Head of Strategic Affairs - Europe
Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil)
Aloysio Nunes Ferreira Filho was born in São José do Rio Preto on 5 April 1945. He is a lawyer and was a prosecutor for the State of São Paulo. He has served several legislative terms at the state level and in the national congress. He was vice-governor of São Paulo, secretary of state of São Paulo and of the city hall of the capital. He was secretary general of the presidency of the republic, minister of justice and minister of foreign affairs. He currently heads the strategic affairs division of the office of ApexBrazil in Brussels, Belgium.
Daniel is the coordinator of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities at WRI Colombia. In this role, he coordinates a broad set of initiatives to promote sustainable and enjoyable cities on subjects like descarbonisation of transport, active mobility, urban development, urban economics and air quality. Daniel is also part of the Living Lab, the nudge unit of WRI that tests and implements initiatives based on behavioural insights to foster WRI’s environmental agenda. As part of the Living Lab, he has participated in research projects on transport, energy and food. Currently he is supporting the water consumption program in Monterrey, Mexico. Daniel holds a master’s in urban development and is one of the alumni of WRI´s Behavioral Sciences Academy.
Slendy Díaz Mendez is a circular economy expert. She is a speaker and consultant, holding a background in civil engineering, with extensive experience in project management, the energy sector and circular business models in both the public and private sectors.
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Luis Armando Treviño
Strategic Management Coordinator
Monterrey Water and Drainage Services
Luis Armando has a master's in organisational psychology from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico, with extensive experience in water sustainability, group process management and human behaviour. He was technical secretary of the Río Bravo Basin Council, accredited as facilitator of the UNESCO / WET / CONAGUA water and education programme; and was member of the board of directors of the Network of Basin Organizations of North America and the Caribbean (ROCAN) among others. He is an honorary member of the board of directors of the Mexican Hydraulic Association, Nuevo León section. He worked for more than 13 years in the Río Bravo Basin Organization as regional coordinator of emergency assistance, basin councils and water culture.
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Juan Carlos Castro Vargas
Minister of Environment
Ministry of Environment, Peru
Juan Carlos Castro Vargas was nominated to his current role in February 2023. He is a biologist graduated from the National University of Trujillo, with a master's in environmental management from the University Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo. With more than 20 years’ experience, he is the former chief of the National Water Authority (ANA) and held management positions in different institutions of the public sector in Peru, such as the National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA); the Environmental Evaluation and Oversight Agency (OEFA); the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation (MVCS); and the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI). His experience covers water resources management, watersheds, environmental assessment and public management.
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Nelson Pereira dos Reis
Vice President
Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP)
Nelson Pereira dos Reis leads the sustainable development department of FIESP and the Center of Industries of the State of São Paulo (CIESP). He is also the president of the Union of Chemical Products for Industrial Purposes and Petrochemicals of the State of São Paulo. In his journey as an executive working to conciliate the competitiveness of the industry with the improvement of environmental quality and social well-being, he presided over Copebrás and Anglo American's operations in Brazil and was executive president of the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association.
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Daniel Lodetti
Deputy Head for Sustainable Development
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil
Daniel Lodetti is a diplomat and part of the team leading the G20 Initiative on the Bioeconomy (GIB), one of the innovations announced by the Brazilian Presidency for the G20 in 2024. Daniel was also the Brazilian negotiator for the circular economy at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in 2024 and board member of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP). He was part of the Brazilian delegations to many international fora, including the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the G20 Development Working Group and the Latin American and Caribbean Forum on Sustainable Development at ECLAC. He worked at the Brazilian Embassy in Bogotá Daniel graduated in economics from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).
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Mellany Díaz
Adviser to the ministerial office
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Guatemala
With her vast experience in environmental management, Mellany Díaz has led the strategic planning of environmental projects in the public and private sectors. In several positions, lately the executive director of the national sector of plastics, her work has focused on the implementation of environmental certifications that boost business competitiveness in the plastics industry in Guatemala. She has contributed significantly to promoting use of alternative raw materials, such as bioplastics, and developing comprehensive solid waste management plans at the business, municipal and community levels. Mellany holds a master's in sustainable development and a postgraduate degree in corporate social responsibility.
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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.
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.