Maive Rute, Director Biotechnologies Agriculture & Food

European Commission - DG Environment

• Belgium

Frederic Van Gansberghe, CEO

Galactic

Frederic van Gansberghe is the founder and CEO of Galactic, a leader in lactic acid and lactates. Galactic is a biotechnology company active in the white area of food security. With natural products, they are working towards extending the life of food. Its products of lactic acid are also used in industry and pharmacy. Besides this, Galactic has developed a bioplastic: PLA, and in an a joint venture with Total under the name of Futerro.

• Belgium

Virginie Helias, Director of Global Sustainability

Procter & Gamble

With 25 years of experience at Procter & Gamble in Brand Management and Innovation, Virginie is one of the most senior marketing leaders at P&G with a broad experience across multiple categories and global to local brand management expertise. She has international experience (France, UK, Switzerland and United States). Prior to her current position, she was the Western Europe Franchise Leader for Ariel, one of P&G largest (billion dollar) brands. In July 2012, she was nominated to the newly created position of Director of Global Sustainability, working across all P&G business units and regions. Her mission is to embed sustainability into the innovation, brand-building and everyday business practices at P&G. She is a catalyst for sustainable product and business model innovation, as well as culture change.

• Switzerland

Philip Malmberg, CEO

Ecover

Mr. Philip Malmberg serves in the position of Chief Executive Officer at Ecover since May 2011. He brings 20 years of international experience to the company with a proven track record in successful delivery of business targets, linking strategy development & execution, along with a wide experience in managing complex business processes, such as business integrations, emerging markets start-ups, M&A and turn-around & change management. Mr. Malmberg’s career began in Finance serving as the Finance Director of Ecover from 1993 to 2000. From the year 2000 to 2002 he served in the position of the Regional Financial Director of G4S. From 2008 and prior to joining Ecover as CEO, operating from Dubai (UAE), Mr. Malmberg served as the Regional Managing Director of G4S in the Gulf Region. In 2010 the Levante Region was added to his responsibility.

• Belgium

Wim Michiels, CEO

Proviron

Wim MICHIELS started his career in 1994, first as product designer at NIKO. Since 2000, he works at the Proviron Group. First as a product manager at Proviron Fine Chemicals nv, implementing a broad customer oriented service model into a Business-to-Business world. From 2002 to 2007 Wim streamlined Sales, Marketing, Product Development and Supply as business director of Proviron Holding nv. From 2007 on, he was appointed as CEO of Proviron Holding nv, leading Proviron in a transition from a chemical producer to a developer of green functional products. Wim is a board member at “Kringwinkel Antwerpen” since 2002, an organisation specialised in collection, selection and marketing of waste goods; providing a job to unemployable people. Since 2007, Wim is active as board member and vice-president of essenscia, the federation of chemical industry in Belgium. He presides on essenscia’s SME-committee since 2006, and is member of essenscia Flanders’ board since 2003.

• Belgium