Rinaldo Mancin is an engineer with a master's in sustainable development from the University of Brasilia (UnB) and an MBA in economics, management and government relations from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). He has extensive experience in environment and sustainability topics, having collaborated with the federal government, international organisations and the private sector. He currently represents IBRAM at the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), based in London, where he sits on the board of directors.
Etienne Kechichian has over a decade of experience advancing the circular economy, bioeconomy and eco-industrial parks (EIPs) globally. He has played a key role in developing and promoting sustainable, climate-friendly industrial policies that enhance competitiveness while minimising environmental impact. A co-author of the internationally recognised "International Framework for Eco-Industrial Parks," Kechichian has collaborated with UNIDO and GIZ to establish performance criteria for EIPs. He has also helped develop the World Bank’s approach to the bioeconomy and circular economy. Prior to this, he focused on special economic zones at the International Finance Corporation, advising on regulatory frameworks to attract private investment.
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Bernard Crabbé
Head of Sector Environment & Circular economy
European Commission
Bernard Crabbé leads the work on circular economy, environment mainstreaming and natural resources at the Directorate General for International Partnerships. A bio-engineer by training, with a specialisation in tropical agronomy and environment, Bernard has worked for more than 25 years on international cooperation, including 17 years as project manager in Mali, Laos, Madagascar, Ecuador and Uganda. He has worked successively for the United Nations, as an adviser for the Belgian secretary of state for development cooperation, as counsellor for the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, since 2008, for the European Commission.
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Anis Nassar
Lead, Resource Circularity
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Anis is an economist with a specialisation in resource economics and behavioural economics. He leads the portfolio of activities on the circular economy of the World Economic Forum.
Chen Xiaoting brings a wealth of expertise to the UK-based foundation’s Beijing office, where she leads their plastic initiative as well as policy and climate work in China. With a PhD in sustainability economy from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chen has over 17 years’ invaluable experience across the public and private sectors, specialising in public policy, international environmental and climate governance as well as cross-sector collaboration.
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Silvia Solano
Regional Lead Latin America, Green and Resilient Buildings Program
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Silvia is an architect with a master’s in natural resources management. With over 15 years’ experience in the construction market, she has honed her expertise across Latin America. She is a leader of the Green Building Market Transformation Program (GBMTP) in Latin America, responsible for strategy and implementation of the programme in Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Brazil. Experienced in green buildings and EDGE certification, she engages with private sector developers, industry associations, financial institutions, government and international cooperation agencies. Her focus on decarbonising the built environment and promoting the expansion of green and resilient buildings underscores her commitment to sustainable development.
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Bruno Pelli
Global Director, Technical Services in Mining
Vale SA
Bruno Pelli is a mining executive with international experience. He is a mining engineer (University of São Paulo), risk management specialist (University of Queensland), management excellence specialist (University of Pretoria), MBA Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV-UCI) and holds a sustainability certificate from the University of Cambridge. At Vale, Bruno is responsible for brownfield exploration, geoscience, mine planning and closure, mining rights, mineral resources and processing for iron ore assets around the world. He also leads transformational projects such as Vale's circular mining programme and manages four R&D facilities. Bruno is a board member of Circlua and the Minas-Rio iron ore joint venture.
Sonja Birdwell works for a waste picker organisation in Portland, Oregon in the United States. For the past 3½ years she has been a waste picker, with a limited income only covering basic expenses like rent and utilities. She has collected bottles and cans for income and discovered a resourceful way to furnish her home by collecting discarded furniture from streets and dumpsters. In her spare time she loves to spend time with her dog Wanda taking walks at Portland's beautiful waterfront park.
