Board

Board Members

• Markus Steilemann
  Markus Steilemann

  Markus Steilemann is the Chairman of the SusChem Board. He has been Chief Executive Officer of Covestro since June 2018. His area of responsibility covers all commercial functions, including the three divisions Polyurethanes, Polycarbonates and Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties. In addition, central areas such as strategy, personnel and communications fall within his remit. Click here to read Markus Steilemann's full biography.

• Pierre Barthélemy
  Pierre Barthélemy

  Pierre Barthélemy obtained his PhD in chemistry from the University of Liège, Belgium, in 1987, in the field of lanthanide coordination chemistry, followed by one year of postdoctoral research at Florida State University. He joined Solvay in 1988 in Brussels, Belgium, and moved to various R&D, management and senior leadership roles. Click here to read Pierre Barthélemy's full biography. 

• Deirdre Black
  Deirdre Black

  Deirdre Black obtained her PhD in theoretical particle physics from Syracuse University, New York in 2001. She held postdoctoral positions at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Jefferson National Lab, followed by a research fellowship at the University of Cambridge, before joining the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2011. Click here to read Deirdre Black's full biography. 

• Maarten de Zwart
  Maarten de Zwart

  Maarten de Zwart is a member of the management team of the Chemical Sciences Division of the Dutch Research Council. Since he joined NWO in 2000, he has been highly involved in the management of public-private partnership programmes in chemistry with both major industries and SMEs. Click here to read Maarten de Zwart's full biography.

• Joanna Dupont-Inglis
  Joanna Dupont-Inglis

  Joanna Dupont-Inglis first joined EuropaBio, in 2009 and in 2011 was appointed Director of Industrial Biotechnology. Her work within EuropaBio involves developing a more supportive, predictable and coherent EU policy environment for the deployment of industrial biotechnology products and processes within the broader bioeconomy. Click here to read Joanna Dupont-Inglis' full biography.

• Andreas Förster
  Andreas Förster

  Andreas Förster studied chemistry and received his doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of Würzburg in 1997. Since 1997, he has been an employee of DECHEMA, the German Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, where he heads the Department for Research Coordination and Conferences.  Click here to read Andreas Förster's full biography.

• Cristina Gonzalez Alonso
  Cristina Gonzalez Alonso

  Cristina Gonzalez Alonso has a PhD. in Analytical Chemistry, with a Master’s Degree in Promotion and Management of International R&D+I Projects. She currently works as Innovation Manager in the Spanish Chemical Industry Federation (FEIQUE), where she is also responsible for advocacy and strategy.  Click here to read Cristina Gonzalez Alonso's full biography.

• Peter Jansens
  Peter Jansens

  Peter Jansens, PdD, is a Dutch national who joined DSM in 2008 following a professorship in separation technology at the Delft University of Technology. Prior to that he had begun his career at Shell International Chemicals. At DSM, he started as R&D Centre Manager, moving to the position of R&D Director of DSM ChemTech R&D in 2010. Click here to read Peter Jansens' full biography.

• Klaus Kümmerer
  Klaus Kümmerer

  Klaus Kümmerer is a professor in Sustainable Chemistry and Material Resources at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. His research and teaching is focused on sustainable chemistry, sustainable pharmacy, material resources and aquatic environmental chemistry including the ‘benign by design’ concept. Click here to read Klaus Kümmerer full biography.

• Ulrich Küsthardt
  Ulrich Küsthardt

  Ulrich Küsthardt graduated in Chemistry at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, and has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the TU Munich. From 1987 to 1993, he was assistant Professor for Bio-Inorganic Chemistry. In 2001, he joined Evonik-Degussa Aerosil & Silane division as President of the Aerosil & Silane Business Unit. Click here to read Ulrich Küsthardt's full biography.

• François Monnet
  François Monnet

  After graduating from Ecole Polytechnique, François Monnet obtained a PhD in Experimental Nuclear Physics and a Masters in Artificial Intelligence. He worked four years at Alcatel-Lucent’s corporate laboratories in AI, before joining Solvay to manage chlorofluorinated production and as plant manager in mineral and pharmaceutical chemistry. Click here to read François Monnet's full biography. 

• Fernando Moreno
  Fernando Moreno

  Now Executive Chairman and founding partner at Solutex, Fernando Moreno has been part of the agro food industry since the beginning of his professional career. He has acted in three of the most important companies in the European alimentary market, with responsibilities for expansion in the European and American markets. Click here to read Fernando Moreno's full biography.

• Jens Rieger
  Jens Rieger

  Jens Rieger received his PhD in Theoretical Physics in Germany. The same year he joined the Polymer Physics Department of BASF, where he was involved in R&D projects in the fields of plastics, coatings and paints, foams, cosmetics, pharma formulations, and detergents. Click here to read Jens Rieger's full biography.

• Klaus Sommer
  Klaus Sommer

  Klaus Sommer is a former Chairman and member of the SusChem Board. He was the President of the A.SPIRE aisbl which represents industry stakeholders from eight sectors involved in the Public-Private Partnership SPIRE. He is also a member of the High Level Group of Energy Intensive Industries. Click here to read Klaus Sommer's full biography.

• Uwe Stelzer
  Uwe Stelzer

  Uwe Stelzer obtained his PhD in chemistry from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, in 1991, in the field of chemo enzymatic synthesis, followed by one year research assignment at Stuttgart University. He joined BAYER in 1992 in Monheim, Germany, and moved to various R+D, Product Supply, management and senior leadership roles. Click here to read Uwe Stelzer's full biography.  

• Rodney Townsend
  Rodney Townsend

  Rodney Townsend has been involved in SusChem at Board level from the beginning of 2005. From the beginning of 2008 until the end of 2010, Townsend was Chairman of the Board of SusChem and since then was first the lead Board member responsible for developing its Business Strategy and Vision to meet the challenges of Europe 2020. Click here to read Rodney Townsend's full biography.