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.

• Andrés R. Alcántara
  Andrés R. Alcántara

  Andrés R. Alcántara studied chemistry and received his doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Córdoba, Spain, in 1989. After a postdoctoral stay at the University of Kent at Canterbury, U.K., he joined the Department of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, where he is Full Professor in Organic Chemistry and director of the R&D Group of Biotechnology and Applied Materials (TRANSBIOMAT). Click here to read Andrés R. Alcántara'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. 

• Stelios Bikos
  Stelios Bikos

  Stelios Bikos (SusChem GR) is the 2020 Chair of the SusChem NTPs leadership team (2020-2023), representing the National Technology Platforms network at Board level. He is currently heading activities of Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) in gas wholesale, including pricing and commercial policy. Click here to read Stelios Bikos' 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. 

• David Bogle
  David Bogle

  David Bogle is Professor of Chemical Engineering at University College London (UCL) and Pro-Vice-Provost of UCL’s Doctoral School. He is currently Scientific Vice President of the European Federation of Chemical Engineers. His expertise is in Process Systems Engineering and Systems Biology. Click here to read David Bogle's full biography.   

• Agnes Borg
  Agnes Borg

  Agnes Borg has worked as Director for Industrial Biotechnology at EuropaBio since September 2018, prior to which she was Manager for Industrial Biotechnology – a role which she took on in December 2015. Agnes works with the aim to improve understanding, awareness and development of a more enabling policy environment for Industrial Biotech and bio-based products in Europe. Click here to read Agnes Borg's 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.

• Marijn Goes
  Marijn Goes

  Dr. Marijn Goes holds a PhD in (Physical-Organic) Chemistry from the University of Amsterdam. He has worked in Academia (lecturing in Zimbabwe and Costa Rica), Industrial R&D (as manager of an International Technology Centre in PPG Coatings) and in a Governmental setting. Click here to read Marijn Goes's full biography. 

• Tuulamari Helaja
  Tuulamari Helaja

  Tuulamari Helaja graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Helsinki in 2000. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Münster in 2000-2001, she joined Borealis Polymers to work on olefin polymerisation catalyst technologies. Click here to read Tuulamari Helaja's full biography. 

• Ling Hua
  Ling Hua

  Ling Hua is the Senior Vice President and Head of Group Biotechnology at Clariant. She obtained her Ph.D. from Rice University in Houston, Texas. She joined BioCatalytics, Inc., a startup company in Southern California, where she and her team developed and commercialized more than 50 enzymes (biocatalysts) as screening kits for pharmaceutical companies. Click here to read Ling Hua's full biography. 

• Philippe Jacques
  Philippe Jacques

  Chemical Engineer graduated from the University of Louvain‐la‐Neuve, Belgium, Philippe Jacques joined Solvay in 1988 in Brussels, Belgium, and moved to various Intellectual Property, R&D management and senior leadership roles. Since 2018, he is also the Managing Director of the Energy Materials Industrial Research Initiative (EMIRI). Click here to read Philippe Jacques' 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.

• 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.

• 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.  

• Christoph Weckbecker
  Christoph Weckbecker

  Since summer 2018, Christoph Weckbecker is working at Evonik Corporate Innovation and is responsible for the Group ‘Innovation Networks’. The focus of the actual work is on open innovation, ideation and design thinking processes by setting up networks with new industry or strategic academia partners. He also represents Evonik in different associations and councils and coordinates the innovation relevant activities in Evonik. Click here to read Christoph Weckbecker's full biography.

• Josef R. Wuensch
  Josef R. Wuensch

  Josef R. Wuensch is Senior Vice President at BASF SE. His responsibilities cover global research and product development for structural materials and systems based on thermoplastic and duroplastic materials. It is mainly directed towards BASFs Performance Materials business with its industry segments transportation, construction, consumer and industrial. Click here to read Josef R. Wuensch's full biography.