Kersten is Sustainability Director at Siemens AG and responsible for the company’s global sustainability program and implementation. A particular focus of his work lies in turning sustainability into a competitive advantage for the Business Units. During his almost 20 years at Siemens, Kersten has held various positions across the company’s portfolio and geographical reach, ranging from hydropower in Latin America to industrial energy efficiency in Europe and field service for power plants worldwide. He holds a Master’s degree in engineering from the University of Dortmund.
Martina Bianchini is Vice President of EU Government Affairs & Public Policy for Dow and the Head of the company’s EU Liaison Office in Brussels Belgium. In this capacity, she is shaping EU industry advocacy strategies on Dow’s priority areas and ensures the consistent adoption of a transatlantic and global approach to chemicals management policies. Prior to joining Dow in 2001, Martina worked 14 years in the private sector, both in the US and Europe on different assignments in Environmental, Regulatory, Public and Government Affairs and sustainability. Martina is a board member of SusChem, the European Union Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry; European Partners for the Environment, a former board member of Corporate Social Responsibility Europe and a member of the advisory council of the Kings Center for Risk Management. In 2008, she was awarded the title of Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Contemporary European Studies (iCES) of the European Business School London. Martina holds a bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Trier in Germany and a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences/Toxicology from Louisiana State University, USA. Deputy Director, ICC Department of Policy and Business Practices.
Wendy Poulton joined Eskom in 1988 before previously working for Buckman Laboratories, South Africa. She was firstly in the Research and Investigations Division in the Technology Group of Eskom. She held positions of Chemical and Microbiological Sciences Manager and Environmental Sciences Manager before being seconded for a year to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Palo Alto, California. On her return, she joined Eskom’s Corporate Environmental Affairs office as a Corporate Consultant – Strategic Environment. In May 2003 she was appointed as Corporate Sustainability and Environment Manager for Eskom Holdings. Promoted to General Manager – Corporate Sustainability in March 2005 and then General Manager Sustainability and Innovation. She is currently General Manager Organisational Strategy and is responsible for the strategy development process for Eskom. She has presented and published over 30 external papers in the fields of microbiology, environmental management, climate change and sustainable development and energy issues. Ms Poulton holds a Master of Science degree. Ms Poulton’s current associations include : Vice–Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Energy and Environment Commission and appointed as a member of the Council of the South African Bureau of Standards in 2006.