Sajjid Mitha is the CEO and Founder of Polymerupdate - Asia's largest and the world's fastest growing petrochemical market intelligence company.

He is also the CEO and Founder of PWorld Tech - creators of Polymerexchange - the world's first and simplest trading platform for polymer resins.

Mr Mitha's commitment to saving the environment is represented through RACE (Recycling And the Circular Economy) - a global platform which hosts both physical and virtual conferences on waste management, grass-root level education programmes for a better understanding on handling waste responsibly and clean-up activities across beaches.

He is on the Industrial Advisory Board of the Department of Polymer Science at the Somaiya Vidyavihar University.

Founded Allied Solutions (I) Pvt. Ltd. in 1995. An Engineering Graduate. Responsible for deploying the Company’s strategic vision and developing business alliances. Partner in Genesis Nutech and Gennext Strategy Advisors. A member of various associations SPE, AIPMA, OPPI, IPI.

Has been closely associated with SPE India since 2011. Was elected as the Hon. Secretary of the Society of Plastic Engineers India 2012 to 2014 and presently id the President-Elect of SPE India. Has been involved in various SPE activities, including organizing several conference and workshops.

He is part of the Editorial Committee of Plastindia’s Insights Magazine
He was part of AIPMA Committee for Seminars and Conferences
He has been Chairman and Co Chairman of several Committees for Plastindia Foundation.

He has presented papers at various seminars organized by professional bodies and industry associations. Responsible for setting up the first Gas Assist Injection System in India, at Philips Ltd. Calcutta. Has hands on experience in Gas Assist Injection Moulding, design and process. Business experience in all fields of Plastic Processing viz; Injection, Blow and Extrusion. Has an extensive interest for Plastic Pipes, since this subject was a passion for his Father. (A.R.Parasuraman)

Jason started at Arkema Inc in 2006 as a Scientist working on developing the next generation toughening agents for a variety of plastic materials and he went on to become the R&D Manager this group in 2012. After four years, Jason was asked to lead a new start-up business within Arkema’s corporate incubator. Today, he is the Business Manager for Arkema’s Kepstan®PEKK product line with full P&L responsibilities.

Prior to joining Arkema, Jason worked for NovaComp, Inc where he led efforts to secure government funding for small business research grants and he was an Adjunct Professor at Philadelphia University in the College of Engineering teaching courses on Biomechanics and Textile Mechanics.

From 2010-2018, Lyons sat on the SPE Engineering Properties & Structure Division (EPSDIV) Board of Directors. During that time, he introduced the EPSDIV Seminar Series, was an EPSDIV Technical Program Chair (TPC) in 2010 and 2017 and was EPSDIV Chair in 2014. He was on the SPE Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing Special Interest Group Board of Directors from 2016-2020 and has been an ANTEC® moderator since 2010.

Lyons has been on the SPE Executive Board as VP Divisions since 2016 and he now serves as President for the 2021-2022 term.

Lyons received his Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering from Drexel University and his Bachelor of Science degree in Textile Engineering from Philadelphia University.

Patrick (Pat) Farrey has been the CEO of SPE since June 2017. A career association executive, Farrey was previously an Executive Vice President of Kellen – a global association management firm with offices in Atlanta, Brussels, Beijing, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, New York and Washington, D.C. Farrey was a member of the company’s Executive Board and managed its Chicago and Denver offices.

Farrey was a founding partner of the association management company Landon, Farrey & Associates, Inc., which was acquired by Kellen in October 2011. Prior, he and his business partner launched Independent Publishing Company (IPC), a publisher of packaging-industry trade magazines, association journals and web sites. IPC was acquired by Medical World Communications (NJ) in December 2001.

Farrey specializes in helping Societies achieve profitability, relevance and vitality. His strengths include strategic planning, marketing, global expansion, membership development, publishing, administration, public relations, meetings and trade show management.

Farrey holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. He is a member of American Society of Association Executives, Arizona Society of Association Executives and Association Forum of Chicagoland.

Conor Carlin is the Managing Director of ILLIG LP, the North American subsidiary of ILLIG Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, a Germany-based designer and manufacturer of thermoforming, tooling, and packaging systems. A member of SPE since 2000, he serves as editor for SPE Thermoforming and Recycling Division publications. Carlin has contributed articles on plastics and packaging for international industry press in the US, Europe, and Asia. In 2017, he was elected to the SPE Executive Board as VP of Marketing and Communications, and re-elected in 2020 as the first VP of Sustainability. Carlin has degrees from Boston University (BA, International Relations / French) and the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College (MBA).

Asheen is the co-founder and CEO of Eleven Radius, a membership organization dedicated to co-creating the circular economy with dynamic fashion brands and companies.

Prior to founding Eleven Radius, Asheen spent over a decade in corporate sustainability, where he co-authored the Aerospace sector guidance to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and developed the Hand printing for Innovation methodology with colleagues in Harvard’s SHINE consortium.

He formerly led sustainability efforts for the $4B tech company Dassault Systèmes, named #1 on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations list for 2018. Asheen holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University with research specialization in computational thermodynamics and an MBA in technology entrepreneurship from Babson College.

He serves on the boards of Net Impact and the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) Action Fund, and teaches Biomimetic Design as an adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design.

With over 20 years’ experience, Kari leads Customer Experience & Sustainability at PADNOS, an industrial recycler of paper, plastics, metals, and electronics.

She is a GreenBiz certified professional, Leading the Sustainability Transformation, a board member of the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, and the Treasurer of the Society of Plastic Engineers Recycling Division.

Her ability to establish trust with a diverse array of customers, and identify what they value, brings all the necessary stakeholders together to solve complex circular economy challenges.

Derek Schaefer comes to UBQ with 14 years of global experience in polyolefin compounding and commercializing tailored solutions across industries, Schaefer was honored as a rising star by Plastics News in 2021.

Based on the custom nature of these products, Schaefer relies on his experience to support UBQ in developing value-added solutions for existing and emerging marketplaces.

He holds a B.S.B.A. in Marketing from Northern Kentucky University (Go Norse!) and an MBA from University of Phoenix

Diane Marret joined Berry Global in 2014 as a Research & Development Project Manager and in 2020 became the Sustainability Director for the Consumer Packaging North America division.

Prior to joining Berry, Diane worked in various engineering and program management roles in the home appliance and automotive industries.

Her team manages a portfolio of activities aimed at achieving Berry’s Impact 2025 sustainability goals, through material science projects, supplier development, and collaborating with customers to educate and align on sustainability goals.

Peter Schneider is President of Next Generation Recycling Machines, Inc., the Americas operations of Next Generation Recycling Maschinen GmbH.

He spent most of his career in plastics in different industries (Automotive, Medical Devices, Packaging Machinery, and Plastic Recycling).

He joined Next Generation Recycling Machines Inc. in 2018.

Technical and Scientific Director of the ICIPC. He has worked at the ICIPC since 2003, holding the positions of research assistant, product development subdirector, technical director and general director (in charge). He worked at the Polymer Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a research and teaching assistant. Production Engineer from EAFIT University with Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Researcher, teacher and consultant in areas of knowledge that include polymer processing, sustainability and circular economy in plastics, modeling and simulation of transport phenomena, packaging engineering, rheology, among others. Director of the Joint Research platform - SPIRIT, in conjunction with the Fraunhofer FIT Institute of Germany. Co-inventor of patents and patent applications, and co-author of several scientific publications.

Avantika is a member of the Economic, Sustainability, and Market Analysis team at the National Renewable Energy Lab and project leader for analysis in plastics, performance advantaged bioproducts, and renewable fuels. Her interests include cost-benefit analysis of early-stage technologies to evaluate their commercial viability, sustainability impacts, and identify key areas for improvement.

Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling, where he covers municipal recycling, plastics recycling and electronics recycling for the company's three trade journals. He joined the publication in 2017 after working in local news reporting.

Tonya Randell is a Program Manager for Stina Inc, a research and technology firm with nearly 20 years of expertise in data collection and analysis of plastic packaging recycling in North America. She currently supports work on plastic packaging recyclability and is the principal consumer liaison on film and other plastic recycling questions.

Tonya received a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University. She previously served as President of the Board of Directors for the Carolina Recycling Association, and lives in Chapel Hill, NC.

Kevin has been a long time employee of Arkema having held previous positions in R&D and business management.

Born and raised in Ireland, he emigrated to the USA in 1987 before joining BASF and then Arkema.

Kevin is an industrial chemist with a passion for sustainable development and innovation. He is responsible for Arkema's global marketing related to fluoropolymers, specialty polyamides, and PEKK resins.

Andrea Cantú is a doctoral student at EGADE Business School and is currently the project leader of an initiative focused on sustainable cities at Sarape Social.

She is also currently part of the SWIT Research Center, where she does research and consultancy work on sustainability, plastics, and circular economy.

Dr. Kat Knauer has a PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi.

She completed a 2-year rotational post-doctorate in BASF's Leadership Development Program (LDP) and placed off into a Senior Scientist role in BASF's Plastics Division.

Her research efforts focused on advanced recycling technologies which ultimately led her to joining the Materials Innovation R&D team at Novoloop (formerly BioCellection), a San Francisco Bay Area startup.

At Novoloop she helped develop a technology that converted post-consumer polyethylene waste into valuable chemical building blocks that she upcycled into new high-performing polymer applications.

Recently, Dr. Knauer joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium where she will continue to work towards achieving a circular economy for plastics through innovative research.

Karl Englund currently works at Washington State University’s Composite Materials and Engineering Center. He graduated with a BS in 1988 and MS degree in 1991 in Wood science at West Virginia University. Prior to completing his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Washington State University in 2001, Karl was a technical director for Trus Joist MacMillan (now Weyerhaeuser). He started as a faculty for Washington State University’s Composite Materials and Engineering Center in 2008 and is now an Associate Research Professor. His research focuses on processing composites and utilizing waste materials as feedstocks for composites and bioenergy. Much of his work finds him collaborating with government agencies, non-profits, and industry.

More recently Karl has also taken a half-time appointment as Chief Technology Officer for Global Fiberglass Solutions, Inc. GFS is a start-up manufacturing company focused on recycling wind turbine blades and other glass fiber composites into second generation products. Karl’s primary responsibilities are focused on manufacturing operations, customer/application development, and new processing strategies to recycled synthetic fiber composites into value-added products.

Kim Holmes is the owner and principal consultant of 4R Sustainability, a consulting firm dedicated to working with industry to advance recycling and sustainability goals.

Kim works with clients to demonstrate innovative recovery solutions, develop sustainable communications and business development strategies, and serves as a technical expert.

Prior to relaunching her firm, Kim was the vice president of sustainability for the Plastics Industry Association, where she developed new models for testing end market development and collection methods for a wide range of recycled plastic feedstreams.

In her free time, she enjoys skiing, hiking and biking with her family in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Ron Abbott is Chevron Phillips Chemical Company’s Sustainability Technology Manager, responsible for advancing technical programs to advance long term global sustainability objectives. Prior to assuming this role in 2018, Abbott served as the Planning and Strategy Manager in the Corporate Planning and Development group where he oversaw the strategic planning process for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. In this role, he led a team that developed Chevron Phillips Chemical’s most recent corporate strategic business plan.

Abbott began his career with Phillips Petroleum Company as a catalyst chemist. Throughout nearly three decades with Phillips Petroleum Company, Chevron Chemical Company and now Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, he has held a range of management assignments including Facility Manager for the Kingwood Research & Technology Center, Petrochemicals R&D Manager, Normal Alpha Olefins Global Product Manager and Polyethylene Catalyst R&D Manager. He has led teams that successful commercialized several key technologies including the world’s first on-purpose 1-Hexene process, the Phillips ReVap alkylation process and CPChem’s high viscosity PAO process. Abbott holds 26 U.S. patents in selective 1-hexene catalyst and process technology, polyethylene catalysis, advanced polymer applications and HF alkylation technology.

Abbott earned his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Vermont, his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry under F. Albert Cotton at Texas A&M University and worked as a postdoctoral research associate under Dr. Richard Lagow at The University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Andrea have two married sons and one granddaughter, and are active in ministries addressing racial reconciliation and alleviation of extreme poverty in international communities.

Mike Hannah is the Technical Director of Enviropod International. Mike believes in preserving our oceans and waterways for future generations. Through the use of technology and public engagement, he is raising awareness of the sources and pathways of plastic pollution into our oceans, lakes, and rivers. Enviropods solutions offer a simple and affordable way for business and industry to control their plastic footprint. This intern drives awareness and greater responsibility. We are all part of the problem; we all need to be part solutions. Let’s turn the tide on plastic to create plastic fee waterways.

Mike Hannah is also the co-founder and Managing/Technical Director of the specialist stormwater management company, Stormwater360 New Zealand. With 30 years’ experience as stormwater management and green infrastructure practitioner Mike Hannah has designed, developed, and implemented numerous stormwater solutions across the Asia Pacific region and is regularly called on to consult on planning and legislative changes to the New Zealand stormwater policy and practice.

Dr Michael Washburn is Principal at Washburn Consulting Sustainability and Public Affairs and serves as a senior policy advisor to The Recycling Partnership.

Washburn Consulting provides sustainability strategy, research, program support and public policy engagement advice to corporate and non-profit clients.

Michael is the former VP of sustainability at Nestle Waters North America, former Senior Director at The Wilderness Society, and founder and former director of the Program on Forest Certification at the Yale School of Forestry. He resides with his family in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Mercedes Landazuri is Director of Technology & Innovation at Peacock Colors and Vortex Liquid Color.

She is past president of SPE Recycling Division and currently serves as Councilor for SPE Color and Appearance Division.

She was named a Plastics News Rising Star in 2017. In her spare time she co-hosts PlastChicks, a podcast about all things plastic.

A recent Michigan State University (MSU) graduate, Evan Morton has over 15 years of research experience. Prior to becoming the Programs and Sustainability Coordinator for the SPE Foundation, he was an undergraduate researcher and research ambassador at MSU. He received recognition with his first-place win at the Research Spring Symposium for his project focusing on plastic and paper bag quality and the related perceptions of consumers. He was also part of the Summer Opportunity Research Program at MSU where he published research journals about sustainable lumber with Dr. Berghorn of the school of Domicology. While in middle and high school, he was part of Ecotek Science at Work Lab focusing on research projects in biofuels, bioplastics, and material science, which led to a summer research internship with NTH Consultants.

Mr. Morton also focused his efforts on community, working as a sub-city Council member focusing on green infrastructure with members for a climate action plan. He worked for Clean Water Action, speaking with over 1,000 Michigan residents about voter's rights, water rights, and created a lead safety guideline for Michigan residents. While working for the Student Housing Cooperative of East Lansing, Mr. Morton established the first sustainability internship focusing on improving house quality, restructuring the office with re-purposed carpet, and created rewards for houses working for sustainable solutions. He also led Earth Day events and diversity training for residents of the community. 

Mr. Morton Joined the PlastiVan® Team earlier this as the youngest member of the team and the first Black male educator in the program's history. Within his first six months, he reached over 500 students across Detroit. He also brought the second international partnership to the program by educating students in Dakar, Senegal. Mr. Morton has very ambitious goals for the PlastiVan Program and plans to expand sustainability topics for students. He currently resides in East Lansing, Michigan.

"I am elated to be working for the SPE Foundation and the PlastiVan program. In six short months we reached hundreds of students in Detroit, and even brought the program to Dakar, Senegal. The most important part of this program is seeing the smile on students' faces when we talk about the plastics industry, it brings joy to my heart. To be able to support the mission of education, while showing the science behind plastics and polymers with engaging activities is exactly what I aim to achieve. I would like to show that the industry is not exclusive – it's inclusive, by reaching as many students as possible. I am honored to be beside industry representatives, researchers, and educators alike. I am very passionate about bringing my interests, knowledge, experience, and research skills to the PlastiVan Program. I hope that being in this position will bring light to the students that aim to be the change-makers of tomorrow!"