Take a look at our esteemed conference speakers for 2021
AKSHAY SHAH
SILAFRICA
Akshay is a respected & accomplished leader in the Sustainable Plastics Packaging Industry, and a strong advocate for transitioning to a Circular Economy in Africa. In his role at Silafrica, one of Africa's leading sustainable plastic packaging manufacturing company for leading FMCG brands, his focus is on achieving sustainable growth through technology leadership & circular economy. He believes the transition to realizing a true circular economy is only possible through teamwork by partnering with all stakeholders, and the benefit is a sustainable environment with huge job creation potential. He currently serves as the Board Vice Chairperson on the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO) Board.
PRIYEN TANNA
GPL FLEXIBLES
Priyen is an Engineer with 20+ years of diversified experience in World Class Manufacturing in areas such as project and operations management and manufacturing efficiency improvements. He has a proven track record of consistently achieving and exceeding results through a dynamic combination of demonstrated leadership attributes and strong project management skills. He has combined his diverse background of knowledge and experience in creating solutions for challenges with a deep passion for environmental issues, sustainability and community to form partnerships geared towards building a sustainable future. He currently serves as the Chairperson on the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO) Board.
LEONARD KAREKO
DOW PACKAGING & SPECIALTY PLASTICS
Leonard is a Chemical Engineer with a 15 years’ experience having worked in renewable energy, water treatments, manufacturing & currently in Industrial chemical sales. He is a passionate learner and has spear headed initiatives with the Dow Corporate Impact Fund to create business models based on finding solutions in reduction of food losses and access to clean, He currently serves as the Vice Chair Communications Committee on the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO) Board. During his free time, you will find enjoying trail running, reading, and spending time with his family.
DENIS MICHENI
DISCOVER BRANDS SYSTEMS LIMITED
Denis Micheni is a Kenyan entrepreneur who is passionate about Digital Marketing and emerging technologies such as 3D printing, which can help in combating climate change, hence promoting a plastic circular economy.
PETER ABUI
CLEVER GREEN KENYA
• Over 10 years of experience in commercial and development sectors with good understanding of trade and business environment in East Africa, with focus in in agriculture, renewable energy sector, waste management, tourism and logistics services
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• Experienced in investor-enterprise linkages to invest in Climate Smart solutions in East Africa, especially in renewable energy and waste management
• Worked with Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in renewable energy and agriculture
• Delivered entrepreneurial skills training workshops to SMEs in renewable energy and agriculture
• Worked with private sector and civil society organizations across East Africa to lobby and advocate for enabling business environment to enhance business competitiveness in the region
• Technically managed the implementation of two Challenge Funds that invested in innovative business models to improve logistics
JACKSON WAMBUA
KENYA ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS
Mr. Wambua is the Manufacturing Sectors Manager at Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM).Founded in 1959, KAM has 14 sectors. These are: Automotive; Building and Construction; Chemicals and Allied; Energy, electrical, electronics; Food and Beverage; Leather and accessories; Metal and allied; Paper and paper Board; Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment; Plastics and rubber; Services and Consultancies; Textiles and Apparels; Timber and Furniture and Agriculture/Fresh produce value add industries.
He is an expert in Research and Public Policy Analysis. He been at KAM since 2017 and previous worked with Shipper Council of Eastern Africa as the Transport Economist.
He holds Masters of Economics
GEOFRREY KURIA
KENYA ASSOCIATION OF WASTE RECYCLERS
Geoffrey Kuria is the Administration Manager at Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers (KAWR). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wood Science & Technology from Moi University with over 15 years’ experience in recycling industry.
At KAWR, Geoffrey is in charge day to day administration, lobbying and collaboration activities on behalf of the recycler’s body across the country. As a passionate environmentalist, he has been instrumental in creating of recycling awareness among the public and recycling education as key part of actualizing circular economy as a sustainable waste management practice.
PROF. HELEN NJERI NJENGA
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
Industry Experience: I have worked with industry clients in diverse areas which include implementation of industrial research into manufacturing facilities; manufacturing skills upgrading; carrying out feasibility studies; trouble shooting; plant productivity improvement; product quality improvement; occupational health and safety training.
I am the current Chairperson of Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Packaging Technical Committee and Chairperson of East African Community Packaging Technical Committee which is involved in the harmonization of packaging standards. I facilitate SME packaging training in collaboration with KEBs and IOPPK.
DAVID MULWA
ISHIDA
David is the regional sales manager for East Africa looking after Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia, on behalf of Ishida Europe Limited. He holds a bachelors degree in Instrumentation & Control engineering from Egerton University, a diploma in Project Management from the Kenya Institute of Management and is also finalising his Masters in Strategic Management from the University of South Wales in the UK.
He has over 7 years of experience in technical sales having worked for Davis & Shirtliff as a Sales Engineer and Bamburi Cement as the Key Accounts Manager prior to joining Ishida in April 2019. His first order of business and main achievement was to successfully set up the Nairobi office which is to act as the hub for East Africa. The office which is located in Baba dogo boasts of having demonstration equipment comprising of a weighing and packaging line, a checkweigher and x-ray machine for quality control. It also holds
critical spares for the installed base in the region.
David’s vision is to help companies within the food and non-food industries optimise their operations through automation by reducing food and packaging waste and also ensuring consumers have access to product that is safe.
When David is not working, he loves to spend time with his family. He also enjoys playing football & chess and is a voracious reader.
JOYCE GACHUGI - WAWERU
PETCO KENYA
Joyce is a sustainability practitioner with 13 (thirteen) years of work experience gained from working for institutions in both the public and private sector across Africa and the United States of America. Currently, she is the Country Manager of the Kenya PET Recycling Company Limited (PETCO KENYA), the first registered and operational producer responsibility in Kenya. In her role she is driving collective action within the PET Plastic packaging sector toward responsible production and consumption. She has under her stewardship companies such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, BIDCO Africa, Kevian Kenya, BIO Foods, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (Kenya), The House of Peptang, Naivas Supermarkets, Tuskys Supermarkets among others.
As a social scientist, she is naturally predisposed to tackling issues affecting society. Over the duration of her career, she has been able to create transformational impact for various institutions in the areas of carbon asset development, waste management, climate finance, renewable energy and environmental management.
Joyce is an alumnus of Kenyatta University (Bachelor of Science – Environmental Science, Hons.), a member of the Environmental Institute of Kenya (EIK) and a registered environmental impact assessment lead expert with the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).
She currently serves on the board of the Joanne Chazima Sickle Cell Foundation. In 2019, Joyce was nominated as a Global Sustainability Leader by the US Green Chamber of Commerce for her work in driving collective action in the management of post-consumer PET plastics in Kenya.
Her passions are around building partnerships, championing gender equality, promoting social impact and developing social entrepreneurs.
Joyce loves to cook, travel and farm, despite loving sport as a metaphor for life, only Tennis and long walks are her sporting hobbies of choice.
Joyce is married. Life’s Mantra – We are born with a blank canvas, paint your picture in the brightest colours.
Joseph Nyongesa
IOPPK
Joseph Nyongesa-Graduate of Industrial Engineering Missouri USA, Worked in Unilever Kenya for 20 years in Packaging, Factory Management, Product development, Engineering. Carried out major packaging transformations and innovations in Unilever. Has worked as a consultant in U-chumi Supermarkets on own label brands and strategy, operations optimizations and introduction of Barcode systems. Has been in-volved in setting up GS1 Bar-coding systems in East Africa for 10 years ending up as CEO of GS1 Kenya. Has been awarded Fellowship of the Institute of Packaging UK .Is an International and National Packaging Consultant for many UN agencies. He consults and trains many SMEs in East Africa to better their packaging and enter the formal retail chains.
He is currently President Africa Packaging Organization, Board Member WPO, Secretary General Institute of Packaging Professionals Kenya and Managing Director Global Packaging Technologies Ltd. He also consults organizations on operations and strategy. He sits at KEBS on Packaging Standards committee. He has travelled all over the world in pursuit of the best packaging benchmark for Africa.
KEIRAN SMITH
MR. GREEN AFRICA
Keiran is of Swiss-African American origin and has studied business administration at HWZ University of Applied Science Zurich. An energetic, engaging and entrepreneurial individual. Having a well connected and broad social network, he interacts easily with people from all social and economic backgrounds with varied interests. He co-founded Mr. Green Switzerland - a recycling company which offers a pick-up service for households’ and small businesses’ recyclable waste. His hands-on approach, his learnings from founding a disruptive start-up company as well as his financial services experience from Bank of America - Merrill Lynch has equipped him with the skills to drive and focus on the relevant steps in scaling up Mr. Green Africa.
