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Amsterdam - Movenpick Hotel

Piet Heinkade 11, 1019 BR, AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

UEBT Conference 2025 is supported by:

What your peers said about the 2024 Sourcing with Respect Conference

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Confirmed Speakers

Agathe Bernardot

Senior Manager for Sustainability, fresh

Agathe Bernardot is a sustainability leader passionate about building more ethical and resilient supply chains. She is the Senior Manager, Sustainability at fresh, a LVMH cosmetics brand that has spent over three decades pioneering the use of natural ingredients. In her role, Agathe drives initiatives in responsible sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions management, product eco-design, and sustainability reporting.

Agathe loves her work in responsible sourcing and believes it is a collective journey that everyone—from brands to consumers—must take part in. She has led projects on commodities as well as rare and precious ingredients, with experiences spanning from the countryside of France to the breathtaking landscapes of Mauritius. Along her career, she has also lived and worked in New York, Taipei, and Shanghai, giving her a truly global perspective on the opportunities and challenges of sustainable sourcing.

She holds dual master’s degrees in Biochemical Engineering and Strategy & Innovation Management, along with certifications in Corporate Sustainability from NYU Stern and Carbon Accounting from the Institut Supérieur de l’Environnement.

Alexander Batran

Group Strategic Sourcing Officer, Weleda

Alexander brings over 20 years of experience in procurement, with a strong foundation in research and an early focus on sustainability in sourcing. He holds a doctorate in procurement and spent more than a decade in procurement consulting, advising multinational companies across various industries before transitioning to the corporate sector. For nearly three years, Alexander has been with Weleda, where he serves as Group Strategic Sourcing Officer, overseeing the Group Procurement and Agriculture Management departments. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of UEBT. 

Alice Lémont

Responsible Sourcing Manager, Givaudan

Alice Lémont is Responsible Sourcing Manager for Natural ingredients at Givaudan, a Swiss multinational Fragrance & Flavour company. In this role, she oversees sustainable sourcing initiatives, working closely with suppliers and communities to ensure traceability, ethical practices, and biodiversity protection in Givaudan’s natural ingredients supply chains. 
Before joining Givaudan in 2023, Alice spent more than six years working at L’Oréal, in charge of the Zero Deforestation strategy and the coordination of sustainable sourcing projects on cosmetic natural supply-chains around the world.  

Guided by curiosity and collaboration, Alice is particularly interested in working with local producers of natural ingredients, seeking to understand their contexts and practices while building bridges between business and sustainability to ensure sourcing respects both ecosystems and communities. 

Alice holds dual Master’s degrees from Sciences Po Lille and from Université Paris Dauphine – PSL in International Business and Sustainability, with academic experience at the University of Western Australia in International Politics & Economy. 

Amandine Noual

Membership Coordinator, UEBT

With UEBT since 2021, Amandine coordinates the UEBT membership programme. She supports companies in the membership journey, from their application and initial assessment to their target setting and work plan implementation. Amandine has a long background in cosmetics R&D in different international companies (Johnson & Johnson, Oriflame and Nuxe Group). She holds a master’s degree in health products project management from Montpellier University.

Ângela Pinhati

Chief Sustainability Officer, Natura

Ângela Pinhati took over as sustainability officer at Natura &Co América Latina in 2023, after serving as the company's production director in the region for 7 years. At Natura, she also served as Supply Chain leader for Hispanic countries, based in Argentina, in addition to leading the Supply Department for the entire company. 

With 31 years of professional experience, the executive has worked for multinationals such as Rhodia and Unilever, and currently sits as the board president of the Union for Ethical Biotrade (UEBT) board of directors, representing Natura&Co. 

She has a degree in Chemical Engineering from UFSCar, an MBA in Logistics from Fundação Vanzolini, and a master's degree in Environment from IMF Business School / Universidad Camilo José Cela, in Madrid .

Anirudh Ranga

CEO, Nesso

Anirudh Ranga is the CEO of NESSO, a leading Indian company specializing in plant-based actives for dietary supplements, food, and fine fragrances. Since 2011, he has played a pivotal role in transforming NESSO into a global supplier to the health and wellness industry. Under his leadership, the company has expanded its international footprint while embedding sustainability, ethical sourcing, and traceability at the core of its operations. 

Anirudh brings over 20 years of experience in manufacturing and business leadership. He also serves on the boards of Rangsons Aerospace and N. Ranga Rao & Sons, contributing to long-term growth across diverse industries. 

He holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. 

Bas Schneiders

Director of Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing, CREED Fragrances

Bas Schneiders has 30 years of experience in the natural and beauty products industry in different roles. He has led transformations where a focused strategy and people-first values deliver real `sustainable change´ in organizations, besides being an expert on supplier development and ethical sourcing of ingredients from biodiversity. 

Bas has been the UEBT Board president for around 10 years and currently holds the position of Director of Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing at Creed Fragrances.

Britta Wyss Bisang

UEBT Board of Directors; VP Sustainability, Strategic Marketing Communications, Schoeller Allibert

Bio. Coming soon.

Catarina W. Ferreira

Project Assistant - Biodiversity and Certification, UEBT

With UEBT since 2022, Catarina supports companies on biodiversity requirements and the development of Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs). She holds a master's degree in environmental management from the University of Amsterdam and a bachelor's degree in life sciences with specialisation in biology from the University of Luxembourg.

Cecile Maestri

CSR Manager, Biolandes

For approximately one year and a half now, Cécile is part of Biolandes Group, where she serves as CSR Manager and creates the CSR department, overseeing the Group CSR strategy and managing the sustainable approach for supply chains around the world.

Cécile is particularly fond of operational work and field activities. She has made it her mission to support stakeholders in the supply chains in their sustainable development efforts—whether within our own sectors or with our partner suppliers—of course, with the help of all the dedicated and involved Biolandes teams on this approach. With her pragmatism, empathy, communication skills, and sensitivity to environmental and social issues, Cécile daily does her best to ensure that the supply chains have a positive impact on both society and the environment.

Cherifa Rashad-Fakhry

Co-founder and vice-president, A. Fakhry & Co.

Chérifa Rachad-Fakhry holds an M.Sc. in Agriculture Engineering (majoring in Aromatic & Medicinal Plants) from Cairo University, and a Management and Finance Diploma from the American University in Cairo (1999).
From 1992 to 2000, Chérifa began her career at Sekem, the company that introduced Organic farming to Egypt in 1977, as Export Marketing Manager while managing her family's farm in the Nile delta. In 2001, Chérifa decided to join forces with Hussein Fakhry, her husband, dedicating her energy to continuing to manage her own family farm alongside her father while partnering with Hussein in the endeavors of A. Fakhry & Co.

At that early stage of their collaboration, Chérifa also served as Head of the Organic Agricultural Committee reporting to the Ministry of Agriculture (early 2000's), and contributed to a national agro-industrial strategy alongside Booz Allen Hamilton to address Egypt's future agricultural needs.
After joining AF&Co. in 2001, Chérifa played a key role in restructuring and modernizing the company, setting long-term goals that paved the way for its growth since then.
Since 2012, alongside her corporate role, she has co-headed and managed The Fakhry Aid Foundation, driving educational and social initiatives that empower rural communities.

Chloé Milesi

Head of Biodiversity, L'Occitane en Provence

As an agronomist, Chloé Milesi has been working on biodiversity issues at L'Occitane en Provence for over 10 years.

From her earliest assignments, she has worked in the field to ensure the sustainability of the brand's iconic ingredients.

Today, she is responsible for the brand's biodiversity strategy, with the ambition of actively contributing to global goals aimed at halting biodiversity loss.

She leads the implementation of action programs across the brand's value chains to strengthen its positive impact on the environment.

David Hadley

Director of the Regulatory Impact Programme, Preferred by Nature

David leads Preferred by Nature’s Regulatory Impact Programme, the goals of which are to ensure positive impacts within the landscape of regulatory and policy compliance. David’s role entails working to achieve the goals of the Programme, namely:

• Keeping stakeholders informed about key policies and regulations that affect them;

• Supporting stakeholders with guidance, tools and solutions that are effective and which promote positive outcomes;

• Contributing our expertise and knowledge, where possible, to influence and support the development of practical and impactful legislation.

He also supports our Strategic Projects and Sustainability Advisory division, covering our due diligence services for forest-impact commodities.

Deniz Austin

Human Rights Expert, UEBT

With UEBT since 2023, Deniz monitors and integrates evolving requirements on human rights due diligence into the UEBT systems, tools and processes. She is developing strategies to address human rights risks and concerns in specific supply chains. Deniz has both field level and corporate-level experience designing and implementing human rights due diligence programmes in various geographies related to different sectors, such as food & beverage, agricultural supply chains with extreme to high level of human rights risks, transportation, packaging as well as the e-retailer and fashion industries. She worked for NGOs such as Transparency International, and companies such as Nestlé. Deniz has master’s degree on applied human rights from the University of York in the UK.

Elisa Aragon

Co-founder & CEO, Nelixia

Elisa Aragon is the co-founder and CEO of Nelixia, a leading essential oil, extracts and spices producer in Latin America. Nelixia strives to reinvent the way of sourcing and producing natural ingredients. Convinced that sourcing has to go hand in hand with sustainability, NELIXIA puts social and environmental aspects at the heart of all its operations. The company now has three production sites and has deployed its sustainable approach in six Latin American countries.

Elisa is from Guatemala and driven by her passion for naturals she obtained an organic chemistry degree in Paris, then a Master in Perfumery at ISIPCA, finishing by a master degree in Entrepreneurship at ESCP in Paris.

Elitsa Likova

Bulgaria Representative, UEBT

With UEBT since 2024, Elitsa is the representative for Bulgaria. She has collaborated with UEBT since 2021 and has more than 20 years international experience in auditing for various ISO standards as well as for SA 8000, BSCI, SMETA/SEDEX and more. Elitsa is an active member of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors, and is a Certified Social Compliance Auditor as well as a Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) verifier.

Femi Akinwumi

MD/CEO, Refem Millers Limited

Femi Akinwumi is the Chief Executive Officer of Refem Millers Limited, as a fast-growing agro-processing and expert company committed to quality, sustainability, and inclusive growth across agriculture value chains. With a background in Finance, he had over 16 years of experience in the Nigerian banking industry before making a career transition into agribusiness in 2006. His financial expertise and leadership background have been instrumental in positioning Refem Millers as a trusted partner in sourcing, processing, and exporting premium commodities that meet international standards. Under his leadership, the company has strengthened ties with farmers, stakeholders, and global partners while promoting transparency, traceability, and fair trade. Passionate about excellence and innovation, Femi has expanded Refem Millers into global markets, particularly in tea ingredients like hibiscus and ginger. He also serves as a director on the board of a few other agribusinesses globally.

Francine Leal

CEO, GSS

Francine Leal is a Brazilian lawyer and sustainability leader with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of environmental law, business strategy, and public policy. She is CEO of GSS Impact Development Company and founder of VBIO. eco, initiatives that connect biodiversity conservation with inclusive socio-economic development. 
Internationally recognized for her expertise in Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS), she played a central role in implementing the Nagoya Protocol in Brazil and shaping the country’s regulatory framework for biodiversity. Francine frequently represents Brazil in global negotiations at the Climate and Biodiversity COPs, contributing to collaborative solutions that integrate nature, people, and markets. 
She also serves on the Board of the Fundo Ancestra, a pioneering philanthropic fund dedicated to advancing Brazil’s sociobioeconomy, strengthening the role of traditional communities, and scaling innovative solutions for sustainable development. 
Her career combines legal expertise, systemic thinking, and stakeholder engagement, positioning her as a bridge between governments, companies, and civil society in advancing global biodiversity and sustainability agendas.

Gabriela Weber

Sustainability Manager, Natura

Gabriela currently works as a Sustainability Manager at Natura, a Brazilian multinational cosmetics and personal care company. In this role she leads together with FUNBIO (the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund) and VERT, a securitization company, the "Living Amazon Mechanism.", a blended finance instrument aimed at strengthening socio-biodiversity supply chains in the Brazilian Amazon. Before joining Natura in 2023, Gabriela worked for twelve years in sustainable finance, of which seven were dedicated to environmental and social risk management of investment projects in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Europe. Gabriela holds a Master's degree in Environmental Governance from the University of Freiburg and wrote her doctoral dissertation on governance of Marine Protected Areas in Costa Rica at the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research in Bremen, Germany.

Gaston Vizcarra

President, Candela Peru

Bio. Coming soon.

Gero Diekmann

GACP Project Coordinator, Namibian Devil’s Claw Exporter’s Association Trust

Bio. Coming soon.

Guy Vincent

CEO, Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils

Since 2020, Guy Vincent has been the CEO of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils, a 50% Indigenous-owned Australian sandalwood distiller and winner of the United Nations Equator Prize for nature-based sustainable development.  

By fusing wood from cultivated trees and lands managed by Indigenous communities, we have created a regenerative system of sandalwood production in which people and biodiversity can thrive for generations to come. Our unique model helps to regenerate lands, preserve ecosystems and deliver fair returns to Traditional Custodians through profit share, wood sales and royalties for community-led projects. Last year this supply chain attained the first UEBT Verified Responsibly Sourced Sandalwood Oil. 

Guy has decades of global experience in perfumery, cosmetics and aromatherapy, holding many senior roles in management, operations and research including in-house perfumer for Aveda (part of The Estee Lauder Companies). As CEO of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils, he champions supply chain resilience and product development, creating oils that optimise quality, environmental and ethical performance. 

Hanna Kaethner

Advisor, GIZ

Hanna Kaethner is an Advisor at GIZ and has been working for the Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains Initiative (SASI) for three years. At SASI, she contributed to developing and implementing the Due Diligence Fund, a funding competition designed to support agri-food companies in the implementation of corporate human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD). 

She holds a master’s degree in Local Development from UNIPD, Italy, and a bachelor’s in international relations and economics from the University of Erfurt, Germany. She spent two years in South America, gaining experience in the civil society sector in Bolivia and Ecuador and studying abroad in Brazil. 

Hayat Osseiran

Senior Labour Rights Consultant

Hayat Osseiran is an independent senior child protection and child labour expert, working for more than twenty years in the Arab States as well as Africa.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology-Anthropology and a Master of Arts (MA) in Political Sociology from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Her Doctoral Degree (PhD) was in Social Policies, with an emphasis on Child Labour, starting at the  University of Bath in the UK and completing it at Princely International University in New York, USA. Over the years, most of her work was with the International Labour Office - ILO (headquarters as well as regional offices in Beirut, Abidjan, and Cairo as well as its Turin International Training Centre). Moreover, she has been a main child labour consultant and advisor to other regional and international agencies such as UNICEF, Freedom Fund, League of Arab States and the Arab Parliament, developing and supervising child labour projects, or negotiating and developing appropriate national and regional policies and programmes in this domain. In addition, she has been a lead auditor with international organizations for child labour in supply chains of internationally consumed products. Over the past few years, she has been a consultant with UEBT attending to labour and social sustainability issues especially child labour in Egypt, specifically within the sectors of aromatic, medicinal, and other agricultural products.  

Ian Brabbin

Global Vice President for Sourcing and Sustainability, Yogi Tea

Ian Brabbin is the Global VP of Sourcing & Sustainability at Yogi and has spent over 30 years building sustainable supply chains in the tea and botanical industries. During his 5 years at Yogi, Ian and his team have built strong, direct relationships with many botanical suppliers and farms throughout the world including developing co-created projects to promote biodiversity, regenerative agriculture and community development. Yogi have partnered with other brands and companies and are keen to expand these collaborations in the future. Ian travels regularly to meet the farmers who supply Yogi, many of whom are UEBT certified. 

Before joining Yogi, Ian spent 18 years heading up the tea sourcing team at Taylors of Harrogate in the UK and worked very closely with the Ethical Tea Partnership team as a board member for 11 years including 8 years as Vice Chair. These roles involved working on child labour, living wages & incomes, worker and small holder empowerment programs and environmental initiatives. Prior to this he spent 7 years running a tea exporting company in Kenya. 

Joan Eistein

Advanced Research Analytical Department Director, L’Oréal

Joan Eilstein is a trained organic chemist who joined L'Oréal in 2006. He significantly contributed to developing alternative methods for animal testing and characterizing the metabolic capacity of engineered skin models. In 2015, he led the R&I ADME group, focusing on the skin bioavailability of cosmetics. Additionally, from 2013 to 2018, Joan co-represented L'Oréal within Cosmetics Europe's ADME task force.

In 2018, he relocated to Bangalore, managing the analytical team for L'Oréal India's R&I, coordinating analyses for Asia, and structuring support for emerging markets. From 2021 to 2023, Joan managed the strategic project portfolio across transversal departments and platforms dedicated to developing cutting-edge technologies. Since 2023, he has served as Director of the Advanced Research Analytical Department at Aulnay-sous-Bois (International Analysis / Operational Excellence), addressing challenges such as winning the green battle, exploring new analytical territories and supporting regulatory stakes such as Reach.

João Paulo Brotto Gonçalves Ferreira

(via video)

CEO, Natura

João Paulo Brotto Gonçalves Ferreira holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (USP) and an Executive MBA from the University of Michigan, in the United States. Within Natura &Co Holding S.A., he served as Executive Director for Latin America. Since 2016, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of Natura Cosméticos S.A., where he joined in 2009 as Vice President of Operations and Logistics. Throughout his career at Natura, he has held key positions, including Vice President of Networks, responsible for the Commercial Area and Channel Development, and leadership of International Operations and the Sustainability Area. Since 2025, he also serves as a Board Member of Natura Cosméticos S.A. Prior to his work at Natura, he accumulated 20 years of experience at Unilever, where he reached the position of Vice President of Supply Chain. In addition to his role at Natura, João Paulo is a member of the Natura Institute Board and, between 2021 and 2023, was an independent member of the Board of Directors of Infracommerce, a business digitalization solutions company.

Lara Koritzke

Communications and Marketing Director, UEBT

With UEBT since 2018, Lara brings 20 years of experience working to engage business to embed sustainability in their strategies. She is also an expert on credible sustainability claims. Her previous work includes serving as Director of Communications & Development for ISEAL Alliance and Global Director of Institutional Relations for Rainforest Alliance. Lara served as judge for the Unilever Sustainable Entrepreneur Awards and as guest faculty for the Kinship Conservation Fellows. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and is a graduate of the University of Cambridge Sustainability Leadership Programme where she focused on cross-sector partnerships between companies and sustainability non-profit organisations.

Léa Borsotto

CSR & Sustainable Development Project Manager, Bernardi Group

As part of BERNARDI GROUP since early 2024, Léa oversees the sustainability programs of the company and its corporate foundation, the Georges Sappa Foundation.

BERNARDI GROUP is a family-owned raw material producer and importer, based in Grasse and operating in 7 countries worldwide. With sustainability at heart for more than two decades, BERNARDI works towards building sustainable and transparent supply chains in its production locations like Comoros, Ivory Coast and Turkey.

Léa holds a BBA in Management from SKEMA BS and an MBA in International and Sustainable Finance from KU Leuven.

Lucie Dejouhanet

Sustainable Sourcing Project Manager, Clarins

Dr. Lucie Dejouhanet joined Laboratoires Clarins following a distinguished academic career as a geographer, recognized for her research on the organization of herbal supply chains. She now serves as Sustainable Sourcing Project Manager, where she is responsible for ensuring that Clarins’ plant-based supply chains comply with the company’s Responsible Ingredient Sourcing Charter, biodiversity regulations, and Clarins’ dual commitment to Caring for People and Caring for the Planet.

Manon Gerard

CSR Manager, Croda Beauty

Manon joined Croda six years ago and currently serves as Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Croda Beauty. In this role, she leads sustainability initiatives and oversees the responsible sourcing of natural ingredients for cosmetic applications.

Manon is deeply committed to embedding Corporate Social Responsibility into activities; with a background in Quality and Botany she has conducted field verifications across diverse supply chains, helping to assess practices and drive improvements aligned with Ethical BioTrade principles and ensuring Croda's sustainability vision. Croda is a specialist chemical company that develops high-performance ingredients with sustainability benefits for a range of industries, including beauty and personal care.

Since 2020, the Croda Le Perray task force has actively joined forces with UEBT through Croda Beauty Active’s membership, contributing to the advancement of ethical sourcing and biodiversity in governance and supply chains.

Maria Julia Oliva

Director of Policy and Sector Transformation, UEBT

Julia is responsible for Policy and Sector Transformation as of May 2023. She previously worked with UEBT from 2009 until 2021 and last served as Deputy Director and Senior Coordinator for ABS and Policy. Her last position was Head of Policy at UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) where she oversaw a team focused on accounting for the value for biodiversity in policy and providing support to incorporate biodiversity management into policy across many sectors. She is a trained lawyer with internationally recognized expertise on legal and policy issues linked to biodiversity. Julia grew up in Mendoza, Argentina and has an LLM degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in the US.

Marthane Swart

Partner, Kruger Swart & Associates

Marthane is a partner in Kruger, Swart Associates, a consultancy that designs and implements projects in the biotrade sector in Southern Africa. The consultancy focusses on a wide range of activities in the sector including the analysis of value chains and industries to enable innovative and proactive actions for development, working with partners to optimise models for access and benefit sharing and responsible environmental practises and exploring the potential of new tools such as geographical indications in the biotrade sector. A key part of this work is to facilitate the development of collaborative networks between biotrade sector stakeholders, government and development organisations to identify shared priorities and opportunities and to motivate for collective solutions creating an enabling and strong basis for growth.

Matt Jones

Chief Impact Officer, UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre’s (UNEP-WCMC)

Matt Jones is Chief Impact Officer at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, UK. Matt’s role is to empower the team across UNEP-WCMC to generate maximum impact in everything they do. As Chief Impact Officer, Matt oversees quality and innovation in the technical development of projects so that UNEP-WCMC delivers on its strategy and vision. His expertise is in understanding nature-related risk, natural capital impacts and dependencies across the economy, corporate biodiversity impact assessment and management, and biodiversity metrics. Matt is one of three co-Chairs of the IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment. Building on 20 years of experience, Matt’s work seeks a shift towards a socially just future where nature and people thrive. Matt joined UNEP-WCMC in 2010, and was previously Head of Business and Biodiversity and Head of Nature Economy for the organisation. He holds a Master of Philosophy and a Bachelors degree in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge. Prior to joining UNEP-WCMC, Matt worked in Tanzania on projects to align the goals of poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation and as a consultant on environmental, social and governance issues.

Mehmet Cetin

Technical Agriculture Director, Isik Tarim

He graduated from the Plant Protection Department of the Faculty of Agriculture at Ege University in 1995 and completed his master's degree in Plant Protection (Entomology) at the same university. His first work experience began as a worker on farm for picking fruits and later continued as a labourer in a dried fruit factory in the late 1980s. He began his professional career in 1997 as a Research Assistant in the Plant Protection Department at Ege University. After 3 years he joined Isik Tarim and has been responsible for organic and other certifications as an agricultural consultant, project’s manager and technical agriculture director for more than 25 years. He has participated in numerous workshops on the establishment and development of the Turkish Organic Regulations. He is a member of the ETO Association and a founding member of the Demeter Turkiye Association and has been a delegate on the WAB of Naturland e.V. since June, 2022.

Naz Ercetin Kocakiran

The company owner of Erçetin Rose Oil

Bio. Coming soon.

Rémi Escola

Head of Climate & Biodiversity, Guerlain

Bio. Coming soon.

Rik Kutsch Lojenga

Executive Director, UEBT

Rik has been the Executive Director of UEBT since its creation in 2008. He is an expert on ethical sourcing of ingredients from biodiversity in support of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity.  He spent more than a decade with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where he was involved in the creation of the BioTrade Initiative and helped to conceptualise the idea of UEBT.  He has also served as the Board Chair of ISEAL, the umbrella group for sustainability standards.  Rik grew up in the Netherlands, where he earned a master’s degree in business and environmental economics.

Rodrigo de Próspero

Director, Sustainability at Source, dsm-firmenich

Rodrigo leads the Sustainability at Source strategy at dsm-firmenich, weaving responsible sourcing into the company’s global procurement practices. His work supports the Nature and People pillars of the company’s ESG goals, with a strong focus on supplier engagement, traceability, and creating real, positive impact. With over 18 years of experience in sustainable sourcing, Rodrigo has worked across a wide range of supply chains and geographies worldwide. He’s deeply involved in driving due diligence, building collaborative relationships with stakeholders, and promoting transparency—especially in biodiversity-sensitive regions. Before stepping into his current role, Rodrigo held positions in procurement and sustainability across the public, private, and third sectors.

Megan Russo

Responsible Sourcing Manager, IFF

Bio. Coming soon.

Shamiso Mungwashu

Coordinator, Fairtrade Support Network Zimbabwe

In the past 15 years, Shamiso has worked with small scale farmers and wild collectors training them in Organic and Fairtrade principles. She is the co-founder of Fairtrade Support Network Zimbabwe which has championed farmer led community development that has seen communities build classes, equip schools and hospitals, build roads and other infrastructure. For her efforts, Shamiso Mungwashu became an OWA (One World Award) silver medal winner in 2017.

Shamiso has also championed the Access and Benefit Sharing debate in Zimbabwe bringing together the Government of Zimbabwe and key stakeholders thus promoting awareness of Access and Benefit Sharing and Sustainable harvesting in Zimbabwe. Shamiso currently serves as a member of the Regional Steering Committee Africa (RSCA) of the ABS Initiative.

She is part of UEBT Board and Standards and Assurance Committee.

Shamiso also runs an orphanage that takes care of children who lost parents to HIV and AIDS or are living with HIV themselves.

She lives by the saying, ‘if this is the world that you want to see tomorrow, or you desire a better looking tomorrow, what are you doing today?”

Simona D'Amico

Head of Biodiversity and Impact, UEBT

An international expert on the socio-biodiversity impacts of the sourcing of botanicals, Simona has been with UEBT since 2017 and oversees UEBT’s workstreams on biodiversity conservation and regeneration. She also leads monitoring & evaluation to determine UEBT’s impact on people and biodiversity. Prior to joining UEBT, she worked on European research projects on policies for organic farming and sustainable food systems, as well as how to value agrobiodiversity through sustainable agrifood chains. She has extensive field experience working with companies on biodiversity actions in supply chains and surrounding landscapes. Simona holds a PhD in rural sociology from Wageningen University.

Sebastian Sieben

CEO, Martin Bauer

Sebastian Sieben is the CEO of Martin Bauer GmbH & Co. KG, a position he assumed after joining the company in 2002 and holding various product and sales roles before becoming part of the management team. He studied Business Administration in Germany and the UK from 1995 to 1999, and began his career with strategy consultancy Roland Berger, where he collected his first professional experiences and “management tool kit”. Since 2006, he has worked on responsible and sustainable issues from a strategic perspective within Martin Bauer.

Syamala Gowri

Senior Manager-Sustainability, Jayanti Herbs & Spices

My core expertise is in Sustainability, Biodiversity and Genetics. The total work experience is 10+ years, with 5 years in corporate sustainability and biodiversity management and the recent 2 years in sustainable food value chain. My work involves understanding business value chains, developing sustainability strategies and pathway for implementation. Under the umbrella of sustainability, interventions with respect to policy, processes & operations management system, sustainable supply chain and internal & external stakeholder engagement are part and parcel. In Jayanti the focus has been on initiating sustainability projects at farm, supply chain and processing level while creating benefits to business, people & planet.

My work experience has given me learning of the on-ground challenges and analytical capabilities to identify/design solutions that are area-based, realistic and applicable. Since 2019, I have been part of various dialogue platforms of SSI, UNCBD, WEF, UNFCCC & UEBT participating to advocate for business strategy & pathways for achieving the 2030 agenda and sustainability.

In my current role, I am executing regenerative landscape and climate resilient projects across the value chain in India and supporting teams in Turkey & Vietnam. Key ongoing projects include organizational GHG accounting, product LCA and ESG reporting for Jayanti Group.

Taylor Mackey

VP Global Strategic Sourcing, doTERRA

Taylor MacKay is the Vice President of Strategic Sourcing at doTERRA where he oversees the global sourcing portfolio of natural ingredients.  Taylor has had the privilege of living and working in many different parts of the world including the US, Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia, working with small-scale producers, social impact organizations, and agrobusiness value chains.  He is passionate about social impact strategy and building business as a force for good in the world. 

Tsvetelina Tsekova

Sustainability Specialist, Galen-N Ltd.

Tsvetelina Tsekova is a Sustainability Specialist at Galen-N Ltd. since March 2024, focusing on sustainable sourcing and compliance with ethical standards in the essential oils sector. She holds a master’s degree in Microbiology and a bachelor’s in Plant protection, providing a strong scientific foundation in agricultural practices and biodiversity conservation. Her previous professional experience includes experimental and scientific work, consultancy as an agronomist, and teaching. Tsvetelina is also a long-standing volunteer, having worked extensively with children from vulnerable and sensitive groups. This diverse background enables her to address sustainability challenges with a multidisciplinary perspective, combining scientific expertise, practical agricultural knowledge, and a strong social commitment. She is currently engaged in sustainability assessments, risk evaluation, and capacity building with local producers within the UEBT framework. 

Valentin Grabet

Sustainable Agriculture Project Manager, Pernod Ricard

Valentin is a Sustainable Agriculture Project Manager at Pernod Ricard, where he oversees and supports initiatives in regenerative agriculture and sustainable sourcing across various "terroirs." A terroir represents the combination of a raw material and its geographical location. His work encompasses a wide range of raw materials, from botanicals to large-scale crops, primarily within European regions. Valentin collaborates with Pernod Ricard’s affiliates, procurement teams, and suppliers, leveraging his agronomist background to offer his technical insights into the projects. 

Before joining Pernod Ricard, Valentin worked in the cooperative InVivo, focusing on CSR topics internally and developing a digital platform aiming to valorize environmental data in wheat and vine supply chains. Then, he accompanied customers for a few years as a Sustainable Sourcing consultant. There, he specialized in responsible sourcing and regenerative agriculture practices, applying both strategic and field-based approaches to various supply chains, across different sourcing regions worldwide. 

Véronique Courtois

(via video)

CEO of Parfums Christian Dior

Véronique Courtois is a beauty leader who joined LVMH in 2000. For ten years, she held various responsibilities, including Markets and Marketing roles, before becoming Chief Marketing Officer of Guerlain in 2007. She then joined Dior Couture in 2010 as Marketing Director before being named as Brand General Director of Parfums Christian Dior in 2012. She has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Guerlain in 2019, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Parfums Christian Dior since March 2023.

Virginie Bartholin

Global Category Manager Raw Materials, Pernod Ricard

Virginie joined Pernod Ricard in 2015 and now leads the Global Raw Materials procurement category. Raw materials represent 30% of Pernod Ricard’s global spend and 40% of its carbon footprint.

Her missions include sustainable sourcing (for eg. through UEBT-verified supply chains for botanicals), supplier performance and compliance management, decarbonation roadmap implementation (driving Regenerative Agriculture programs for large commodities). Procurement and Nature & Climate teams work together to best achieve the Company’s objectives.

Virginie is a Food Engineer, with extended Sustainable sourcing & Procurement experience, working in both small & large agri-food industries. Her previous experience, managing sustainable supply chains with smallholder farmers (in Africa, Asia, Latin America) has given her a deep understanding of environmental & social issues.

30 September and 01 October 2025

Amsterdam

Movenpick Hotel - Amsterdam City Center
Piet Heinkade 11, 1019 BR, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Questions?

Write to us at conference@uebt.org

Questions? Write to us at conference@uebt.org