Speakers:
Kate Geraghty
Director of Advocacy - Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics
Kate Geraghty is Director of Advocacy EMEA for the Dow Chemical company’s Packaging and Specialty Plastics Division. She has over twenty years’ experience in sustainability and regulatory affairs across multiple sectors. Prior to joining Dow’s Packaging and Specialty business, she has worked for Cefic, DuPont de Nemours, Environmental consultancy WSP and Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials. Kate is based at Dow’s European headquarters in Horgen, Switzerland. An environmental scientist by training, she’s currently participating in the World Business Council Sustainable Development (WBCSD) ‘Leading Women in Sustainability’ Programme.
Margaret Bates
Executive Director - OPRL
Margaret Bates joined OPRL 18 months ago, previously she was Professor of Sustainable Wastes Management at the University of Northampton. She has been involved in wastes management for 30 years and undertook her PhD on landfill microbiology. She is a Chartered Waste Manager, an International Wastes Manager, a Chartered Environmentalist and a Fellow of IOM3. Margaret is chair of the CIWM Scientific and Technical Committee of CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) and a member of the IOM£ Packaging Group Board. Margaret has travelled the world looking at waste issues and has advised governments, businesses and NGO on sustainable resource and waste management.
Colin Yates
Packaging Sustainability Director Global Pet Nutrition - Mars
Prior to joining Mars, Colin’s background was polymer technology combined with experience in both the building and white goods industries. He joined Mars 28 years ago in R&D; developing innovative packaging formats including the Ben’s original ready to heat pouch formats before moving to Petcare to manage the Pack Development team across Europe. Since 2015 Colin has been focused on evaluating opportunities to increase recycling of our challenging Petcare pack formats and provide a roadmap towards 100% recyclability of our formats. He has lived and worked in the UK, Australia and Germany before returning to the UK in 2017.
Paul Vanston
Chief Executive - The Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment (INCPEN)
Paul Vanston became Chief Executive of the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) in May 2017 after 25 years in central and local government. He’s a Member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management; the Courtauld 2025 Steering Group tackling food waste; the UK Plastics Pact; the Green Alliance; and the Government’s Resources & Waste Stakeholder Advisory Group.
Robbie Staniforth
Innovation and Policy Director - Ecosurety
Robbie is the Innovation and Policy Director at Ecosurety, the producer compliance scheme for packaging, WEEE and batteries. He works closely with government to develop policy and with industry to create voluntary initiatives. He aims to turn the concept of producer responsibility from a perceived tax into a system that promotes change. He is a chartered resource manager and member of the UK Government’s Advisory Committee for Packaging.
John Case
Regional President K & Ireland, Sales Director North Europe - Dow
John Case is Regional President for Dow UK and Ireland, heading up all operations across the region. He is also a member of Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics (P&SP;) leadership team across EMEA, as Sales Director for North Europe. As Dow is one of the largest suppliers to the packaging industry, a key focus of John’s role is to leverage the scale of Dow’s P&SP; business to find sustainable solutions for customers through collaboration and technology, unlocking growth opportunities for the business. During his 20-year career at Dow, John has held multiple roles across business units and regions. John graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with First Class Honours in Chemistry. A native of the UK, he is based in Manchester, where the development of Dow’s new UK & Ireland headquarters is being completed.
Romain Cazenave
Group Marketing Director Packaging EMEA - Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics
Romain is currently leading the Packaging Marketing Team for EMEA, a team committed to create Innovative solutions that support our Sustainability goals through Collaboration and Innovation. He joined Dow in 2002 as part of the Commercial Development Program and soon joined the sales force. He became Market Management and then Product Director, based in Singapore, before accepting his current role. Romain holds a Master’s degree from ESSCA in marketing for Industrial Products and Services.
Marco ten Bruggencate
Commercial Vice President EMEA - Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics
Marco ten Bruggencate is the Commercial Vice President for Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics EMEA, and is based in Horgen, Switzerland. Marco joined Dow in 2000 and held various commercial, strategic marketing and leadership roles for several Dow businesses incl. Building Solutions, Coatings, and Polyurethanes in EMEAI region before becoming the Global Business Director for Dow Building & Construction in 2014. Prior to his current role, he was the Global Strategy Director for the Polyurethanes portfolio until mid-2019.
Marco earned his Master’s degree in Business Economics at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.
Tim Sykes
Brand Director - Packaging Europe
Tim is brand director at Packaging Europe, where he has led content development for 15 years. He has wide interests around innovation in packaging technology and its impacts on the environment, consumer experience, supply chain efficiencies, etc. Tim is the founder and organiser of the Sustainability Awards, which has established itself as the leading global competition focused on sustainable packaging innovation
