Smail Alhilali joined UNIDO in 2007, serving in different positions including chief of division for responsible materials and chemicals management (2020-2023), and chief of division for emerging compliance regimes (2018-2020). He was responsible for the implementation of the global resource efficiency and cleaner production programme and the technical lead of the global eco-industrial parks programme. Before joining UNIDO, Smail was the director of Morocco National Cleaner Production Centre (2003-2007) and served in different positions within the National Centre for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Technology (CNESTEN) in Morocco (1994-2003). Smail holds a master’s on nuclear safety engineering (France, 1994) and a master’s on mechanical engineering (Morocco, 1993).
Julia is a director across Systemiq’s Natural Resources and Urban Practice. Her work focuses on the efficient and balanced space-use for resilient and vibrant neighbourhoods. This includes analytical studies, as well as implementation projects focused on AI-enabled planning and finance solutions. Julia also works as a special advisor to the International Resource Panel (IRP)’s Co-Chair Janez Potočnik and contributes to the advisory panel of the EU’s Circular Regions and Cities initiative. Before joining Systemiq, Julia worked at the Institute for Climate and Society in Rio de Janeiro. She holds an MSc in global politics from the London School of Economics and a post-graduate degree in interdisciplinary design for the built environment from the University of Cambridge.
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Ladeja Godina Kosir
Founder and Director, Co-Chair of ECESP
Circular Change
As the co-chair of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) in Brussels, Ladeja is recognised globally as an authority on the circular economy. She is an inspiring speaker and lecturer, and a member of numerous international circular economy councils, expert groups and juries. Ladeja has co-authored the circular economy road maps for Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Chile. Collaborating with teams worldwide, from Nordic countries to Latin America, she is active in several think tanks, including Chatham House, and contributes to scientific publications. Ladeja's achievements include being a finalist for the Circular Leadership Award 2018 (Davos WEF) and being featured as #EUwomen4future by the EU Commission in 2020.
Freek van Eijk leads an independent platform that facilitates the transition to a circular economy at the international level by bringing together government authorities, knowledge institutes and businesses. He is co-chair of the Coordination Group of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP). Furthermore, he is an adjunct professor at the LUISS Business School. He is one of the more senior EU experts in waste management and the circular economy, and has been described as a “mover and a shaker”. Previously, he served for over a decade as director of strategy and public affairs at multinational SUEZ, as a board member at the Dutch Waste Management Association, and as a sherpa of the EU Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials.
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Nanno Mulder
Chief, International Trade Unit
United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Nanno Mulder’s main areas of research are on the Latin America and the Caribbean region’s participation in global value chains in general and services in particular. This includes digital trade and ecommerce and sustainable trade, with a focus on the internationalisation of SMEs, gender equality and the circular economy. He has worked at the OECD and CEPII. He holds a master’s and a PhD from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
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Florika Fink-Hooijer
Director General, Environment Department (DG ENV)
European Commission
Having occupied various senior management positions in the European Commission, Florika Fink-Hooijer is recognised for her strong management and leadership skills and her in-depth experience in EU policy making and shaping. A lawyer by training, Florika brings a proven record of accomplishment in foreign and security policy as well as in humanitarian aid and disaster risk reduction. She has extensive experience in leading complex inter-institutional and intergovernmental negotiations. In her current role at the Commission's Directorate-General for Environment, she is responsible for implementing the European Green Deal objectives, in particular the areas of the circular economy, biodiversity and zero pollution.
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Nadine Stöcker
Technical Advisor
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Nadine Stöcker has been working for GIZ since 2017 and is currently advisor in the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3). During the past four years, Nadine coordinated a company-wide working group on sustainable industrial areas, fostering knowledge management and networking between member projects in close exchange with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Bank Group. She holds a bachelor’s in retail management and a post graduate double degree in natural resources management and development. Nadine gained six years of regional experience in Latin America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico), working for the sustainable management of natural resources.
Brigitte Mouligneau studied Law at KU Leuven in Belgium. After a first career of 16 years in European relations, she became head of the strategic policy unit of the Flemish Government. She specialises in long-term strategies and transition management. In 2016, Brigitte joined the Circular Flanders’ team at OVAM (the Public Waste Agency) and was appointed as their transition manager in 2018 by the ministers of environment and of economy and innovation. Circular Flanders is a public-private partnership working on the transition towards the circular economy in Flanders. In the Flemish climate action plan the goal is to reduce the material footprint 30 percent by 2030 by introducing the circular principles in our economy and in our society.
Luisa Santiago has been leading the foundation's work in Latin America since the establishment of its regional office in 2015. She is recognised as one of the main leaders in the circular economy on the continent and has a key role in its uptake by governments and businesses. She sits in the steering board of the Latin American and Caribbean Circular Economy Coalition, and is a board member of some NGOs and cities. Prior to joining the Ellen MacArthur Foundation she spent nearly 10 years in strategy and sustainability consultancy with large corporations and governments. She holds a master’s in sustainable development practices, a degree in environmental management, and a bachelor's in social communication.
Olivia Lazard is a fellow at Carnegie Europe. Her research focuses on the geopolitics of climate, the transition ushered by climate change and the risks of conflict and fragility associated to climate change and environmental collapse.