Keynote Speakers

Frank Ackerman

Director, Research and Policy Program, Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University, USA

Dr. Frank Ackerman is an economist at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University in Boston (USA). His extensive research and writing have focused on the economics of waste, energy, and other environmental problems and his recent book, Priceless: On Knowing the Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing jointly authored with Lisa Heinzerling, is a critique of cost-benefit analysis of environmental policy, particularly as practiced by the Bush administration. He has conducted studies of European environmental policies for the European Parliament, the Swedish government, and Greenpeace France, and has worked with numerous environmental organisations in the US.

Clem Sunter

Anglo American, South Africa

Clem Sunter is South Africa’s leading organisational strategist, scenario planner and executive board member of Anglo American. He has authored several bestselling books including his recent works The Mind of a Fox - Scenario Planning In Action and Games Foxes Play - Planning for Extraordinary Times providing an entertaining analysis of the mind of a fox. He identifies two questions you should ask yourself before committing yourself to action: What do you, and what do you not control? Clem has constructed an ingenious matrix around these questions designed to give you the edge: The Mind of a Fox!

During Clem’s keynote address you will be guided through this matrix and his methodology designed to assist organisations and sectors in having effective strategic conversations about their future, especially where this involves potential crisis.

Clem recently ran an exercise for the largest bird producer in the United Kingdom focusing on identifying the key aspects of potential crisis that may affect this industry sector making Clem an ideal speaker to address the issues we face at this point in time.

Michael Paparian

Consultant, California, USA

Mr. Paparian served as a member on the California Integrated Waste Management Board and a special consultant to the Californian EPA.

Michael was a driver of California’s E-waste legislation, public participation and “greening” state government.

Many local governments are adopting zero waste as a goal. The California Integrated Waste Management Board was the first state level regulatory agency in the U.S. to embrace zero waste. Why did they do this? Does the debate distract from more important goals or does it inspire new creative solutions to waste management? How much waste is California reducing already and how can it possibly reduce much more?

Darryl Young

Executive Director, Public Relations Division,
Riester~Robb, California, USA

As a US leader in recycling, Darryl’s keynote address “In the bin, outside the box” will focus on the greatest challenges and the most promising initiatives to sustaining and increasing participation and economic value in resource recovery and waste management.

During his notable career, Darryl served as the Director of the California Department of Conservation, where he led over 700 people with a budget of nearly $1 billion and was responsible for promotion and support of the nation’s largest beverage container recycling system, ensuring environmentally safe mining, timber, oil and gas activities, the protection and categorization of farmland and open space, and protection of Californians from earthquakes and landslides and is therefore no stranger to dealing with crisis.

Riester~Robb’s clients include the California Department of Conservation, the Arizona Department of Environmental Protection, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and Global Green USA.

Helen Spiegelman is co-founder and President of Product Policy Institute, a North American non-profit research and communication organisation. From 1990 to 1997, Helen was Director of Communications for the Recycling Council of British Columbia (RCBC) in Vancouver. In that role she played a critical part in building public support for producer responsibility laws in British Columbia - laws that are currently the most advanced and comprehensive in North America. She currently serves on the RCBC Executive.

Bill Sheehan is co-founder and Director of the Product Policy Institute, a North American nonpartisan nonprofit research and communication organisation based in Athens, Georgia USA. From 1995 to 2003, Bill
co-founded and led the GrassRoots Recycling Network. During that time he helped launch a global movement for Zero Waste and worked to focus the recycling movement on extending producer responsibility for waste as a prerequisite for zero waste, with successful consumer campaigns targeting Coca-Cola and Dell.

Bill received his Ph.D. in insect ecology from Cornell University and held a post-doctoral appointment at the University of California at Berkeley before working for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Georgia and as director of biology for an environmental engineering firm.

Sego Jackson is a Principal Planner with Snohomish County and is a dynamic local government leader in Washington State. He has represented the interests of local governments on the Northwest Product Stewardship Council, championing the “National Electronic Product Stewardship Program Initiative”.

He has also been instrumental in developing local, state and national policies, pilots and programs related to product stewardship for electronic products and EPR for pharmaceuticals.