20 – 22 May

FESTIVAL Speakers.

Meet our 2025 A-Listers. All of them pioneers, game-changers and trailblazers in their field. These people don’t just say, they do! Amazing people achieving amazing things, who we can all learn something new from as we work together to bring circularity to life.

Meet our inspirational speakers

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Siddharth Hande

Founder
Kabadiwalla Connect

Siddharth Hande is a GIS expert, experienced in delivering high-quality data-driven research. He has held leadership roles in varied projects related to Urban Governance, Sustainability and the Environment. He is the founder and current CEO of Kabadiwalla Connect, an award winning social enterprise in the field of waste management.

Lucy Hughes

Founder
MarinaTex

Founder and creator of MarinaTex.

Sophie Thomas FCIWM

CTO/ Director of CE/ Founder
etsaW Ventures/ Useful Projects/ Thomas.Matthews

Sophie is Founder and CTO of etsaW Ventures, Director of CE at Useful Projects and Founder of Thomas.Matthews. She is an honorary fellow at UAL, holds numerous board and forum positions within circularity including WRAP UK, Defra and CIWM, and judges and evaluates numerous circular, design and material based commercial competitions across the globe.

Elin Bergman

Chief Operating Officer/Vice chair/Circular Economy Expert and spokesperson
Cradlenet

I am passionate about accelerating the transition to a circular economy that enables humanity to live in harmony with nature.

Martin Holicky

Co-founder
Matoha

Martin specialises in developing sensing systems and translating sensing technologies from research labs into real-world use.

Slendy Díaz

Circular Economy Lead & Sustainable Development/ Circular economy ambassador
Colombian Ministry of Environment / LATAM

Slendy Díaz is a speaker and advisor. Circular economy expert in the public and private sectors with over 12 years of experience in circular economy and energy efficiency. Civil engineer with studies in top management and project management.

Mary Creagh CBE MP

Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) & Labour MP for Coventry East

Mary Creagh is the Labour MP for Coventry East, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. She currently holds the Government post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

Paul Foulkes-Arellano

Non-Executive Director
Eco-Age

Paul was appointed to the UK Design Council Expert Network in June 2024.

Dounia Wone

Chief Impact Officer
Vestiaire Collective

Dounia Wone is Vestiaire Collective's Chief Impact Officer since March 2020 and a member of the company’s executive committee.

Dr. Sally Uren OBE

Executive Director and Chief Acceleration Officer
Forum for the Future

Dr Sally Uren OBE is Executive Director and Chief Acceleration Officer of Forum for the Future, following eleven years (2013 – 2024) as Chief Executive. During this time, she has worked alongside many of the recognised leaders in sustainable business, co-founded the Net Positive Coalition and designed and delivered a number of Forum’s multi-stakeholder collaborations. Sally is externally recognised as an expert facilitator, speaker, and moderator.

Maya De Souza

Independent Consultant
previously at BITC (Director, Circular Economy) and Defra (Head of Resource Efficiency & Waste Prevention)

Maya de Souza is an independent consultant researching policy measures to support Circular Economy approaches to achieve a Net Zero Nature Positive.

Philip Mossop

Chief Operating Officer
Pentatonic

Philip Mossop is an award-winning entrepreneur, visionary and trendsetter in the world of sustainability.

Dr. David Greenfield

Vice President – External Affairs
Circular Economy Institute (CEI)

David is Vice President of Circular Economy Institute (CEI), Senior Vice President of the CIWM, Founder of SOENECS and Co-founder of etsaW and Tech-Takeback.

Wayne Hubbard

CEO
ReLondon

Wayne is responsible for helping London’s boroughs to reduce waste and increase recycling rates.

Amy Peace

Innovation Lead, Circular Economy
Innovate UK

Amy Peace is the Innovation Lead for Circular Economy at Innovate UK.

Omar AlSaleh

Senior Circular Economy & Sustainability Expert / Founder
Royal Scientific Society / CEC Amman

Omar is currently the Senior Circular Economy & Sustainability Expert for the Royal Scientific Society and Founder of CEC Amman.

Youma Wally Ndong

Founder & Creative Director
GamPlus Clothing

Ms. Youma Wally Ndong, is a creative fashion and craft entrepreneur and consultant with both local and international experience. As the founder and creative director of GamPlus Clothing, an ethical fashion brand deeply rooted in sustainability and environmental consciousness, Youma exemplifies the fusion of creativity, ethics, and innovation within the fashion industry.

Katarina Rimarcikova

Fashion Industry Expert & Education Consultant in circular design and responsible business

Senior Lecturer // Fashion Designer // Start- ups &Brands Mentor and Coach // CEC London Fashion lead

Dr. Raquel Prado-Garcia

Head of Research and Sustainability
ANANAS ANAM

Dr. Raquel Prado: Head of Research and Sustainability at Ananas Anam.

Mattia Trovato

Head of Communication & Sustainability Expert
Manteco®

Mattia Trovato is the Head of Communication & Sustainability Expert at Manteco®, a Tuscan company that has been a leader in high-quality textiles and circular economy since 1943.

Emma Bourne OBE

Director for Circular Economy
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Emma is the Director for Circular Economy at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. She has been in the Civil Service for nearly 20 years, having started out at a mental health and criminal justice charity.

Andrew Morlet

Former Chief Executive Officer, Ellen MacArthur Foundation/ Chair, Defra's CE Taskforce

Dr. Margaret Bates FCIWM

Head of the UK pEPR Scheme Administrator
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Dr Margaret Bates is an experienced manager with a strong background in sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, circular economy, and policy.

Ioana Man

Design Lead
Faber Futures

Emily Walport

Associate
ARUP

Emily is a Chartered Materials Engineer, with expertise across a range of materials and circular economy topics.

Claire Potter

Associate Professor of Design and the Circular Economy & Head of Product Design, University of Sussex
University of Sussex

Claire Potter is an Associate Professor of Design and the Circular Economy and Head of Product Design at the University of Sussex.

Prof Mark Miodownik

Materials scientist, engineer, broadcaster and writer/ Professor of Materials & Society
UCL

Mark Miodownik is the UCL Professor of Materials & Society. He received his Ph.D in turbine jet engine alloys from Oxford University, and has worked as a materials engineer in the USA, Ireland and the UK.

Bert Van Son

Founder & Spokesman
MUD Jeans

Bert van Son is a social entrepreneur and circular denim pioneer, who founded MUD Jeans in 2012, the first and only circular jeans company in the world.

Duncan Baker-Brown

Practicing Architect, Academic & Environmental Activist
BakerBrown

Founder of BakerBrown, Climate Literacy Champion (Principal Lecturer) at the School of Architecture Technology & Engineering University of Brighton, Member of RIBA Council, Co-Chair RIBA Climate Action Expert Advisory Group, Chair University of Brighton’s Industry Advisory Board for Architecture, UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard Governance Board, Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN), Architects Declare Steering Committee, Member of Brighton & Hove City Circular Economy Oversight Board.

Guillermo Mijancos

Construction Manager
McDonald's

Jonny Plant

Director
Corstorphine & Wright

Jonny is a Director of the London studio of Corstorphine & Wright, an award-winning architectural practice with a team of expert architects and designers across twelve studios. It is currently ranked at number 13 in the AJ100.

Jo Barnard

Founder & Creative Director
Morrama

Jo Barnard is the Founder and Creative Director of award winning product and packaging design and innovation consultancy Morrama.

Gaspard Duthilleul

COO
Greyparrot

Gaspard Duthilleul is the COO of Greyparrot, a globally recognised AI waste analytics company transforming resource management through data-driven optimisation they named “Waste Intelligence”.

Mark Shayler

Author/ Circular Economy Expert

Mark works on sustainability, company purpose and coaches businesses and individuals.

John Twitchen

Founder
Stuff4Life

John is a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and environmental scientist.

EurIng Michael A. Cusack BSc MBA MA CEng MIET MCIPD

Chief Sustainability Officer
ACS

Michael Cusack is a leading advocate for circular fashion and sustainable business transformation, driving innovation at the intersection of technology, circularity, and social impact.

Jodi Harford

Chief Operating Officer
Tech-Takeback

Jodi Harford is the Chief Operating Officer at Tech-Takeback, where she leads the Social Value programme and helps maximise the organisation’s impact on both people and the environment.

Sarah Griffiths

Associate Director
Anthesis

Sarah is an Associate Director at Anthesis with 15 years experience in material health in the building industry, circular economy strategy and metrics, cradle to cradle and lifecycle assessment and material passports.

Fiona Charnley

Professor of Circular Innovation & Co-Director of the Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy
University of Exeter

Fiona Charnley is Professor of Circular Innovation within the Business School at the University of Exeter. She is Co-Director of the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Hub, with the aim to harness and scale up the UK’s leading research capabilities, providing the evidence base, inspiration, and capacity to accelerate the transition towards a global circular economy.

Rachel Gray

Behaviour Change Manager
WRAP

At WRAP my focus is the design, delivery and evaluation of citizen behaviour change programmes, bringing circular living into every home by harnessing circular business models.

Dr. Mervyn Jones

Senior Adviser Circular Economy
Rijkswaterstaat

Mervyn is a circular economy and circular procurement specialist at the Rijkswaterstaat in the Netherlands.

Dr. Andy Rees OBE

Head of Waste Strategy
Welsh Government

Andy has 45 years experience of working in the environmental field, including spending the last 29 years in the area of waste strategy.

Kaie Small-Warner

Head of Responsible Business
BRE

Kaie Small-Warner is Head of Responsible Business at BRE with 15 years experience in the energy and construction sectors in multiple countries.

Andrea Charlson

Managing Director
Madaster UK

Andrea is a Chartered Environmentalist and Engineer who has been at the forefront of circularity in the built environment for 15 years. Specialising in the sustainability of the built environment, with particular expertise in the circular economy and how this applies to materials, structures and buildings.

David Dyce MCIWM

Senior Waste Management Consultant
Vegware

David works closely with the organics recycling sector to develop new composting solutions for plant-based compostables.

Mark Sumner

Textiles Programme Lead
WRAP

Mark Sumner is the Programme Lead for WRAP’s activities to improve the sustainability of Textiles. His remit includes developing the strategy for Textiles 2030, the UK industry’s initiative to reduce GHG emissions and water footprint, and to create the pathway to a circular textile system. He is also involved in WRAP’s growing international Textiles work.

Melody Carraro

Senior Policy Manager
Veolia

Melody is a leading policy professional in circular economy policy and implementation across multiple resource streams. With extensive experience spanning plastics, waste management, water, biodiversity conservation, and energy systems, she has established herself as a pivotal figure in ecological transformation on both national and global stage.

Agnese Metitieri

Circular Economy Ventures Lead
CIRCULÉIRE, Irish Manufacturing Research

Agnese Metitieri joined Irish Manufacturing Research Sustainable Manufacturing team as Circular Economy Innovation Lead and operates from 2024 as the Circular Economy Ventures Lead. In the context of CIRCULÉIRE, the first cross-sectoral industry-led innovation network dedicated to accelerating the net-zero carbon circular economy in Ireland, she is scoping, designing, delivering for CIRCULEIRE’s CE accelerator - from recruitment of ventures to preparation and delivery of webinars, workshops and clinics and post-activity reporting and everything in between.

Dr. Adam Read MBE

Chief External Affairs & Sustainability Officer
SUEZ UK

Adam is a member of the Suez UK Management Team with responsibility for external affairs, communications and sustainability. He has been with Suez for 6 years after a successful career in academia, local government and environmental consultancy spanning over 30 years, whilst his PhD focussed on UK waste policy failures, and numerous academic and trade publications on a diverse range of issues from waste prevention and the circular economy, to behaviour change, policy implementation, recycling contamination and technology failures.

Lucy Mortimer

Founding Partner
Archipelago Ventures

Lucy is a founding partner of Archipelago Ventures, an impact focused VC investing in early stage deep tech solutions within the Circular Economy.

Loïc Le Fouest

Customer Experience (CX) expert
Clarasys

Loïc is a Customer Experience (CX) expert, specialising in service design, business model innovation and circular economy.

Tim Walker

Chief Executive / President
arc21 / CIWM

I am currently the Chief Executive of the arc21 local authority partnership in Northern Ireland, a role I have held since 2019. Prior to that, I headed up waste management at Belfast City Council for two decades.

Fabrice Sorin

Circulab Academy Manager
Circulab

Fabrice Sorin is a seasoned professional with 15 years experience in commercial, procurement, strategy, business transformation, operations and management roles in multinational corporations.
He holds a Circular Economy MBA from Bradford university (GB) and publishes on service-dominated industries and the hospitality sector.

Jenny Adholm

Circular Economy and Sustainability Expert

Jenny Adholm is a sustainability expert with a proven track record of driving change in the circular economy.

Rembrandt Koppelaar

Director of Research & Innovation
EcoWise Ekodenge Ltd

Rembrandt Koppelaar has been involved with EcoWise (London, UK) since 2018 on circular economy innovations, leveraging over two decades of expertise in energy and circular transitions.

Senior Representative, ReLondon

Marcus Gover

International Business and Sustainability Leader

Marcus Gover has been an international business and sustainability leader for over 30 years.

A scientist by background, he is a passionate believer in the need for cross sector collaboration to create total systems change; from policymaker and business leader actions, to inspiring and involving individuals.

Tabitha Skeats

Consents Assistant (South)
FCC Environment

Robin Osterley

Chief Executive
Charity Retail Association

Robin Osterley is Chief Executive of the Charity Retail Association, the UK’s only trade organisation representing the interests of charity shops and their parent charities.

Doug Simpson

Principal Consultant – Waste and Resource Management Group
GHD

Doug is a Principal Consultant with Gutteridge Haskins & Davey Ltd leading on circular economy strategy and sustainable waste management.

Claire Shrewsbury

Director Insights & Innovation
WRAP

Claire is Director of Insights & Innovation at WRAP.

Let’s build a circular economy together.

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or be square.

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We’re in this together. Invest some time and energy in being part of the Festival. In the future, for ourselves,
our companies, our children and our planet. You’ll find it an amazing use of your resources. We can promise that.