Speakers

Sirpa Pietikäinen is a Finnish member of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European parliament. Ms. Pietikäinen is former Finnish Minister of Environment (1991-1995). Her career at the Finnish parliament is extensive, ranging from the year 1983 to 2003.

She first came to the European parliament in 2008, where she is currently a Member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and of the Intergroup on the Green New Deal. She is also Vice-Chair of the Intergroup on Welfare and Conservation of Animals and a Substitute member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

She was shadow-rapporteur for the opinion on liability of companies for environmental damage.

Born in 1978 in Drobeta Turnu Severin, Romania, Cristian Busoi has a PhD in Public Health and Health Management. He graduated in medicine at the “Carol Davila” University in Bucharest, in law at the Titu Maiorescu University in Bucharest, and in diplomacy at the Romanian Diplomatic Institute in Bucharest. His political career started in 1996 when, as a young student, he became a member of the National Liberal Party. Eight years later, he entered the Romanian Parliament as Member of the Committee for Health and Family and in 2013 became President of the National Health Insurance.

He joined the European Parliament in 2007 and he is currently the Chair of Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and a Substitute Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

He was co-rapporteur of the Resolution on a strategic approach to pharmaceuticals in the environment.

Patrick Kestemont is a Full Professor at the University of Namur, President of the Research Institute of Life, Earth & Environment and Director of the Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. Patrick Kestemont completed his graduate studies in Biology at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain) and his PhD thesis at the University of Namur, in the field of fish physiology. He performed a first post- doctoral research at the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris and a second one at the University Claude Bernard in Lyon (France). Prof. Kestemont has gained an extensive expertise in the field of aquatic ecotoxicology and ecophysiology and has received research funding from BELSPO, FNRS and Public Service of Wallonia in Belgium, from the European Commission (EC-FP4, FP5, FP6, FP7 and H2020, INTERREG, FEAMP and EC-Life), from private foundations and industry. He is a well- respected author of more than 295 peer-review papers, 18 book chapters and 10 books related to aquatic ecology, comparative physiology, ecotoxicology and aquaculture. Dr. Kestemont is a member of several societies involved in Toxicology and Ecotoxicology (BELTOX, SETAC), and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Fish Physiology & Biochemistry (Springer Publisher) since 2007 and Associate Editor in Exploration of Immunology.

Hans Stielstra works for the European Commission since 1998. He worked in various positions but always in the environment, both on European and international issues.

Currently he is deputy head of unit sustainable freshwater management and as such responsible for the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive, the Reuse Regulation and other instruments for freshwater management in Europe.

Brigitte Simon-Hettich studied food chemistry and environmental toxicology at the University of Kaiserslautern. She holds a PhD in pharmaceutical and environmental biotechnology and is a board certified toxicologist. She started her work career as a toxicologist and ecotoxicologist at the Fraunhofer-Institute for Toxicology and Environmental Medicine in Hannover, Germany. In 1996, she joined Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, as a toxicologist and ecotoxicologist. Since then, she’s been responsible for a wide range of different areas:

• the toxicological and ecotoxicological testing of industrial chemicals for product development as well as for global registrations

• the establishment of computational prediction models

• derivation of health based-exposure limits for workers and patients

• environmental risk assessments for pharmaceuticals.

She has held a various positions including head of GLP quality assurance.

In her current role as Head of early Chemical and Preclinical Safety, she is responsible for the preclinical safety of Merck’s drug discovery portfolio as well as for the safety of Merck’s industrial chemicals. This includes the environmental safety of all Merck products and the support of Merck’s sustainability strategy in this regard.

Oliver Loebel has been secretary general of EurEau, the European water services federation since 2016. The federation and its 35 national member organisations work at all levels to protect our water resources for today and for future generations.

Prior to this, Oliver spent eight years as managing director with PU Europe. Before this, he worked as director for sector policy at the European SME association UEAPME and represented the building services industry at European level through CEETB. Between 1994 and 1997, Oliver worked with the European Commission, developing support measures for Europe’s small businesses.

Oliver received his university degree in Economics at the Berlin School of Economics (Germany) and an MBA in International Business at École des Ponts et Chaussées (Paris, France).

Mr Fontaine has over 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry at global and local level, in manufacturing, supply chain, medical and commercial launch readiness, new product planning, business development and corporate affairs. During his career he worked at Pfizer, Lundbeck and UCB where he led multidisciplinary teams in multicultural environments. In 2013, Jean-Manuel joined Mithra Pharmaceuticals to lead commercial and external affairs.

Jean-Manuel holds a Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Catholic University of Louvain and an MBA from Cornell University.

Tineke Van hooland is founder and CEO of epic 10, a boutique consulting firm in External Affairs in Life sciences. Through her dynamic and no-nonsense approach, she provides sustainable solutions to advance the new health paradigm shift.

Prior to founding epic 10, Tineke has held several leadership positions in biopharmaceutical companies after she graduated with High Distinction as Industrial Pharmacist from Ghent University. Tineke also serves as Deputy Secretary-General of bio.be/essenscia, the Belgian federation representing the biotech and life sciences industry in Belgium. As Tineke challenges the status quo, she is often consulted as board member and keynote speaker.

Tineke is a female leadership advocate and has authored a number of opinion pieces on sustainable health policy and empowering girls and women. Her motto: "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" (Emerson).