Speakers
Meet the speakers of the ISEAL Sustainability Policy Forum. Each speaker brings a unique perspective and a wealth of experience to spark ideas, ignite conversation, and drive action.
This page is actively updated as new speakers are confirmed. See below for the current list of confirmed speakers.
Karin Kreider has been the Executive Director of ISEAL since 2012, working on external and member engagement, partnerships, governance, strategy, and all things good institutional management. Previously she was involved in the start-up of Rainforest Alliance and worked on organisational development and the launch of their forestry, agriculture and tourism programmes.
Karin Kreider
ISEAL, Executive Director
Heidi Hautala is a former Green Member and Vice President of the European Parliament. She was also Minister for International Development of Finland. In the European Parliament she founded the Responsible Business Working Group which became a focal point towards the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. After her long parliamentary Heidi works as an independent expert on corporate sustainability. She is board member of Fern, FTAO and Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.
Heidi Hautala
Former Vice President for European Parliament and long-term MEP
Mathias Bach Kirkegaard is working at the Danish Permanent Representation to the EU on topics related to circular economy and chemicals. He is actively engaged in policy discussions in his policy field. Before coming to Brussels, he was working in the Danish Ministry for Environment and, even before, in the private sector.
Mathias Bach Kirkegaard
Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU, Environment attaché
Emmanuelle Maire is Head of Unit for Circular economy, Sustainable Production and Consumption at the Directorate-general for Environment (DG ENV). Her team also leads on the preparation of the new EU Bioeconomy strategy. She is in charge of the negotiations of several legislative proposals such as the Green Claims Directive, as well as the implementation of the Plastics strategy, the Single-use plastics Directive and the EU Ecolabel Regulation.
Emanuelle Maire
European Commission, DG Environment, Deputy Director & Head of Unit for Circular Economy, Sustainable Consumption and Production
Allan Jorgensen is Head of the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct. Prior to joining the OECD in 2021, Allan Jorgensen was Head of Sustainable Trade at global logistics giant A.P. Moller-Maersk. Prior to this, he served as Head of Human Rights and Business at the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
Allan Jorgensen
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Head of the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct
Joseph (JD) D’Cruz is CEO of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the world’s leading platform for sustainable palm oil. He spent over 20 years with the UN, advising governments and institutions on the SDGs, climate action, urbanisation, and inclusive growth. He serves on the ISEAL Board and is a non-executive director of Climate Governance Malaysia. JD holds degrees in politics, economics, and international development.
Joseph D’Cruz
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, CEO
Marcela Gaviria is Director of Alliances and Projects at the FNC, with over 14 years of experience in sustainability and international cooperation. She oversees strategic partnerships with Nespresso, the EU, Starbucks, and others. Since 2023, she has led the EUDR implementation, positioning Colombia’s coffee sector as a global reference for regulatory compliance. She holds master’s degrees from universities in France and the UK.
Marcela Gaviria Botero
Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC)
Joana is Global Head of Strategic Sustainability Topics at Inter IKEA Group, leading the integration of key issues such as water consumption & pollution, biodiversity, land use, human rights, children’s rights, climate, air pollution, circularity, waste, and healthy & sustainable living into the IKEA business strategy and operations. With over 25 years of experience, she represents Inter IKEA in external sustainability collaborations. Joana holds a master's degree in Environmental Engineering and an MBA.
Joana Barata Correia
Inter IKEA Group, Global Head of Strategic Sustainability Topics
Monika Weber-Fahr is Chair of the Board of ISEAL and Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School of Governance (Berlin). Previously, she held roles of progressive leadership with GWP, SEforALL, the World Bank, IFC and BCG. Monika is a member of the Board of the Austrian Development Bank (OeEB) and on the Advisory Boards of Online Educa Berlin (OEB) and Deltares. She holds a PhD and a MSc in economics and Diplomas in International Relations and in Corporate Governance. She lives in Vienna in Austria.
Monika Weber-Fahr
Chair of the ISEAL Board and Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School of Governance'
Axel Marx is Deputy Director Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies (KU Leuven). His academic publications (300+) have appeared in several leading international journals and edited volumes. His research interests include voluntary sustainability standards and EU trade and sustainability policy. He is currently also the co-chair of the Academic Advisory Council of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards.
Axel Marx
Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, Deputy Director
Monica Rubiolo, Head of Trade Promotion at SECO. She leads on efforts to foster trade in developing countries that is socially responsible, environmentally friendly, and inclusive. She supports framework conditions for sustainable trade, SME competitiveness, and strengthening resource-efficient private sectors. Monica holds a PhD, she has taught in Germany, Argentina, and Spain, and worked in Taiwan and Madrid. She joined SECO in 2003, focusing on public finance and the financial sector support, before moving to Trade Promotion. She is member of the Boards of the Swiss Sustainable Coffee Initiative and Swiss Platform on Sustainable Cocoa.
Monica Rubiolo
Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, Head Trade Promotion
Xavier Gine is a Lead Economist in the Finance and Private Sector Development Team of the Development Research Group at the World Bank and the Director of the World Development Report 2025 on Standards for Development. Prior to joining the Bank he was a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer at the Economic Growth Centre at Yale University. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain, an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago.
Xavier Gine
World Bank, Lead Economist
Boateng Solomon is the Executive Secretary of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union. Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union is a cocoa farmer cooperative union in Ghana with over 100,000 membership. He has 16 years working experience in certification and sustainability. He holds BA Hons. from University of Ghana (Legon), EMBA from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana (KNUST), MSc. Environmental Sustainability and Management, Cert. in Professional Marketing from CIM-UK and Bachelor of Laws (LLB).
Solomon Boateng
Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union, Executive Secretary and Cocoa Farmer
Christine is the Head of the Green Button Secretariat at GIZ. With over 15 years of experience, she specialises voluntary and mandatory supply chain governance regulation as well as public and private responsibility for supply chain sustainability in the garment and agricultural sectors. Christine holds a PhD from Leuphana University Lüneburg and earned an M.A. in International Relations and Development Policy, Public Law, and Communication from the University of Münster.
Christine Moser-Priewich
GIZ/Green Button, Head of Green Button Secretariat & Team Lead in the Social-Ecological Transformation of Textile Supply Chains (SETTS) project
Jeff Milder is founder and director of the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi), a collaboration of 20+ environmental and social NGOs to transform supply chains to protect forests, ecosystems, and human rights. The AFi publishes the Accountability Framework as a common global reference for responsible supply chains. It also supports broad adoption of this Framework to strengthen and align action by companies, multi-stakeholder initiatives, policymakers, and accountability systems.
Jeff Milder
Rainforest Alliance, Director, Accountability Framework initiative
Vidya has been with ISEAL since mid-2015, working on research, engagement and our human rights programme. Today she leads ISEAL’s Policy and Engagement team and our Research and Evidence programme.
Vidya Rangan
ISEAL, Policy and Engagement Director
Heidi Hautala is a former Green Member and Vice President of the European Parliament. She was also Minister for International Development of Finland. In the European Parliament she founded the Responsible Business Working Group which became a focal point towards the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. After her long parliamentary Heidi works as an independent expert on corporate sustainability. She is board member of Fern, FTAO and Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.
Heidi Hautala
Former Vice President for European Parliament and long-term MEP
Michael J. Camilleri is Branch Chief in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, leading work on rule of law, democracy, civic space, business and human rights, technology, development finance institutions, and migration. He previously worked at USAID, the U.S. State Department, National Security Council, Organization of American States, and the Centre for Justice and International Law. He holds a BA in History from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Michael Camilleri
Chief of the Branch Representative of UN OHCHR
Boateng Solomon is the Executive Secretary of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union. Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union is a cocoa farmer cooperative union in Ghana with over 100,000 membership. He has 16 years working experience in certification and sustainability. He holds BA Hons. from University of Ghana (Legon), EMBA from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana (KNUST), MSc. Environmental Sustainability and Management, Cert. in Professional Marketing from CIM-UK and Bachelor of Laws (LLB).
Solomon Boateng
Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union, Executive Secretary and Cocoa Farmer
As Director, Ruben works with governments, companies, civil society organisations and investors to drive alignment between voluntary and mandatory sustainability standards and the UNGPs on Business and Human Rights. He focuses on mandatory due diligence and reporting regulations. Ruben sits on EFRAG’s Sustainability Reporting Board, advising the EC on the ESRS. He supports Shift’s wider work with companies and financial institutions on regulatory developments and thematic work.
Ruben Zandvliet
Shift, Director for Standards
European Commission, Team Leader Corporate Governance Policy, DG JUST. A3 – Company Law
Zsofia Kerecsen
European Commission, Team Leader Corporate Governance Policy, DG JUST. A3 – Company Law
Vidya has been with ISEAL since mid-2015, working on research, engagement and our human rights programme. Today she leads ISEAL’s Policy and Engagement team and our Research and Evidence programme.
Vidya Rangan
ISEAL, Policy and Engagement Director
Toni Widhiastono (Toni) currently serves as Minister Counsellor and Coordinator for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Brussels. He previously served as Deputy Director for Asia-Pacific and African Intra-regional and Inter-regional Cooperation, advancing Indonesia’s engagement across diverse regional platforms. Mr Widhiastono's over two decades of diplomatic experience include assignments in Indonesian missions in Denmark, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam.
Toni Widhiastono
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Brussels, Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs
Marcela Gaviria is Director of Alliances and Projects at the FNC, with over 14 years of experience in sustainability and international cooperation. She oversees strategic partnerships with Nespresso, the EU, Starbucks, and others. Since 2023, she has led the EUDR implementation, positioning Colombia’s coffee sector as a global reference for regulatory compliance. She holds master’s degrees from universities in France and the UK.
Marcela Gaviria Botero
Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), Director of Alliances and Projects
Jacob Sterling leads the global Sustainability Advisory team at Preferred by Nature, managing 45 experts who help companies and organisations strengthen the sustainability of their value chains, focusing on forestry and agriculture. He works in responsible sourcing, regenerative agriculture, and biodiversity strategy development. With over 25 years’ experience in sustainability across NGOs and businesses, he has worked on nature conservation at WWF, and shipping decarbonisation at Maersk.
Jacob Sterling
Preferred by Nature, Senior Director, Head of Sustainability Advisory
Chris is Deputy Director for Research at SEI York and leads its Sustainable Consumption and Production group. He has led and contributed to projects developing an understanding of the links between international supply chains and environmental impact and risk. As a senior leader on research and engagement in the Trase programme, Chris worked with national governments and multistakeholder programmes, supporting policy and practice on zero-deforestation and supply chain transparency agendas.
Chris West
SEI York, Deputy Director and Trase, Researcher
Alice is a Legal Officer at the European Forest Institute, working on the development of legality due diligence tools for the EU Deforestation Regulation and legal analysis of land use and forest conversion. Before joining EFI, she worked as an environmental lawyer in London. She also followed the international climate change negotiations for over a decade and consulted for NGOs and the UN. She teaches at ESADE University in Barcelona and is a qualified lawyer in New York and in England and Wales.
Alice Bisiaux
European Forest Institute, Legal Expert
Gábor Lovasi is a Policy Officer, Seconded National Expert at European Commission. He previously worked at Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Office in roles spanning forest supervision, supply chain auditing, and EU timber regulation. With over a decade of experience, he supports environmental policy and regulatory compliance at the EU level.
Gábor Lovasi
European Commission, Policy Officer, Seconded National Expert
Josh is the Traceability Manager at ISEAL. His work focuses on supply chain traceability and chain of custody, with a focus on corporate due diligence, scope 3 accounting and the digitisation of supply chains.
Josh Taylor
ISEAL, Traceability Manager
Bart Vandewaetere is member of Nestlé’s Zone Europe Executive Team and is responsible for shaping and advancing the company's ESG commitments in Europe. He works actively to identify and engage with partners to progress Nestlé’s nutrition and sustainability strategy that aims to achieve regenerative food systems at scale. Bart previously worked for several years in the Belgian and international dairy trade association environment. He holds a master’s degree in food science and technology.
Bart Vandewaetere
Nestlé Zone Europe, VP Corporate Communications and ESG Engagement
Mardi McBrien serves as Senior Director for Corporate Performance and Accountability Initiatives at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Previously, Mardi led global efforts in corporate reporting through positions such as Chief of Strategic Affairs and Capacity Building at the IFRS Foundation, and Managing Director of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB). Mardi is Vice Chair of XBRL International.
Mardi McBrien
World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Enhancing Transparency Senior Director
Annie Heaton is the CEO of Responsible Steel. She has spent 30 years in sustainability. Most recently she spent nine years shaping ArcelorMittal’s sustainability agenda, leading on stakeholder engagement, reporting, and investor relations. Prior to this, she worked with global renewable energy firm RES Group in their zero emissions head office, establishing their environmental education programme and initiating their sustainability programme as the company developed large- and small-scale wind, solar and biomass projects. Annie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford.
Annie Heaton
Responsible Steel, CEO
Martin serves as the Sustainability Policy & Partnership Lead in the European Union, where he leads Boeing’s efforts towards sustainability in the aviation sector, coordinating with partners, regulators, stakeholders and policy-makers. Martin brings his experience in consultancy, where he advised international transport and energy companies on strategic advocacy and stakeholder engagement. Previous to his activities in Brussels, Martin worked for Société Générale Investment Bank and the Spanish Embassy in Paris, focusing on regulatory analysis of energy markets and companies.
Martin Gorricho Genua
Boeing, EU Sustainability Policy Lead
Alistair Monument, Director of Programmes, joined ISEAL in August this year and leads the Impacts and Innovations Programme, driving impact on climate, biodiversity, and human rights while also helping to shape strategy and build global partnerships. Before, he was WWF International’s Conservation Impact Director in Asia Pacific, supporting regional and national teams to build impactful strategies, partnerships and programmes. He previously served as Global Forest Practice leader for WWF, as the Asia Pacific Director for FSC and was the founding Director of ASI. Alistair has expertise across fields including conservation, forestry, climate, labour rights, land rights, development and certification.
Alistair Monument
ISEAL, Programme Director
Malgorzata is a European Commission official working on EU environment and climate policies since 2008. Currently she is a team leader for Environmental Footprint (EF) and Green Claims in Directorate-General for Environment. In her role she is responsible for coordination and promotion of application of EF methods and a life-cycle perspective across EU policies and leads on the Commission proposal for a Directive on Green Claims.
Malgorzata Golebiewska
European Commission, DG Environment, Team Leader Environmental Footprint & Green Claims
Miriam Thiemann works as a Policy Officer for Sustainable Consumption in shared capacity for the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). She represents BEUC and the EEB in the EU Ecolabelling Board. In this role, she provides evidence from consumer and environmental organisations to the criteria development of the EU Ecolabel and coordinates activities aimed at increasing the uptake of reliable ecolabels among consumers and companies.
Miriam Thiemann
BEUC, Policy Officer for Sustainable Consumption
Christian Hudson supports the EU in their global diplomacy for a sustainable economy. A central part of this is improved access to quality data from value chains. As Chair of the UN ECE ‘Team of Specialists on ESG data in value chains’, Christian nurtures stakeholder input into the development of a UN Transparency Protocol for this improved access. Christian lives with his 2 children outside Berlin. He has a background in policy, economics and corporate law.
Christian Hudson
GIZ, Lead, Support for EU Diplomacy in UN
Ashley leads the Sustainability Claims and Integrity team at Better Cotton, where she’s at the forefront of helping members and certified organisations tell sustainability stories that are clear, trustworthy, and impactful. With a unique blend of expertise in Marketing and Law, Ashley brings sharp insight into the evolving landscape of Green Claims. Before joining Better Cotton, she spent several years providing legal advice to corporates and holds a Masters in Human Rights Litigation.
Ashley Munro
Better Cotton, Claims & Integrity Lead
Patrick is the founder of ISEAL and served as its first Executive Director. Today, he leads ISEAL's efforts to ensure the effectiveness of sustainability systems and to support them in meeting evolving stakeholder expectations about how best to achieve sustainability.
Patrick Mallet
ISEAL, Credibility and Innovations Director
Anna Cavazzini is a German Member of the European Parliament for The Greens/EFA since 2019. She fights for a fair and sustainable economic structures inside and outside the EU.
She is the Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. She is also a substitute member of the Trade Committee and vice chair of the Brazil delegation. Before becoming an MEP, she herself worked in the European Parliament, for the Federal Foreign Office, the UN and various NGOs.
She is the Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. She is also a substitute member of the Trade Committee and vice chair of the Brazil delegation. Before becoming an MEP, she herself worked in the European Parliament, for the Federal Foreign Office, the UN and various NGOs.
Anna Cavazzini
Member of the EU Parliament (Chair of IMCO. Committee)
Dr Verhoeven is Deputy Director and Head of Unit in the Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs at the European Commission. She has broad policy experience in the single market, industry, energy, digitalisation, and governance. She lectures at Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven and was formerly an attorney in Brussels and New York. Dr Verhoeven holds a PhD in law and political philosophy and speaks regularly on EU economic and democracy policies.
Amaryllis Verhoeven
European Commission, DG GROW, Deputy Director & Head of Unit, Responsible Business Conduct
Linda Kromjong is President of amfori. 2400 company members in 50+ countries work with amfori to facilitate their supply chain risk management. Collaboration is at the core of amfori, including in its flagship product amfori BSCI. Working with APSCA to drive professionalism, integrity and credibility in social compliance audits. She currently is member of the Board and chair of the Stakeholder Advisory Board of the Association for Social Compliance Auditing (APSCA).
Linda Kromjong
amfori, President
Stefan Crets is the Executive Director of CSR Europe, the leading European business network for Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility. CSR Europe also facilitates Drive Sustainability, the world-wide leading collaboration of 18 car makers on supply chain sustainability. Before joining CSR, Stefan worked at Toyota Motor Europe and the King Baudouin Foundation. He started his professional career as an academic at the University of Antwerp.
Stefan Crets
CSR Europe, Executive Director
At the helm of the Asia Marketing Federation, Jack Yao's focus is on shaping the future of marketing and promoting digital marketing and sustainable marketing across diverse cultures and economies. With near 20 years experience in trade and standardization sector, he has honed his expertise in developing international standards in service, management and trade fields. Now he is actively promoting the "Trade Development and Standards Cooperation Initiative" globally to achieve the vision of "Better standards for better trade, better trade for a better world".
Jack Yao
China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Commercial Sub-Council, Secretary General; Organization for Trade Development and Standards Cooperation, Secretary General
Joshua Wickerham helps government, business, and civil society leaders improve their sustainability policies and practices. He approached ISEAL over 15 years ago to co-develop more sustainable trade strategies; he has advised and supported ISEAL’s growing network ever since.
Joshua Wickerham
ISEAL, Senior Advisor, Outreach & Engagement
Jan Dusík is Deputy Director-General at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG ENV). In his role, he focuses on linking environmental policies to public health and the protection of marine ecosystems. Previously, he served as Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic and as Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
Jan Dusík
European Commission, Deputy Director-General for Climate Action
Vidya has been with ISEAL since mid-2015, working on research, engagement and our human rights programme. Today she leads ISEAL’s Policy and Engagement team and our Research and Evidence programme.
Vidya Rangan
ISEAL, Policy and Engagement Director