Global Chemicals Management for Electronics 2023

Kim joined Enhesa Product Intelligence in 2023 and is responsible for overseeing and developing analytical content, tools and training courses to assist the industry in navigating through complex compliance frameworks for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Katja Moch, Senior Researcher in Subdivision “Circular Economy & Global Value Chains” in the Division Sustainable Products & Material Flows has been working at Oeko-Institut since 2003. Main areas of her research are sustainable chemistry; hazardous substances in products and ecolabel or procurement criteria for chemicals. She has been involved as a technical expert in various exemption evaluations projects both of the RoHS Directive and of the ELV Directive as well as in studies reviewing the scope of the RoHS Directive. Katja Moch has been involved in the ELV and RoHS Impact Assessment studies and currently contributes to the WEEE evaluation.

Hugo has represented the metals sector on REACH and other chemicals management programs for the past 15 years. He takes part in the ECHA SEAC and MSC meetings as industry observer and has therefore first-hand experience in respect to REACH programs and how they are implemented by sectors and companies.

Wamda Saieid Elsirogi, Canon Europe’s Senior EMEA (Europe Middle East & Africa) Sustainability Regulatory Affairs Manager, holds overall functional sustainability leadership on compliance and regulatory matters. This role involves strategy development to ensure compliance and engagement with EU policymakers and trade associations. Wamda's career in Regulatory Affairs began in 2007 alongside the introduction of REACH (registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals), marking a new era of compliance to restrict and control chemicals. Passionate about delivering sustainable and industry-leading products, Wamda is prepared to challenge convention and use compliance as a tool to deliver sustainable products and promote safe environmental practices.

Giorgio has been active for more than ten years in the Brussels energy, climate and transport sectors. He ‎has worked across trade associations in the cleantech space, energy trading businesses, and as a consultant representing companies along the energy value chain. Giorgio works with Kellen, a global association management company, where he leads the energy, cleantech, buildings and environment practice in the Brussels office. He represents EUROBAT, the leading EU battery manufacturers trade organisation. Giorgio lives in Brussels with his family. He graduated in Economics and Political Science from the University of Milan and obtained his MBA at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management in Brussels.

Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum since 2007, oversees the general management of the association. He has been involved in all manner of e-waste programmes, policies and projects for twenty years. Formerly he was Government Affairs Manager on WEEE at APPLiA, the European home appliance manufacturing industry association. He also worked for five years in the European Parliament, as well as for Hill and Knowlton, one of the world’s largest PR/PA firms.

Ruxandra defends industry interests towards legal and regulatory challenges to EU market access. Her practice is focused on EU regulatory law and litigation with a strong emphasis on product, environmental and sustainability regulations, across a large number of sectors ranging from raw materials (chemicals, minerals) to products such as electronics, consumer apparel, medical devices, cosmetics, food and food contact materials. Ruxandra also advises on supply-chain related matters, in particular environmental and regulatory. Although rules and regulations apply per jurisdiction, companies operate globally – her expertise and advice assist companies address global challenges and risks. Ruxandra’s litigation experience is extensive (she defended close to 100 actions before the European Court of Justice and before the Board of Appeal of ECHA), and she has formed and continues to act as a trusted advisor to more than 30 industry groups.

Lawrence Culleen is a partner in Arnold & Porter’s environmental practice group and leads the Firm’s “chemicals” practice area. Larry represents clients on administrative, regulatory, and enforcement matters involving federal agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Agriculture, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Larry has broad experience advising clients on US and international regulatory programs that govern commercial and consumer use chemicals, pesticides and antimicrobials, as well as the products of biotechnology and nanoscale materials.

Camille Bennett, Safer Products for Washington Compliance Lead, oversees implementation and compliance of rules developed to comply with the Safer Products for Washington Law. This law and subsequent rules regulate the use of toxic chemicals in consumer products for Washington state. She also coordinates other compliance and enforcement actions for Washington Department of Ecology’s Reducing Toxics Threats unit. She has been with the agency since 2014.

Pamela has over twenty-five years of program management and multi-stakeholder facilitation experience, with the last 15 years focused on promoting environmental and corporate social responsibility in the electronics industry via standards development and stakeholder processes. She is currently the Director of Clean Electronic Production Network (CEPN) – a multi-stakeholder, cross-industry collaboration that launched in 2016.

Gurvinder Chopra is currently working as a Vice President-Standards, Regulation & GR Functions for Electro-Federation Canada, a Not-for-profit Association of Canadian Electrical manufacturers, distributors and manufacturing agents. He is responsible for initiatives around development of Standards, Codes & Regulations, and focuses on requirements in support of innovations happening within the Electrical sector. He leads the advocacy efforts with Municipal, Provincial and Federal Governments on Codes & Regulations topics and actively pursues initiatives around clean energy, sustainability, modernization of grid, electrical vehicle systems, smart buildings and the ageing electrical infrastructure.

Nidia Mariana Calvo Mendez joined Enhesa Product Intelligence's Expert Services team as Managing Analyst almost 3 years ago. She oversees regulatory content and service relating to products in the Americas, and coordinates the global analyst team from her base in Guadalajara, Mexico. Prior to joining Enhesa Product Intelligence, Nidia spent her career in industries conducting regulatory analysis and risk management mainly for Latin America. She also has experience in TSCA, GHS, performing audits, and obtaining ISO 140001 certification

Mike is a product environmental compliance and sustainability expert providing advice and knowledge to manufacturers, governments and others. Mike helps manufacturers understand, monitor and comply with environmental and health-related regulations and market requirements around the world that impact product design and the supply chain.

Kelly Scanlon leads Evolve, the Global Electronics Association's sustainability program. In this role, Dr. Scanlon develops results-oriented solutions that can be rapidly implemented and lead to demonstrable, positive change for the industry. She brings more than 25 years of experience as a public health scientist supporting industry, academia, and government in sustainability matters. Her expertise spans circularity and life cycle impact assessment, with a focus on translating complex environmental science into actionable industry strategies.

Rachel leads projects to develop criteria for GEC’s EPEAT ecolabel, the premiere global ecolabel for the IT sector. Her current focus is a new set of criteria promoting the reduction of chemicals of concern that will apply to all EPEAT product categories. Dedicated to creating a world where only sustainable technology is bought and sold, she researches new technology areas, analyzes the impacts of products, and develops new resources that support the procurement of sustainable electronic products and services.

Silvia has over 15 years of experience in regulatory research and product testing and certification. At UL, Silvia is focused on regulatory and technical updates related to the identification and interpretation of the regulatory obligations that may affect companies, particularly with regard to chemical restrictions and duties that apply to consumer articles (including electrical and electronic equipment, toys, childcare articles, textile/leather articles).

Prof. Dr. Ruediger Kuehr was appointed Head of the Bonn office of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in June 2020 and is also Manager of the Sustainable Cycles Programme (SCYCLE). While being hosted by United Nations University (UNU) through 2021, Ruediger functioned as SCYCLE’s Director.

Chris Flanders is a manager in Google’s hardware group, leading environmental compliance efforts for consumer electronics. He has been working in the electronics industry nearly 20 years including past engineering and program management roles at Bose Corporation and Apple. He earned his degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire and his MBA from University of Massachusetts Amherst. Chris is passionate about the environment and integrating safer chemistry into the design of products. His favorite part of his job is working with product development and engineering teams to achieve environmental and sustainability goals. Chris has a lifelong love of technology and electronics, so it is no surprise to his family and friends that he has ended up in Silicon Valley.

Dr. Christopher Lee Bartlett is an experienced toxicologist committed to designing safer products through the application of toxicological methods and the promotion of safer alternatives. Chris has a diverse background in assessing materials and finished consumer products, hazard and safety labelling, maintaining product stewardship guidelines, and setting strategies for toxicology testing protocols, having worked for biotechnology and consumer product companies, as well as multiple federal agencies.

Timo Seppälä is a government official responsible for the implementation of the EU Regulation 1021/2019 on Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Finland. He has also participate in the negotiations for the global Stockholm Convention on POPs for twenty years and is a member of the POPs Review Committee (POPRC) 2022-2026. POPRC is the body under the convention responsible for reviewing POP nominations and proposing ways to restrict the proposed chemicals in the convention. He has also supported Basel and Stockholm Convention secretariats in developing various guidance documents to support countries’ efforts to implement the convention.

Sander is heading the European Advocacy activities of ICL-IP. In this role, he's responsible for all advocacy activities with a focus on regulatory and REACH related matters for several product groups. He has an MSc degree from the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands) in Environmental Toxicology and has a BSc degree in Analytical and Bio-chemistry. Previous to ICL, he had various positions (R&D, Product Stewardship, Regulatory) in the chemical industry (AkzoNobel, Supresta) and at a consultancy (AquaSense). Sander represents ICL in a number of downstream industry associations, with expertise in the fields of  REACH, globally emerging regulations, risk/hazard and exposure assessment and monitoring.

Christine Nikander has been doing scholarly research into the legal and policy framework surrounding e-waste and conflict minerals since 2015. In The E-Waste Column, she draws upon this expertise and writes about recent developments in law, policy, and business. Christine founded the supply chain governance consultancy, Palsa & Pulk in 2022. She is the CEO and the principal advisor of the company. Christine holds a Master of Laws from Columbia University in New York and an LL.M. in Global Environment and Climate Change Law from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Reza advises clients on environmental matters, including the strategies for performing compliance audits, settling liabilities with governmental and private parties & devising remediation strategies. He has counseled domestic & international companies regarding Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) compliance & Proposition 65.

Catherine Rudisill, MS, PMP is the Founder & Principal of Safer Chemistry Advisory LLC. For 19 years she has worked in contracting and consulting, supporting the agencies at the federal and state levels as well as outreach organizations across multiple industry sectors. As a multi-disciplinary chemical assessor, she specializes in the assessment of data poor chemicals with the aim to identify safer, functional alternatives and has been working towards the integration of safer chemical strategies into public and corporate policy. She is an active member of the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4) Executive Council, and is a long-time member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). 

Gerard G. Dumancas holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Oklahoma State University (OSU). In 2022 he joined the University of Scranton, PA as an Associate Professor of Chemistry and the Director of NSF Noyce Program. Previously he was Associate Professor of Chemistry and named a Huie Dellmon Trust Endowed Professor of Science (2019-2021) at Louisiana State University-Alexandria (LSUA). He also served as the Coordinator of Chemistry Programs (2019-2021) and as the Director of Honors Experience (2020-2021) at LSUA. Over the years Gerard has garnered a total of 7 international and 1 US national research awards from Bayer, AOCS, ACS, and SLAS and had strings of publications from international peer-reviewed journals. He has also generated over $2 million in external research grants, with his core research interests involving the development of novel spectroscopic and computational tools with a wide array of applications in edible oils, food science, and biomedical research.

Dr. Brooke Tvermoes is a board-certified toxicologist who currently serves as a manager within IBM’s Corporate Environmental Affairs organization where she leads a global team that is responsible for setting the strategic direction and driving the performance of a number of environmental programs and goals including those related to material and chemical management, natural resource conservation and biodiversity, pollution prevention and waste management as well as setting environmental requirements for IBM suppliers. In addition, she provides toxicological analysis related to IBM’s operations and products focusing on understanding the environmental and human health risks associated with horizon materials. She also advises IBM Research in the development of more environmentally preferable materials.

Dr. Sanders is currently a Principal Research Staff Member and Senior Manager in charge of the Materials Discovery department at IBM Research – Almaden. As part of IBM Research’s Accelerated Discovery strategy, Dan’s organization seeks to apply informatics, simulation, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced lab automation to speed the discovery of new sustainable materials and apply these techniques to pertinent use cases of relevance for IBM and the world. Currently, his department is working on advanced battery materials and sustainable materials for semiconductor fabrication, including the development of AI-tools for the design of replacements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Dr. Pitera is currently the strategy co-lead for accelerated discovery in sustainable materials. The mission of this team is to use all the tools of AI, machine learning. HPC, and quantum computing to speed the discovery of advanced materials in application areas including semiconductors, energy storage, carbon capture, and replacement of PFAS "forever chemicals". The team works on both materials for sustainability applications as well as improving the sustainability of existing materials in use, in connection with internal, commercial, and government partners.

Aury Hathout, M. Env, VEA®, CEA, is a certified environmental auditor and has a Master’s degree in Environment combined with graduate education in Business Administration from the University of Sherbrooke. Since 2008, Aury provides practical consulting services, including environmental compliance and management systems auditing in multiple industrial and services sectors. He is the environmental compliance specialist of hundreds of electrical and electronic products sold worldwide, with any of the following requirements: RoHS, REACH SVHC, WEEE, PFAS, TSCA-PBT, Conflict Minerals, California Proposition 65, etc. At Enviropass, Aury works as the lab quality manager.