Robert van de Kerkhof
CEO, ReHubs

Robert van de Kerkhof is the founder of PEPPER-i2, a Swiss-based impact advisory firm. Drawing upon over 25 years experience in the fiber industry, Robert is a recognised leader in sustainability, circularity, investments and decarbonization. Robert currently serves as interim CEO of ReHubs, President of the Austrian Fiber Institute, and Board Member at Global Fashion Agenda. With a B.Sc. in Aeronautical Engineering and an MBA in International Management, Robert brings a strong technical and strategic foundation to his work. He has held senior leadership roles at TenCate, DuPont, and INVISTA, with broad career experience spanning sales, marketing, R&D, quality, supply chain, and branding.

Gianluca Pandolfo
EU Head of Business Development, Reju

Gianluca Pandolfo is Head of Business EMEA at Reju, where he is responsible for building strategic partnerships and accelerating the adoption of textile-to-textile recycling solutions across Europe. With a background in leading international outdoor and lifestyle businesses, he brings deep expertise in go-to-market strategy and sustainable business models.

Peter Majeranowski
CEO, Circ

Peter Majeranowski is the Co-Founder and CEO of Circ, a certified B Corp revolutionizing the fashion industry's environmental impact through breakthrough recycling technology for blended textiles. Under his leadership, Circ has raised over $100M in funding, formed partnerships with global retail leaders, and driven Circ to be named an Earthshot Prize Finalist, a Fast Company Most Innovative Company, a TIME GreenTech Company, a BloombergNEF Pioneer, and most recently, Inc.’s Best in Business. Pete was also recognized on the 2022 Vogue Business 100 Innovators list.

Prior to founding Circ, he worked in finance for an investment group focused on early-stage ventures across Eastern Europe, where he held C-suite roles in multiple portfolio companies. A former U.S. naval officer, Pete served for six years with deployments to Iraq and the Middle East. He holds a BS in Applied Economics from Cornell University and an MBA from Duke University.

Jessica Franken
Vice President, Government & External Affairs, SMART

Jessica Franken is SMART’s vice president of government and external affairs, advocating for the global reuse and recycled textile industry on issues spanning sustainability, circularity and trade. With 25 years of government relations experience, she has worked extensively across the textile ecosystem, including long relationships with both the recycled textile and nonwoven segments and additional clients in healthcare packaging, pharmaceutical printing and emerging technology.

At SMART, Jessica shapes policy on textile circularity, reuse and recycling infrastructure, EPR and international environmental frameworks. She has secured successful policy outcomes and compromises on virtually every issue she has worked on, reflecting a strong track record of results.

Jessica represents the industry before Congress, state legislatures, federal agencies and international bodies. A frequent conference speaker and media resource, she has authored more than 150 policy articles and numerous formal submissions. She also serves as president of The Franken Group, LLC, a government affairs and strategic advocacy firm.

Bianca Mannini
Trade & Environment Policy Officer, Bureau of International Recycling (BIR)

Bianca Mannini is Trade & Environment Policy Officer at the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), the global federation of the recycling industry. She represents the industry in key international forums, contributing to policy frameworks related to the trade, reuse, and recycling of textiles. Prior to joining BIR, she worked with international organizations, NGOs, and industry stakeholders on plastic pollution, circular economy approaches, and policy advocacy. Bianca holds an MSc in Environment and Resource Management from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and an MA in International Relations from Leiden University.

Alan Wheeler
CEO, Textile Recycling Association

Alan Wheeler is Chief Executive of the Textile Recycling Association (UK), representing collectors, sorters and recyclers across the global textile reuse and recycling value chain. He works closely with the UK Government, Parliament and European institutions on circular economy policy, trade rules and Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles. His work has regularly taken him into the corridors of power, including meetings with ministers in Westminster and Brussels. He has even stepped inside 10 Downing Street, where he met the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

Alan also serves on the board of Recycling Europe’s Textiles Division and is active within the Bureau of International Recycling, promoting practical, market-based solutions for textile reuse and recycling worldwide.

Ekaterina Stoyanova
Senior Policy Advisor, Recycling Europe

Ekaterina is Senior Policy Advisor at Recycling Europe and is primarily responsible for the Textiles Branch. She brings substantial expertise in EU law and policymaking, specializing in sustainability and product policies, customs, and international trade.

Since obtaining her university degrees in European Law from Maastricht (2015) and Amsterdam (2017), Ekaterina has been working in EU affairs in Brussels.