Gabriel Azevedo has led international projects in more than 40 countries in infrastructure, natural resource management, agribusiness, manufacturing and environmental management. He has worked at the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Construtora Norberto Odebrecht, and was a board member for the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO) and the Brazilian Association of Water Resources (ABRHIdro). He is a board observer at the International Hydropower Association (IHA) and is IDB Invest representative at the Sustainability Committee to the Board of Hospital Einstein in Brazil. Azevedo has degrees in civil engineering, including an MSc and a PhD from Colorado State University.
Celso Tacla is an executive and board member with extensive international experience in sustainability, innovation and industrial transformation. He has led major Latin American operations for global companies like Valmet and Metso, driving circular economy strategies and digitalisation in the pulp and paper and capital goods sectors. Celso sits on several boards and sustainability committees and is a frequent speaker at global forums on the bioeconomy and innovation. He holds degrees in chemical engineering and business management, with executive education from IMD and Wharton. He was awarded the Order of the White Rose by the president of Finland.
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Rodrigo Sobral Rollemberg
Secretary of Green Economy, Decarbonisation and Bioindustry
Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, Brazil (MDIC)
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Rollemberg holds a bachelor's in history from the University of Brasília (UnB) and is a civil servant in the legislative analyst career of the Federal Senate. He was a district deputy, a federal deputy, senator and governor of the Federal District. He also held the positions of secretary of tourism, leisure and youth of the Federal District and secretary of science and technology for social inclusion of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. He was president of the committee on the environment, consumer protection and oversight and control of the Federal Senate, during the vote on the Brazilian Forest Code.
Mariana is a journalist and senior communications professional specialising in corporate sustainability and ESG. She is a columnist for the newsletter "Negócios Sustentáveis", published weekly on Universo Online (UOL). Marina is also an event presenter and mediator as well as head of communications for corporate projects focused on sustainability.
Marina Negrisoli works for a global producer of innovative and renewable bio-based materials. With a deep passion for people, team development and corporate happiness, she currently leads the company's sustainability strategy, shaping a lasting legacy for Suzano over the next 100 years, while driving socio-environmental value across both business operations and society. Marina holds a bachelor’s and master’s in economics from Fundação Getúlio Vargas and has completed the executive programme at Yale School of Management.
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Daniel Lage Chang
Bioeconomy Specialist
Technical Secretary of the Bioamazonia Network
Daniel is a seasoned sustainability professional guiding multidisciplinary teams to deliver pioneering solutions. He currently drives collaboration among Pan-Amazonian research and innovation institutes at the Bioamazonia Network backed by IDB to coproduce science-based and traditional knowledge for advancing sustainable biodiversity practices and fostering bioeconomy opportunities across the region. Daniel has a degree in economics, and an MBA in strategic management of the environment and a master’s in knowledge management and engineering. Previously, he worked at Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, leading bioeconomy programmes and mobilising multilateral resources for climate change and biodiversity initiatives with global resonance.
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Emmanuel Chaponniere
Head of Circular Economy & Sustainable Development Division
European Investment Bank (EIB)
Emmanuel Chaponniere is in charge of the Projects Directorate of EIB which is composed of sector specialists. He is responsible for project appraisal including technical, economic, environmental and social issues, and the monitoring of project implementation, as well as for sector studies and policy – including the EIB’s climate, environmental and social policies. Prior to the EIB, he held various positions as a water sector specialist and waste expert in Europe and Africa. Chaponniere graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (France) and has a master’s in water management from the Ecole Nationale du Génie Rural des Eaux et Forêts (France).
Rachel is French and has been living in Chile for more than 20 years. She has over 25 years’ experience in the operation of drinking water and sewage treatment plants. She contributed to the implementation of Santiago de Chile’s sanitation plan and the transformation of wastewater treatment plants into biofactories, where the circular economy became the central pillar of water management. In response to the water crisis, she is working on integrated solutions to ensure that cities, agriculture, and mining can continue to coexist sustainably within the same territory.
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Davi Bomtempo
Environmental and Sustainability Superintendent
National Confederation of Industry of Brazil (CNI)
Davi Bontempo is an economist with a master's in public administration from the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration of the Fundação Getulio Vargas (EBAPE/FGV-RJ) and specialisation in environment and sustainability (FGV). He is currently leading the agendas of ESG, energy transition, carbon market, the circular economy and bioeconomy, as well as forest conservation, among others. He is a professional in institutional and governmental relations with expertise in advocacy strategy and stakeholder engagement. He is executive secretary of the CNI's environment and sustainability thematic council and represents the industrial sector in several national and international forums.
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Jean Bassani
Senior researcher
Brazilian National Industrial Learning Service (SENAI)
Graduated in chemistry from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) and currently pursuing a master's at Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Jean has experience in environmental management and life cycle assessment (LCA). His work at the SENAI Institute for Innovation in Electrochemistry focuses on the LCA of lithium-ion batteries produced in Brazil. His goal is to strengthen the national supply chain for battery raw materials and promote Brazil’s role in the global battery industry through sustainable and circular practices.
