Daniele has worked at UNIDO as a project manager in the circular economy and resource efficiency unit since 2021. He is the focal point of the Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency (GACERE) and leads a project on the uptake of eco-design practices in China. A passionate advocate of the ecological transition, he worked for the energy utility Enel before joining UNIDO (2017-2021). His background is in sustainable energy systems and he holds an MSc from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy, and the UPC BarcelonaTech in Spain.
Riku is a dedicated circular economist with a passion for developing business models which are more circular. Throughout his career, Riku has worked with numerous circular economy initiatives, such as circular economy road maps and industry-specific playbooks. Riku's expertise lies in developing circular solutions that drive innovation and growth and at the same time reduce the need for resources. He is especially interested in the nexus between the circular economy and nature. Nature and biodiversity are featuring more and more in the business agendas, and the circular economy is a key delivery mechanism in halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
María has been working on circular economy policies for the past 6 years and currently leads the unit in charge of implementing Europe’s circular economy action plan. She also works on the circular economy of textiles. After finishing her master’s at the College of Europe in European political and administrative studies, Maria worked in the representation of Andalucía to the EU in Brussels, in charge of policy areas including digitalisation, the economy, finance and the circular economy. At the Directorate-General Environment in the European Commission, Maria has discovered best practices in sustainable consumption and production, disseminated among eco-innovative businesses and public authorities. She is keen on learning more about new business models in markets for secondary raw materials. Maria also holds a degree in law and a master’s in diplomacy and international relations.
Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea joined the Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment in 2014. Before his current role, he was director of enforcement, cohesion and the European Semester until April 2022. He joined the Commission in 2009 and served as director for equality and director for fundamental rights and EU citizenship. He holds an LLM from the University of Illinois, US, and a PhD from the University of Bucharest, Romania.
Paola Migliorini has been working on circular economy policies at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment since 2012. She has coordinated the policy development and the implementation of the two circular economy action plans adopted by the Commission in 2015 and 2020. Currently, she focuses on the circular economy for textiles and plastics and on the EU Ecolabel. Paola has great interest in best practices on sustainable consumption and production from innovative businesses and public authorities. She has experience in European institutions and the private sector. Her motto is "explain, listen and make it happen".
Patrick Schröder specialises in research on the global transition to an inclusive circular economy with a focus on international policy coordination, closing the investment gap, the role of global trade and the contribution of the circular economy to the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining Chatham House, he was Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. From 2008–15 he was based in Beijing where he worked extensively in development cooperation programmes of the European Union and climate change programmes with GIZ. He is currently coordinating lead author for UNEP’s Global Environmental Outlook 7. Patrick holds a BA in Chinese from the University of Westminster and received his MA in international relations and PhD in environmental studies from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Johan Berhin is the founder and designer of the green furniture concept, known from railway stations and airports around the world, such as London King's Cross Station and Hong Kong Airport. He saw the need for more sustainable timber as a furniture producer and became amazed by the many benefits of forestry without clear-cutting, both from a sustainability and an economic viewpoint. He believes this probably has the largest climate potential of any action in Northern Europe.
Martin Pauli works at Arup, an international consultancy and design firm, where he develops circular economy-based business and product strategies for leading companies in the construction industry in Europe and internationally.
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Florian Marin
Member
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Florian Marin is an economist specialising in local and rural development, sustainable development, circularity and managing European structural and investment funds. He is the former vice-president of the Romanian Economic and Social Council, an alternate member in the executive board of the National Trade Union Block confederation, president of the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Romania and member of the European Social Fund monitoring committee. Marin has a PhD and conducts postdoctoral research in economic sciences.
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Peter Schmidt
NAT Section President
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Born in 1962, Peter Schmidt's first occupation was cheesemaker. Later, he was a regional officer of the NGG food and catering trade union for 27 years, in charge of dairy industries and bakeries. Since 2014 he has been a member of the EESC's Group II (workers). From 2015 to 2018, he was the president of the EESC's permanent study group on sustainable food systems. From 2018 to 2020, he was the president of the EESC's sustainable development observatory. He is one of the founding members of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and continues to support the platform in his current capacity at the EESC, responsible for agriculture, rural development and environment.
