM Coalition. He has studied at Nyenrode Business School in Breukelen, at ESCP in Paris, and in Oxford and Düsseldorf as well. He has also worked for McKinsey, Royal Dutch Shell and for World Business Council for Sustainable Development. He has lived in 9 countries and worked in over 50 countries all over the world. As Retail Innovation manager at Shell, he initiated Choice Fuels (V-Power, Pura etc.). And as Shell representative for the EU, he introduced multi-stakeholder joint advocacy platforms. Mr. Van der Loo is also the author of several articles, and has co-authored a book about resilience. He is a frequently asked-for speaker at international fora such as Bilderberg Conference, COP21 Paris, European Business Summit, World Economic Forum and he lectures at various Universities. Join us at #ClimateChangeSummit2023 and get to find out more about Intersectionality and its importance in finding solutions for climate change from Hans Van der Loo.
Intersectionality
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, member of the Group General Management team and of the Group Executive Committee Société Générale
Pierre Palmieri began his career at Société Générale Corporate and Investment Banking in 1987 in the Export Finance department before being appointed head of the Finance Engineering team in 1989. He joined the Agence Internationale’s team in 1994, where he created the global Commodity Finance business line. He was appointed Global Head of Structured Commodity Finance in 2001. In 2006, he created and co-headed the Natural Resources and Energy Financing global business line. He was appointed Deputy Head of Global Finance in 2008, became Head of Global Finance in 2012, all that before extending his responsibilities to the whole Global Banking and Advisory activities in 2019. Pierre Palmieri is a graduate of École Supérieure de Commerce in Tours. Join #CCS2023 and Pierre Palmieri’s open conversation on financing for sustainability.
Finance
CEO Digital Dryads
Răzvan is an expert in software engineering and artificial intelligence, a graduate of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. He is the founder of Aiception, a company specialized in developing artificial intelligence modules used in sectors such as telecommunications, banking, and automotive. Under Răzvan's leadership, the team of engineers has also developed significant pro bono projects. One of these projects is Digital Dryads, a platform that monitors forests in Romania and other European countries via satellites. This system received the first prize from the European Commission and is free and accessible to the general public. Another noteworthy product is Wood Watcher, a mobile application that allows for the quick measurement of a stack of wood. The application is used both for commercial purposes and by law enforcement authorities, and has been recognized as a best practice by a German forestry consortium. Join “Romanian Startups for Climate” Panel on Oct 19th if you’re looking for green business inspo.
Start-up Solutions
Associate at Circle Economy LinkedIn Top Green Voice Co-founder of the Institute of Circular Economy
Vojtech Vosecky is an award-winning circular economist. He co-founded the Institute of Circular Economy and worked on related issues in the European Parliament. He is in charge of Prague's transition toward the circular economy as Chairman of the Steering Committee for Circular Economy. He also works with the world-leading organization Circle Economy as an Associate focused on the Nordics and the CEE. Vojtech privately advises a number of organizations in their circular transition and is a member of several initiatives such as the Nordic Circular Hotspot, CradleNet, Circular Economy Club, and Visegrad for Sustainability. Come to #CCS2023 and get to learn more about Intersectionality in the context of climate change from Vojtech Vosecky.
Intersectionality
Head of Engineering at FabBRICK
Chantal Nguyen joined the FabBRICK team as research & development engineer in 2021. She has experience in the automotive industry and has studied fabric chemistry. Her mission at FabBRICK is to improve the performance of the brick and to make the crafting process more reliable. Join her at #CCS and get to learn more about Circular Economy in the context of climate change.
Circular Economy
Co-Founder Warrior Group
Karla Morales-Lee is Co-founder of the Warrior Group and part of the Steering Committee of She Changes Climate, as well as UK Ambassador for The Hunger Project and a fellow at Zinc VC. In late 2019, Karla founded a global network called Warrior Women, which empowers leaders to rethink how society lives and works. Beyond learning, Warrior Group is a growth partner that “lifts the lid” on an organization's culture to identify opportunities for more conscious ways to achieve commercial growth, delivering a regenerative roadmap for the future and a global network of experts to work with to make it happen.
Intersectionality
COO & Co-Founder Climate Farmers
Philippe is a social entrepreneur who has been working on scaling regenerative agriculture in Europe with his company, Climate Farmers. Climate Farmers is currently supporting around 700 farmers in 16 different European countries on their way towards regenerative agriculture. They are doing this by providing context-specific transition knowledge and by building a supportive infrastructure. Starting 2013, Philippe Birker has been part of the Ashoka Changemaker community. Since 2022, he has been part of the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders network and starting July 2023, part of the TED Countdown community.
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Co-Founder CreditNature & Ecosulis
Cain Blythe is a Chartered Environmentalist and an award-winning leader in ecosystem restoration and nature recovery. He is the founder and CEO of two pioneering organizations that help with global rewilding. With a career spanning over three decades, Cain has integrated his expertise in biodiversity and habitat management in order to unlock the full potential of rewilding as one of the most viable nature-based solutions available today. Blythe studied at Southampton and Surrey Universities and his journey began in zoological parks in the UK and Australia. He has had key roles in organizations such as Jacobs Engineering Ltd, Ecosulis, and now, CreditNature. He is instrumental in leading initiatives that merge technology and finance with nature recovery efforts, pushing boundaries within the sector. Join us at #ClimateChangeSummit2023 and find out more about Cain Blythe’s initiatives regarding Biodiversity.
BIODIVERSITY
Head of Risk @ UNEP-FI
David Carlin leads risk programming for UNEP - Finance Initiative. He has worked with over 100 financial institutions on topics of climate scenarios, climate risk assessments, and sustainability regulation. He and his team support financial actors across the world to develop best practices for managing environmental risks and identifying environmental opportunities. He is the founder of Cambium Global Solutions, which helps governments, corporations, and financial institutions address the most pressing environmental challenges and thrive in a changing world. Carlin currently advises UNEP FI’s Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, and has also been a technical advisor to the Glasgow Financial Alliances for Net Zero. Join us at #ClimateChangeSummit2023 and find out more about David Carlin’s views on his assigned topic, Intersectionality.
Intersectionality
Head of Sales of FabBRICK
After several years in the fashion industry, Farid joined the FabBRICK team. He then took charge of the Sales Department and is now responsible for growing the business of this new innovative green material. Join us at #ClimateChangeSummit2023 and get to know more about Circular Economy as he and Chantal Nguyen, Engineer at FabBRICK, tackle their assigned topic.
Circular Economy
Secretary General BRD Groupe Société Générale
founding partner
President Social innovation Solutions
Ciprian is running the Social Innovation Solutions ecosystem, a group of organizations with a mission to empower individuals and organizations to understand future transformations and to develop sustainable tech, policy, and entrepreneurial solutions. SIS runs various educational programs in CEE, like Future Makers, Sustainability Academy, and Transformator, and conversation platforms like Future Summit, Climate Change Summit, and Sustainable Futures. Ciprian worked 12 years for global organizations like Ashoka and the Aspen Institute, is a Global Shaper Alumni of the World Economic Forum, co-founder of Global Shapers Bucharest Hub, and a Board Member of Rethink Romania. He is also hosting the Pro Verde sustainability talk-show at StirileProTV.ro He teaches foresight and sustainability at The Entrepreneurship Academy in Bucharest and has recently completed a program in Sustainable Finance at the Harvard Business School and one at the Cambridge Judge Business School in Circular Economy and sustainability. Ciprian holds an MA in Political Science from the Central European University, is a frequent speaker on future trends, sustainability, and social innovation both in Romania and abroad, and the editor of Future Magazine.
organizer
Partner & COO at OTOTO
Sonia is a Partner & COO of OTOTO, the local retailer designed as a platform for independent brands and aimed at redefining sustainable shopping. With nearly 20 years of corporate & entrepreneurial experience in FMCG, eComm & Retail, Sonia has led Creative Excellence and Brand Strategy teams in South Central Europe and has previously founded a business awarded by Forbes & Business Review. She has a Marketing Management Master of Science degree from London College and is curently enrolled in a PhD program in Analytic Philosophy.
Start-up Solutions
Head of Sustainability at Fulcrum Asset Management
Iancu Dărămuș has worked on sustainable investing for some of the leading institutions in the not-for-profit sector, and has helped shape the strategies of some of the world's largest companies through his shareholder engagement. At London-based Fulcrum, he focuses on portfolio alignment, energy and stewardship, topics on which he also writes and publishes regularly - including as one of the lead authors of the CFA Institute's Certificate in ESG Investing. He has previously worked for the UK’s largest investor, Legal & General Investment Management, where he led the stewardship team’s work in the energy sector and advised institutional clients on sustainability, and for climate finance think-tank the Carbon Tracker Initiative. Described as "a committed sustainability advocate with strong credentials” (Investment Week), he has won the "Rising Star" award at the 2022 Sustainable Investment Awards, and was selected on Brummell Magazine's "Ones to Watch" 2023 list for "30 under 40" in the City. He holds degrees in philosophy and public policy. Join #CCS2023 for the Foreign Investors Council roundtable on Day 2 and get to find out more about sustainable investing from Iancu Dărămuș.
Sustainable Connector at Clipper Interall
Karin, the driving force for a circular promotional world, aims to galvanize companies to embrace this revolutionary paradigm, thereby fostering positive global change while elevating their brand presence. “I want to show politicians how to motivate and facilitate entrepreneurs. As a 'new economy' entrepreneur, I know how politics can accelerate SME motivation. Everyone wants to participate, but using time effectively and finding returns is decisive. The 3-step model (free advice from experts, module for calculating your own CO2 emissions, rewarding sustainable reinvestment) will help.” Clipper Interall is dedicated to delivering promotional products with a minimal environmental footprint, adhering to ethical standards, and meeting the highest European safety criteria. Join #CCS2023 and get to know more about Karin’s field of work as she tackles Circular Economy in her Waste to Promo: from companies waste streams to their own promotional products speech.
Circular Economy
Founder of Circl.ag
Coming from Ukraine, Anton began his quest to address climate change in agriculture using his farming knowledge. He ventured into the analysis of satellite images, explored soil health and remote data collection to evaluate his own farm's climate footprint. This journey led to the creation of Circl.ag, a pioneering startup at the intersection of agriculture and technology, which enables farmers and financial institutions to make sustainable choices. Join #CCS2023 and get to listen to him as he talks "Shaping resilient agriculture: leveraging satellite imagery for more scalability, incentives and more integrity".
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Co-Founder & CEO at Renergia
Dr. Eng. Alexandru Mureșan, Co-Founder and CEO at Renergia, has a notable background as sustainability engineer, demonstrating strong expertise in urban energy management and electromagnetic compatibility. His extensive educational journey includes obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering in 2015, followed by a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering in 2017, both conferred by the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, where he has also served as an affiliated professor since 2018. In 2020, Dr. Mureșan successfully completed his PHD in Electrical Engineering through a collaborative effort with the University of the West of England (Bristol) and SINT Engegneria (Bassano del Grappa, Italy). Alexandru is also a member of the EnTReC - Energy Transition Research Center and certified energy manager for cities, contributing significantly to the advancement of sustainable energy solutions and fostering innovation in the realm of energy transition. Join #CCS2023 and learn more about sustainable startups from Dr. Eng. Alexandru Mureșan.
Start-up Solutions
Head of the Jacques Delors Energy Centre, Research Fellow in EU Energy Policy
Prior to joining Jacques Delors Institute in February 2021, she worked in project finance for a solar and energy efficiency developer in Africa and the Indian Ocean (Green Yellow Indian Ocean), and for the French Treasury in East Africa as Economic Attachée where she was in charge of sustainable development, based in Nairobi. She also contributed to EU energy policy analysis within the EU Affairs Department of EDF. Camille is a graduate of the MA programme in European Affairs of Sciences Po Paris (2016) and of the MA in Energy, Environment and Transports Economics of the Paris-Saclay University (2017). Her working languages are French, English and German. Join #CCS2023 for an introduction in renewable energy with Camille Defard.
irector, Commercial & Investment Banking, BRD Groupe Société Générale
Director, Top Corporate Coverage, more than 15 years experience in Corporate and Financial Institutions business span over different international banks. Always embracing new challenges in the professional life, I strongly believe that the future is green, otherwise the future is going to be very short. I am honored and excited for being part of such an impressive event as Climate Change Summit.
Finance
BSc, MSc, MSc, PhD, CChem, MRSC, MES
Author and co-author of 14 nationally and internationally published books and university textbooks, 4 invention patents and well over 200 scientific papers published in refereed journals and conference proceedings, Prof. Dănuţ - Ionel Văireanu received his BSc and MSc in ChemEng degrees in 1988, graduating top at national level, from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, his MSc (1992) from the University of Manchester, and his PhD (1995) from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK, all with the highest grades possible. Appointed as a Senior Lecturer in 1996 at the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry, Bucharest, he obtained by an European competition a postdoctoral NATO/RS Fellowship (1997-1998) at UMIST, UK. Appointed as a Reader in 2001, Prof. Văireanu got full Professorship tenure in 2004 and obtained his Habilitation in 2010 at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies (former Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Politehnica University of Bucharest), where he currently works as a professor of electrochemistry and corrosion and electrochemical engineering. His active involvement in the field of electrochemistry, corrosion, batteries, fuel cells, environmental electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering led to a very early recognition abroad from the American Electrochemical Society (USA), being awarded from 1995 onwards the status of active member of this prestigious society and, similarly, that of full member and Chartered Chemist of The Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), Electrochemical Division and Analytical Division, that of the Romanian Chemical Engineering Society, 2001, Romanian Chemical Society, full member of CRIFST Division of the Romanian Academy, 2017, Associate Member of the Technical Sciences Academy of Romania, 2023.
Executive Director, Romanian Farmers’ Club for High-Performance Agriculture
Florian Ciolacu serves as the Executive Director of the Romanian Farmers’ Club High-Performance Agriculture. Since September 2018, he has been overseeing the activities of the association's Executive Unit, as well as the programs and projects launched to achieve the Club's objectives, which focus on enhancing the competitiveness and profitability of businesses in Romanian agriculture. Florian Ciolacu previously held the position of Commercial Vice President at SIVECO Romania, the most prestigious Romanian software company specializing in complex software projects. He was a part of the SIVECO team for eleven years. Prior to this, he worked as a diplomat at the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, handling affairs related to the United Nations and Multilateral Diplomacy. He was appointed as the Romanian representative to specialized agencies in Geneva (2000-2004), including the International Telecommunication Union, World Intellectual Property Organization, UNCTAD, and the European Center for Nuclear Research. In 2006, he completed the Executive Policy Program at the J.F.K. School of Government, Harvard University. Florian is a member of the ASPEN Institute. He graduated from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Bucharest and pursued postgraduate studies at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest.
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Board member of Holde Agri invest SA
Architect by training, Liviu is active in the field of entrepreneurial, emergent businesses in Romania. Throughout the years, he was a co initiator and project leader in a number of companies and ventures, starting in the field of architecture design and continuing with agribusiness. Cumulus Architecture became over time one of the leading design groups in Romania with awarded top class projects, and Holde Agri is now already one of the top 10 players in the agri field in the country, with more that 13k ha farmed land. Starting 2020, Holde is a public company traded on Ro BVB. Currently Liviu is serving as board member of Holde Agri invest SA and he is the group CEO.
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Deputy Director at the Forum of Professional Farmers and Processors from Romania
Cristina Cionga has over thirty years of experience in agriculture. Currently, she serves as the Deputy Director of the APPR Forum. She joined the team in 2018, following roles in top private agribusiness companies, consultancy for the World Bank Mission, and in the public sector as the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture. She also held the position of Senior Agriculture Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest and worked as a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Economics (IEA) of the Romanian Academy. Cristina studied economic cybernetics at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. She specialized in agricultural resource management in Greece and completed training programs in public policies at prestigious foreign universities such as Harvard (Massachusetts) and Georgetown (Washington DC). She has actively participated in numerous projects and has published works related to the Romanian agricultural sector, both before and after accession, as a result of her work at the IEA, the U.S. Embassy, and collaborations with the World Bank, OECD, and CEROPE.
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Executive Director Circular Economy Coalition - CERC
Alexandru Laibăr, Executive Director of the Circular Economy Coalition - CERC, is a professional with sustainability studies and experience in various organizations, focused on sustainable businesses in the circular and social economy sector, who uses his knowledge and experience gained from the corporate and NGO sectors to develop within CERC a community of specialists and companies that want to make the transition to the circular economy by implementing the principles and good practices of circularity in Romania. He also carries out consultancy and training activities in circular economy, organizational sustainability and ESG. He believes that an organization can only be as strong as the weakest of its members, and bottom-up change, through people putting into practice the ideas they support, is the most effective method of economic and social progress. .
Circular Economy
Board Member of TeraPlast SA & Faculty Member, Faculty of Management, SNSPA
Mr. Lucian Anghel holds a PhD in economics and a bachelor’s degree in cybernetics and economics, graduating a postgraduate course at Washington Georgetown University. He has 25 years of experience in the financial-banking field, filling in overtime various management positions such as chief economist, coordinator of the structuring plan for privatization, deputy treasurer, director of strategy, CEO of several institutions such as banks or a pension fund. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of some asset managers – mutual funds and worked as an external expert for the World Bank. Mr. Anghel was the Chairman of the Bucharest Stock Exchange Board for 8 years. He served as the Chairman of the Audit Committee of Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges. At present, he holds the position of non-executive member of the Board of Directors in some public/listed companies on Bucharest Stock Exchange – TeraPlast and Bittnet Group. Mr. Lucian Anghel is one of the founders of the Association of Financial-Banking Analysts in Romania, serving as the first President of the Association. Mr. Anghel has an academic background and is teaching at National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA). He is co-author for several books on banking issues (ie. Banking Liquidity Management, Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Economics for everyone and Introduction in Microeconomics) and co-author of more than 100 articles and papers for local and international conferences and specialized magazines, being a member of the editorial board of the scientific journal Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy. He has recently obtained PG Certificate and Diploma in Board Practice & Directorship – Henley Business School – UK.
Finance
Entrepreneur, Business Leader & Climate Enthusiast
Entrepreneur, Business Leader & Climate Enthusiast with more than 19 years of experience acquired in leading Telecommunication and Technology companies (Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Samsung). Cristian is currently the Founder & CEO of Klap Tech, an innovative circular economy company fighting E-Waste by refurbishing various devices (phones, laptops, tablets) and remarking them to consumers and businesses, together with services.
Circular Economy
Managing Partner HUMANISTIC Co-Founder Careershift.ro Executive Coach & Entrepreneur
Mihai ZANT (www.mihaizant.com) is an Executive Coach, International Trainer and Managing Partner in HUMANISTIC and co-founder of CareerShift.ro. Having over 15 years of experience in managing teams and communities, he concentrated his efforts in creating Learning Organisations. Now, he is designing Learning Journeys for corporate clients using integrated practice systems with a focus on #Self Leadership and #Future Skills. Also, he is one of Coaches for the Executive MBA program of ESCP Europe. He also sat on the Executive Boards of the International Coaching Federation (Ro Chapter) and AVE, an education NGO who aim to transform the way education is pursued. He is also in the board of the Entrepreneurship Academy, a private school for entrepreneurs. Mihai led an EU funded incubator with 36 financed start-ups (2.4 MEur) and he is now advising, coaching and mentoring various founders through his “Impact Leverage Session” Program. This was managed applying the principles of agility and is now given as the example in such type of projects. Together with his teams at HUMANISTIC he is delivering corporate development programs on leadership, systemic thinking, agility and communication for clients like Microsoft, IBM, Societe Generale, ING, HEINEKEN, Groupama, Allianz, Telekom, Vodafone, Orange, Deloitte, KPMG, PWC, NN, Accenture, Xerox, Pentalog, Bearing Point, Heineken, Saint Gobain, Dr Maxx, Servier, Merck, Roche, Brico Depot, Kaufland, Lidl, Carrefour, Luxoft, ERSTE, Bekaert, Provident, Regina Maria, Synevo, Caroli, Adient, etc HUMANISTIC Learning Community ( www.humanistic.ro ) is a freedom brand led as a community of trainers, coaches, facilitators and business experts, a broad learning ecosystem which focuses on Upskilling for the Future by helping professionals to be more autonomous, responsible, agile, resilient, empathic and impact oriented. His life mission is EDUCATION, he believes in continuous learning and that creating Stakeholder Value is the way to go for companies. His aim is to help Companies create cultures where people are free, authentic, autonomous and in the right place to contribute and have a meaningful impact for others.
Intersectionality
Head of CSR, Auchan Retail Romania
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
State Counselor, Prime Minister's Chancellery
Circular Economy
Ph.D. Lecturer, VP for Partnership Development and Digital Transformation, Romanian-American University
Intersectionality
Partner, Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory Services, Assurance, PwC Romania
Intersectionality
Co-Founder & CEO CellX
Ziliang Yang is the Founder and CEO at CellX, a leading cultivated meat startup in China. Over the past 3 years, he has built a team of 40 and raised ~$20 million to bring cultivated meat products to consumers in China and around the world. He was recognized as Forbes Asia and Forbes China 30 under 30 in 2022, 36 under 36 by 36kr, and top 50 entrepreneurs by innovation China. Before starting CellX, Ziliang worked as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group in Boston, advising top executives with strategic insights. He gave up the Wharton MBA program to found CellX in 2020. He graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University with a degree in quantitative economics. He has been a flexitarian for six years and cares deeply about the negative impact of factory farming on the environment, humans, and animals. As an impact entrepreneur, he is working to create large-scale social impact through a sustainable business model
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Head of HVAC Business Development, Romstal
Andrei Stelian Bejan, Head of HVAC Business Development at Romstal, is a dedicated advocate for renewable energy and energy-efficient solutions. With a Master's Degree in Energy Efficiency and a PhD in Civil Engineering, specializing in renewables, Andrei possesses a strong academic foundation in the field. His extensive expertise extends beyond the training room, as he has served as a consultant on numerous energy-efficient projects. Andrei's experience encompasses a wide range of sustainable technologies, including heat pumps, photovoltaic systems and solar solutions. He is also passionate regarding the development of nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEB), demonstrating his commitment to advancing sustainable construction practices. Driven by a passion for a greener future, Andrei Stelian Bejan continues to lead the change in promoting renewables and pioneering energy-efficient building solutions.
Violeta Neniță is Market Manager for IKEA Romania and member of the regional management team of IKEA South East Europe.
Violeta Neniță is Market Manager for IKEA Romania and member of the regional management team of IKEA South East Europe. She is responsible for leading and developing high performing management and commercial team in the stores and the whole Romanian market. Violeta has a long career in IKEA, she worked for 4 years as Trading Manager for South East Europe before her current role. Violeta is passionate about working with people and creating results through people. Before joining IKEA, Violeta worked for H&M company. Violeta is married and she has two children. One of the most valuable things someone told her in her career came from an IKEA Purchase manager who said: “Empower! You manage this and sky is the limit! Have fun in the job! Take people on board and do things together. Use the strength of the people.” With respect, facts-based decisions and building relations she learned how to succeed. And she had the privilege to work in a company where she was encouraged and empowered to take on management roles and develop herself and the business.
Start-up Solutions
Coraline Barré is CSR Leader at Auchan Retail International, executive committee member.
Coraline began her career in sustainable finance as an ESG analyst, and continued as a manager in a climate consultancy. Coraline joined Auchan Retail International in 2020, first in charge of climate and extrafinancial reporting, and now as CSR Leader for the group.
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Journalist at Digi24
Ligia Munteanu is a TV journalist and TV presenter since 2009 and she is the presenter of the show Business Club since 2021. She presented for 2 years at Digi24 economic and technology shows. She is a Doctor in Economics as well as a graduate of economics.
Moderator
Journalist at Digi24
Teodora Tompea is a Digi24 journalist, one of the broadcaster’s main news anchors. She is also the creator of several television programs such as Focus Europa, created in collaboration with DW, Scena Deschisa and Planeta ești tu. For three years, the latter has been the only TV program dedicated to climate change in Romania, Teodora being both the mind behind it and the creator of the project. In addition to her activity as a journalist, three years ago Teodora also focused her efforts on entrepreneurship, also in the sustainability field. She opened an ecological laundry business in a town in Ilfov.
Moderator
Corporate Affairs Vicepresident Ursus Breweries
Start-up Solutions
Director of Human Resources, Société Générale Global Solution Centre
Cătălina Magui is the Human Resources Director of Societe Generale Global Solution Centre since February 2022. She has over 25 years of experience in the Outsourcing/Offshoring industry, Human Resources and Banking. Previously to the HRD role, she led the HRCO (HR Shared Service) in SG GSC, having contributed to the set-up of the HR SSC since 2012, leading the team as Deputy Head in 2014 and as Head from in 2016. Before SG GSC, Catalina has worked for 16 years in BRD in different areas: capital markets, general secretariate and HR. Experienced Executive manager graduated from ASEBUSS & University of Washington.
Intersectionality
General Manager, Mastercard Romania and Croatia
Cosmin Vladimirescu started his career in the financial-banking sector in 2000, one year after graduating from the Faculty of Management-Marketing at the Romanian-American University of Bucharest. His first role was as a Card Fraud Officer at Bancpost, and in 2005 was appointed Manager of the first Fraud and Payment Denial Department at Bancpost, a position that involved analyzing risk situations and managing card fraud prevention solutions. He joined Mastercard Europe in April 2007 as Account Manager for Romania and in 2010, he took on the role of Country Manager Mastercard Republic of Moldova, and after the end of his mandate in 2013, he was appointed Country Manager Mastercard Romania. Since February 2020, he has also been coordinating Mastercard Croatia. From his current position, he coordinates the entire activity of the company, focused on strategic pillars covering the promotion of electronic payments, innovation and development of new payment methods, financial education and inclusion, and social good, managing Mastercard’s operations and major projects, as well as the relationship with all stakeholders.
Intersectionality
environmentalist & free spirit
A leading Romanian high-altitude climber, Alex Găvan uses the best stage possible, the summits of the world’s highest mountains to advance environmental and social causes. He reached seven 8000+ m summits in the Himalayas by fair means, without supplemental oxygen and high-altitude porters. Recipient of the 2008 “Gold Medal for Merit in Sport” (Spain), he was twice awarded “Sportsman of the Year” by the Romanian Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing and twice more nominated for the same award. But for him, “climbing mountains Outside is climbing mountains Inside“. He feels we are the custodians of this planet, not its owners, not its conquerors and the role of being a custodian comes with great responsibility. This planet means abundance, but for abundance to manifest each and every one of us shall take mindfully, shall take only what is necessary, shall take only what one really needs. Alex has a long-time involvement and commitment to a series of environmental causes, such as the quest against illegal logging, protecting and conserving Romania’s virgin forests, cyanide-free mining, Văcărești Natural Park (of which he contributed to its designation), creating the Bucharest Green Belt, or saving the Transylvanian – Alps dwelling asprete, probably the world’s rarest fish, the last two being the current major projects of the foundation that bear his name. Alex Găvan is a celebrator of Life in all its forms and manifestations.
Cities & Mobility
Deputy CEO, BRD Groupe Société Générale
Mrs. Maria Rousseva has over 22 years experience in banking field over which 16 years in management positions inside SG Groupe such as: Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Societe Generale Expressbank, Bulgaria (November 2005 – October2011); Member of the Management Board/Executive Director in charge of Corporate and Financial Markets at Societe Generale Expressbank, Bulgaria (November 2011 –October 2012); Deputy CEO/ Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Head of Corporate and Financial Markets at Societe Generale Expressbank, Bulgaria (November 2012 – June 2015); CEO/ Chairman of the Executive Board at Societe Generale Bank Serbia (July 2015 – July 2019); Member of the Supervisory Board at Ohridska Banka, Societe Generale Group (February 2012 – December 2019); Member of the Board of Directors at SKB Banka Slovenia, Societe Generale Group (May 2018 – December 2019), Member of the Board of Directors at Rusfinance Bank LLC, Rosbank Group (August 27, 2019 –February 2021); First Deputy CEO/ First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board at PJSC Rosbank (since August 21, 2019 to April 29, 2022); Member of the Board of Directors of Societe Generale Insurance LLL and Societe Generale Life Insurance LLC, Russia (since September 18, 2019 – May 31, 2022)
Intersectionality
President Kogayon Associatin and Director, ”Oltenia de sub Munte” UNESCO aspiring Geopark
Building on his own experience in establishing Romania's first citizen-led national parks, Florin is catalyzing a citizen-driven movement for the creation of a functional system for protected areas in Romania. By connecting urban and rural communities through nature, he is creating incentive structures for businesses and individuals to unlock and exchange resources, showing how they can gain benefits from conservation.
BIODIVERSITY
Head of Programs, B Lab Europe
Neila is a highly positive and determined changemaker contributing to building a movement of regenerative communities. Born in France with Algerian roots, she acquired an extensive international exposure and culture map while working and living in multiple countries across Europe and Asia, Graduated as an engineer specialized in Supply Chain Management, her journey led her through change management and strategy oriented missions in the private sector. She landed at B Lab Europe in 2020 aiming to create an impact driven ecosystem and to shape new ways of creating value through regenerative business and systemic thinking leadership. She started by deploying the SDG Action Manager in collaboration with the UNGC and extended her role towards impact management and transformation at large. She is now heading the Programs departments working on developing new offerings to help companies advance in their sustainability journey and further improve their societal impact with a collaborative stakeholder focused approach rooted in B Lab’s standards and tools. “The change we seek to bring starts from within”, let’s look inwards first by developing new models for personal development to be able to create meaningful change in society!
Intersectionality
Financial Times
Raphael Minder is the Central Europe correspondent for the Financial Times, based in Warsaw. He previously covered Spain and Portugal for the New York Times. He rejoined the FT in 2022, having reported between 2000 and 2010 from Paris, Brussels, Sydney and Hong Kong as the FT’s Asia regional correspondent. He is the author of two books about Spain. He is Swiss and started in journalism with Bloomberg News in Zurich
intersectionality
Chargé d'Affaires, The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Romania
Having started her diplomatic career in 2014, Eng. Mahra Ali Alshaya is the Deputy Head of Mission of the UAE Embassy in Bucharest, to which she was appointed in 2018. During her mandate, Eng. Mahra Ali Alshaya had an intense experience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic coordinating remotely up to three UAE missions abroad (covering four countries: Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and Hungary) and is currently the Deputy Head of Mission within the UAE Embassy to Romania, leading the economic, political, communication and cultural sections, attributions that she also undertakes within the UAE embassy to Ukraine. Eng. Mahra Ali Alshaya has an educational background in architecture and international relations and public diplomacy.
Intersectionality
One Planet. One Health Manager for Central and Eastern Europe Region, Danone
Cristina Bîcîilă is working as One Planet. One Health Manager for Central and Eastern Europe Region in Danone and is responsible with defining the strategy and implementation of the Danone company sustainability vision on Environment, Health, and People. Cristina is a communication professional with a solid management expertise in a diverse environment: corporate, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit sector, being involved into different roles with social impact for more than 15 years. Previously, as a Mission Manager in Nutricia ELN, she contributed to SAMAS Association creation and growth, which made a ground-breaking work to the development of maternity healthcare services in Romania, to the benefit of disadvantaged Romanian mothers and babies and the improvement of child nutrition. Cristina is a creative person and a passionate driver for change who values integrity and people. She is optimistic about life and human potential, believes that a true leader should always model the way, have a high understanding of people, and societal issues, be a good listener and a visionary. “One voice can change a room, and if one voice can change a room, then it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it changes a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world. Your voice can change the world.” -Barack Obama is her inspirational quote
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Central European Financial Services SA Associate professor, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Ana Bobircă is a partner with Central European Financial Services, a regional private equity advisory firm. She has been working in the investment fund industry for the last 20 years. She has a strong interest in sustainable finance, being part of a team currently fundraising for a circular economy focused private equity fund. She has extensive board-level experience as representative in financial services, transportation and logistics, distribution, construction materials food and retail, agriculture. Ana is an associate professor at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Department of International Business and Economics, with relevant academic experience in the areas of finance, international services, intangible economy. She holds a PhD in international business and economics from the same university. She is also the vice-president of the Businessmen’s Association of Romania (AOAR), member in the Steering Committee of Coaliția pentru Dezvoltarea României (CDR), where she is currently co-chairing the CDR Strategic Group on Financial Resources Allocation for Recovery and Resilience and member of the Competition Council Consultative Board.
Finance
Director, Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory Services, PwC Romania
Dana is a Director in the ESG practice in Romania with 12 years of experience. She is ACCA qualified and has significant knowledge also on IFRS and Statutory requirements knowledge. She is managing multi-disciplinary teams, developing and maintaining strong relationships with key client executives, directly reporting to firm partners/directors, constantly developing internal teams and exhibiting effective problem-solving and business analysis skills.
intersectionality
Project Leader Circular Economy, Decathlon Romania
Circular Economy
Chief Revenue Officer, The C-Fit Group
Thea empowers & is an advocate for agrifoodtech & greentech startups, helping them scale while creating lasting positive impact & embracing sustainability. Her work is centered around building high-performing sales organizations, creating authentic teams & organizational cultures, and advising on Revenue Generation processes tailored to leverage the distinctive strengths of each startup. She’s also a strategic facilitator, fostering connections with investors, angels, and venture capitals in the agri food tech & greentech stage. Her understanding of Go-to-Market strategies allows her to equip startups with the tools to reach and serve farmers efficiently. She also supports the tech startups ecosystem as a mentor in various global accelerators, including the United Nations FAO XTC, SVG Ventures | THRIVE, GROW, gener8tor, EIT Food, RootCamp and Women in Food and Agriculture. Thea speaks about how agrifood tech & greentech startups can play a pivotal role in addressing climate change & transitioning from talking about doing to getting things done.
Start-up Solutions
Procurement & ESG Director, PORR
Carmen describes herself as a change agent in developing organizational culture. She builds effective teams and strong key accounts. She contributes to people's development and growth, while driving for results and sustainability. Furthermore, she is continuously working on innovating in all aspects of work for progress: from work procedures, business partners experience, to final outcomes. She currently works as a Procurement & ESG Director at PORR, where she develops the Environment Social Governance Strategy, ESG awareness campaigns, sustainable procurement strategy implementation, internal trainings on ESG, taxonomy & DNSH, PORR sustainability values on Romanian Construction market as key differentiator. She is working on ensuring 100 % electricity supply from renewable sources, supporting projects to develop Do Not Significant Harm measures & supporting project teams to develop passive energy site organisations.
Circular Economy
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