Caroline is an experienced leader and systems-thinker with diverse experience in change-making. A socio-economist by background, her career has spanned work in INGOs, policy research, policy making, business innovation, impact investment, consultancy, community development.

Rooted in international development, Caroline has lived and worked in multiple African and Asian countries. She worked in the Namibian government shaping post-apartheid environmental management, initiated approaches to address poverty within the tourism industry internationally, catalysed innovation with over 100 businesses through challenge funds and impact investment, and worked with multiple development banks on their development impact.

As economic justice strategic lead at Oxfam GB she led a global team supporting communities and challenging business around the world to stretch for greater socio-economic transformation and climate resilience. As global programmes director at Forum for the Future she led strategies that shift from incremental change to system transformation in energy, food and the role of business in society.

Philip K. Bell is president of the Washington, D.C.-based Steel Manufacturers Association. Before leading SMA, Phil served as director of external communications and public affairs for Gerdau Long Steel North America based in Tampa, Florida. He is a 25-year industry veteran who developed an interest in the steel industry and manufacturing in the late 1980s while working in maintenance and operations at Elementis Chromium in Corpus Christi, Texas. He has held executive-level positions in operations, human resources and public affairs with Gerdau, the SGL Carbon Group, and Qualitech Steel Corp.

Bell serves on the US Department of Commerce International Trade Advisory Committee on Steel (ITAC 12), advising the secretary of commerce and US trade representative on trade policy, trade agreements and other trade-related matters that benefit US businesses, workers and the economy.

He is a member of the National Association of Manufacturing (NAM) Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA) and the Association of Iron & Steel Technology.

Bell graduated from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He holds a master’s degree in global strategic communications from the University of Florida, with distinction.

Matthew Wenban-Smith has played a leading role in the development of many global sustainability standards programmes over the last thirty years, ranging from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) and the IUCN’s Green List for Protected Areas. He supported the establishment of ResponsibleSteel and led the writing of ResponsibleSteel’s international standard in relation to greenhouse gas emissions, recognised by the IEA as being, ‘at the forefront among the shortlist of methodologies identified with respect to fitness for purpose for a net zero steel sector.’

Shiv is a metallurgical engineer with over thirty years of international experience in steel and core sector engineering industries. He has over two decades of experience in the steel supply chain with a deep understanding of the industry’s decarbonization challenges.

As development and innovation director, Shiv ensures that ResponsibleSteel and its International Standard deliver impact in line with our mission to drive the responsible production of net zero steel and demonstrate the effectiveness of our Theory of Change.

Prior to joining ResponsibleSteel, he was managing his own advisory engaging in energy, construction, and metallurgical engineering services in Canada and the GCC region. He has held leadership positions in his career with companies in India, GCC and Canada. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering, he also holds a master’s degree in climate change from the University of Waterloo, Canada.

Matthew Groch is a senior director at Mighty Earth where he oversees the organization’s decarbonization campaign. Prior to joining Mighty Earth, he served as deputy director at Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch division, where he worked on trade and globalization issues including the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and global access to Covid-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments.

He previously worked as vice president for TruBlu Politics, a Democratic consulting firm that developed strategic campaign communication plans for dozens of clients at the state and local levels. Matthew also worked as a project co-ordinator to Dr Stanley Greenberg at the renowned public opinion research and consulting firm, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, where he managed clients, projects, and staff across the globe. He has also held various positions working for a Member of the US Congress and has worked on numerous electoral campaigns.

Stanislav Zinchenko is the CEO of GMK Center, chair of the Committee for Environment and Sustainable Development of the European Business Association, and president of CSCMP Ukraine Roundtable. In the last five years, he has provided consulting services for Ukrainian iron and steel companies in areas such as sustainability issues, supply chains, CAPEX policy, and market analysis. Stanislav Zinchenko has 15-years of experience in consulting for manufacturing companies. He has expertise in operational management and supply chains as a team leader, consultant, and analyst in international projects in the field of entrepreneurship, operational efficiency, and logistic infrastructure. Stanislav has a MA in international economics at Kyiv National Economic University.

Mark Jeavons is the head of CRU’s sustainability division, providing thought leadership and guidance on sustainability, climate change and their market implications, which helps clients to better understand, address and integrate sustainability themes into their decision-making.

Rutger Gyllenram is a Swedish process metallurgist working on raw materials assessment with Kobolde & Partners. Rutger is the founder and CEO of Kobolde & Partners, and he is also a founder of the FerroSilva company which aims to reduce iron ore with biogenic syngas followed by CCUS, a project due to start in Hofors, Sweden in 2026.

Marian is the global head of risk and sustainability at GFG Alliance, the parent company of Liberty Steel – a global steel manufacturer with an ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. Prior to joining GFG, Marian was a managing director at Redington and, before that, led Deloitte’s Trustee Advisory business. Marian is a fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and a member of the Global Association of Risk Professionals, with a certificate in sustainability and climate risk management. She has over 20 years’ experience in risk management, sustainability, governance, and investment consulting, and she co-authored a award-winning paper on integrated risk management frameworks for institutional investors.

Brenda is a technical manager for the SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative), working for CDP. Within the initiative, Brenda is responsible for developing emissions reduction pathways for the steel sector. Prior to joining CDP, Brenda worked as a senior data analyst and quality assurance for a data analytics firm that collated data for the Climate Risk Platform and rankings intended to shape investment decisions. She also has diverse research experience in academia and industry dealing with environmental issues through different projects for the coal, power, water, and mining sectors across Europe and China.

Brenda holds a PhD in carbon chemistry in iron and steel production, a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. She is currently based in London.

Mojca Loncar, PhD, has over 15 years of work experience in quality management, research and technology development, and the circular economy. She has acquired management experience in the research and development of steel and technologies. She is currently actively involved in EU-funded projects in the field of digitalization, smart energy communities and the use of secondary raw materials. She is the author of several international publications, including original scientific articles, and has presented and published several papers at scientific conferences.

Heinz-Josef Ponten studied electrical engineering with a special focus on information technology at the University of Applied Sciences, Aachen. After his studies, Heinz-Josef began his career in PSI Metals for what would become 36 challenging yet interesting years with diverse roles and responsibilities.

In 1986, Heinz-Josef joined PSI Metals as consultant and project manager. Due to his expertise, in 1992, he became the head of department for process automation. In 2000, he became the head of business unit-steelmaking. 10 years later, after acquisitions of several companies and reorganization of PSI Metals’ business, Heinz-Josef became the director of the PSI Metals Division Non-Ferrous, Flat & Long as well as a member of the PSI Metals Strategy Committee.

In 2014, he was additionally appointed the managing director for PSI Metals, Belgium and PSI Metals, UK. With over 36 years’ experience in PSI Metals, and after eight years as managing director, in 2022, Heinz-Josef handed over to PSI Metals' ‘next generation’ and went back to his roots where he became product manager for PSImetals Liquid & Energy. His expertise has earned him an invaluable position and high demand in the global metals and steel industry.

Marc Farré Moutinho is the sector lead for steel at the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) and the Mission Possible Partnership (MPP). As part of his time at both organisations, Marc co-authored Making Net-Zero Steel Possible (2022), a 1.5^oC-aligned roadmap to net zero for the global steel industry and part of MPP’s landmark series of heavy industry and transport sector transition strategies. More recently, Marc was part of the team behind the ETC’s Breakthrough Steel Investment Forum Series and a co-author of the resulting Unlocking the First Wave of Breakthrough Steel Investments report series (2023).

Based in London, Marc currently focuses on supporting MPP’s efforts to unlock investment in commercial-scale heavy industry and transport projects around the world, with an emphasis on steel, as well as serving as the acting coordinator of MPP’s Net-Zero Steel Initiative (NZSi). Prior to joining ETC and MPP, Marc’s background lay in the broader energy system, particularly in biogas, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and energy infrastructure policy.

Simon Nicholas is IEEFA’s Lead Energy Finance Analyst for Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the global steel sector as well as Asian seaborne thermal and coking coal markets. Simon’s focus is on the energy transition, the long-term outlooks for coal and steel as well as the need for emerging nations to establish financially sustainable power systems to support their development. Before joining IEEFA in 2016, Simon had 16 years’ experience in the finance industry at ABN Amro, Macquarie Group and Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney and London. Simon is a fellow (FCA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, has a BSc in Zoology and a master’s in environmental management, for which he was awarded the Orica Ronnie Harding Prize by the University of New South Wales.

Adam was one of the earliest employees at Boston Metal, joining the team in 2017. He leads business development at the company that's scaling up breakthrough technology to decarbonize primary steelmaking. Previously, Adam led global development for several utility-scale energy storage technology companies. He holds a BS in engineering from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in engineering and innovation from Dartmouth.

Jonathan is a global senior manager focusing on the development of sustainability and ESG solutions at DNV. As part of the innovation team, he contributes to the development of new digital assurance services supporting customers to comply with new stringent ESG regulations, such as the EU Green Deal legislative package.

Sanjeev Manocha is the business development director of LanzaTech Inc headquartered in Chicago, USA. Sanjeev joined LanzaTech earlier this year, having developed a passion to decarbonize industries. He is leading the steel, cement and energy intensive industry sectors. In terms of his wider career, Sanjeev is a metallurgical engineer with an executive MBA, who started his working life in the iron and steel industry, having served in various executive positions across Europe, Asia pacific and North America. In the later part of his career, Sanjeev moved to the lime industry. Sanjeev also served as a board member with various businesses and institutes.

Ruaidrí is responsible for REACH/CLP and Food Contact Materials regulations and their potential impact on APEAL members. In addition, he co-ordinates any joint research and development projects between APEAL members including the development of Chromium Free Passivation Alternative (CFPA) – an innovative European alternative to the use of hexavalent chromium in ETP passivation.

Previously, and for several years, Ruaidrí was team lead for projects related to Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) within a chemical consultancy and worked with several industry sectors including space, defence, mining, and pharmaceuticals. He has also worked in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in the Substance Identification and Data Sharing Unit.

He holds a PhD in synthetic chemistry from the University of Dublin, Trinity College.

Arjun Chandar has spent his career leading the development and deployment of advanced technologies for manufacturing operations and production. He is the founder and CEO of IndustrialML, an enterprise platform which contains data integration, analytics, navigation, communication, and reporting features to help factories provide real-time information and training to their operations workforce. Arjun implemented supply chain planning and continuous improvement tools across two aerospace businesses at Meggitt, and was director of operations at New Valence Robotics, a VC-funded 3D printing startup. He received his MEng in Advanced Manufacturing from MIT and is a member of the MITHaus group, which researches production of 3D-printed homes at scale for poor economies around the world.

Shinichiro Nakamura is a manufacturing and global thought leader in the secondary steel processing industry. He is the president of Daiwa Steel Tube Industries and one to ONE Holdings, which operates steel tube making factories in Japan and Vietnam and implements inline galvanizing technology for tubing companies around the world. His original family business, Daiwa Steel Tube Industries in Japan, is one of the largest producers of inline galvanized steel tubes in East Asia. Shin is a past regional chair of the YPO North Asia region and a current member of the board of governors at the Asia School of Business. He previously consulted at Bain & Company and received his MBA from MIT Sloan, specializing in new product and venture development.

Kate Kalinova is part of the SFOC’s steel programme, where she focuses on corporate engagement, with an emphasis on engaging key consumers of the steel industry to accelerate decarbonization of the sector. Before joining the SFOC, Kate worked as a project manager at the Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) in South Korea.

Mo Ahmed has over 20 years of experience in the steel industry. Before joining Schneider Electric, he worked for Primetals Technologies, Siemens, Ivaco Rolling Mills and GE. He filled roles including automation and drives engineering, maintenance management, pre-sales support and sales of multi-million-dollar steel plant projects. He has engaged in the industry on a global scale, travelling to over 50 countries to meet and understand the needs of his customers. He is also an author of multiple white papers that have been published and presented at numerous steel-industry conferences.

Josh joined Schneider Electric in 2011, with an initial focus on procuring natural gas and electric power in the western United States. During his time as a regional energy buyer and later as a regional market manager, Josh built a strong foundation of expertise in supply-side energy commodity sourcing strategies, tactics, and related energy industry concepts. In 2016, Josh transitioned to the renewable energy and carbon advisory team where he has been focused on renewable energy procurement and strategy development. Josh received a bachelor’s degree of science in finance, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Louisville.

Shaikh Sahid Hossain received his bachelor’s degree in electronics and instrumentation engineering from B.P.U.T, Odisha in 2004 and a master’s degree in business administration from Preston University, USA in 2008, followed by postgraduate programme in general management from the Indian Institute of Ahmedabad in 2009. Currently he serves with ETAP as chief revenue officer. Before joining ETAP, he worked as a development consultant at L&T. His projects involved implementation for power management systems, process automation, distribution automation, and consulting services. He was also involved in establishing the power automation business in the MENA region.

Dave has spent over 25 years working internationally, across multiple industries and for various UN agencies to advance sustainable and ethical business practices. He advises CARES and its board on sustainability matters and has supported the development of its Sustainable Constructional Steels (SCS) scheme.

Within the construction sector, Dave has developed sustainability strategies and narratives, toolkits and social valuation approaches for responsible sourcing.

He has provided advice, training and assurance to the steel sector for over 15 years.