Lisa Rawlinson has 41 years of experience in the recycled organic industry. With a background in agricultural science, she specializes in sustainable recycling practices, including food waste land application, biosolids management and compost processing. In 1994, Lisa founded LVRA, offering consulting and contracting services to councils, the EPA, and water authorities. In 2012, she established Loop Organics, focusing on processing and recycling organic waste.

Lisa applies her comprehensive expertise and extensive networks to build collaborations and provide sustainable solutions to food and beverage manufacturers, councils, water authorities and other waste management providers.

Leading the EPA since August 2022, Tony is a senior executive with extensive experience across the public and private sector, specialising in sustainability, corporate affairs, risk and governance, regulatory strategy, and policy.

His comprehensive experience as a senior leader in highly regulated industries means Tony brings a unique perspective on licensee obligations and the impact industry actions can have on NSW communities.

He is a dedicated advocate for the environment and committed to the task of supporting all stakeholders in their transition to a net-zero economy. Tony has played a critical role in the delivery of the EPA’S Climate Change Policy and Action Plan and is committed to working collaboratively with each sector to reduce emissions while also driving new opportunities.

Tony has a Masters in Environmental Change and Management from University of Oxford and a Masters in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London.

Matt has over 20 years of general management experience in the not-for-profit, government, and private sectors in the UK and Australia. He has always gravitated toward people-related roles and issues and so, with this experience and purpose of helping people, established his own HR consulting business – Heart HR.

Matt also provides his experience and support to several local organisations including President of the Newcastle Business Club, Chair of Go circular and volunteer for Keep Australia Beautiful and the Annual Ride for Sick Kids to support Ronald McDonald House – which fits in well with his passion for cycling!

Matt is also a seasoned Master of Ceremonies (MC) with a proven track record of hosting and leading a wide range of non-profit and corporate events.

In addition, Matt is a Justice of the Peace (NSW) and professional member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Environmental Management (Cranfield, UK), a Master of Business Administration (University of Newcastle) and Executive Leadership qualifications from the University of Oxford.

Bronte is passionate about creating high quality end products to bring about the shift to the circular economy. She has worked in the recycling industry contributing to soft plastic remanufacturing, the NSW container deposit scheme and at Steinert delivering magnetic and sensor sorting technologies. Her work with Steinert has gained her access to top end international recycling facilities and insight to how these could be implemented in Australia.

Claire Andersen is Acting Executive Director, Office of Circular Economy, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. She has more than 20 years’ experience in a range of policy, operational and regulatory roles across Queensland Government.  She had led major reforms across fisheries, forestry, Great Barrier Reef policy and environmental regulation. 

With over fifteen years of experience in sales and operations across multiple industries and sectors, Davud is a challenge-oriented and customer-focused Sales Manager at Gaia EnviroTech, a market leader in FOGO waste services. David has degree qualifications in Engineering, Information Technology, and Management/Leadership, which enables him to think outside the box and make the best decisions for the client and the business.

Carina Arita brings nearly 20 years of experience in solid waste management, resource recovery, and the plastic recycling and circular economy sectors. She previously led TOMRA’s Sorting Solution development in Brazil, a role she earned through her extensive expertise, before transitioning to Australia. Carina holds a degree in Civil Engineering, a master’s in business administration, and an executive extension in Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies from the University of Cambridge.

Elfi is currently employed by the City of Newcastle Council in the capacity of Executive Manager – Operations. She is responsible for the operation of the Summerhill Waste Management Centre which is the largest public waste facility in NSW.

Emily Bryson is an environmental scientist and lecturer at Central Queensland University and recently completed her PhD focusing on home composting dog faeces for use in edible gardens. Her research investigates the physical, chemical and biological aspects of the composting process and compost quality and the performance of compostable plastics in applied composting environments. Emily has expertise in sustainable waste management, environmental and ecosystem health, and evidence-based science communication.

Melbourne’s Bicycle Network gave Ian the opportunity to work with a passionate group of people changing behaviours towards active travel and bicycle commuting. Moving to the City of Melbourne, Ian ran several programs including the High-Rise Recycling Program, working closely with building managers, residents and communities to improve resource recovery and minimise waste. Moving to Sustainability Victoria has allowed Ian to use these skills on a larger scale, working in the Organics team with a focus on end markets.

Dr. Brook Clinton completed her PhD in biodegradation in 2006, followed by research work in bioremediation and microbial ecology. More recently, Brook ran Capital Scraps Composting in Canberra, a community-facing composting operation with an emphasis on food waste and awareness raising. Dr. Clinton also has experience working in government and not for profit agencies and providing strategic work related to community engagement and behaviour change. Dr. Clinton currently works in local Government at the Canberra Region Joint Organisation.

Don is a qualified horticulturist with over 25 years’ experience in the industry. He is also a qualified vocational trainer, frontline and small business manager. Don worked previously with NSW DPI Soils team as Technical Assistant on Biochar field trials. Don owns and operates Byron Biochar now in its eighth year, as a reseller of quality Australian made biochar and wood vinegar, deliver workshops and consult to fast track your biochar business or project. In his previous role, Don was the First Public Officer & President for Australia New Zealand Biochar Initiative (ANZBI) from 2017-2020 and helped found, owned and operated the Australia New Zealand Biochar Conference from 2017-2020 now owned by ANZBIG. Don is a long-term climate activist and has a keen interest in off grid living and localisation of food and fibre production.

Andrew has a background in broadacre agriculture and has worked in various agronomy roles in the cotton, sugarcane and soybean industries in Australia and southeast Asia.  For the past six years, Andrew has worked for Sustainability Victoria in roles that grow and enhance the organics industry.  Andrew has special interests in soil science and integrating organics into farming systems.  Andrew enjoys working with dynamic innovative businesspeople. 

Björn has been working as a Sales Engineer and then Technical Sales & Project Engineer with Westeria for 16 years. He has expert knowledge on Westeria Windsifting technologies with European organics market knowledge. Having worked previously in operations the Australian recycling industry and now as a European machinery supplier, he brings a unique rounded experience of organics processing.

Brian is the Global Business Director at W. L. Gore & Associates for GORE® Cover technology and has been serving the environmental field for over 30 years. Brian’s experience includes project management, contracting, regulatory affairs and field testing, including pilot studies and full-scale facility operations. Before joining Gore, Brian spent his time as a chemical application specialist in the drinking water and wastewater treatment industry. Brian did his undergraduate study at the New York Institute of Technology and received an MBA from the University of Delaware.

With over a decade of global experience in the design and delivery of waste management facilities. His expertise spans previous leadership roles at CEA and WTT, where he successfully managed large-scale projects across Australia and Europe. Sean innovative solutions ultimately drive outcomes that align with clients’ visions. He is also a frequent speaker at key industry events, such as AORA and the Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo, where he addresses critical issues in organic waste management and sustainability

Sandy Gray is a globally recognised inventor and innovator.  He is a recipient of the prestigious Clunies Ross Award, Australia’s pre-eminent award for scientists, technologists and innovators, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Victorian Premier’s Design Award.

Having pursued 30 years in the development of technology for a successful mining technology company, Gekko Systems, Sandy developed and commercialised bioenergy, composting and waste management systems. Sandy also has a passion for regenerative farming and cost-effective materials handling systems.

Jaclyn Geddes, CEO of enrich360, brings a wealth of experience from her career in the supply chain industry, particularly in fruit and veg distribution. Her professional journey, combined with the personal perspective of raising a family has deepened her drive to create meaningful environmental change. Jaclyn is dedicated to reducing food waste and advancing the circular economy through innovative technology and education, empowering communities to take actionable steps toward a more sustainable future.

Bill Grant is an agricultural and environmental scientist who after an early career in field agronomy research and extension, strayed into the field of organics resource recovery and composting in the early-1990s. Over 30 years Bill worked mostly on the ‘waste’ side of the ledger, with occasional forays into field research with compost.  Since joining Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre in 2022, Bill has returned to his agronomic R&D roots focusing on soil health and the role of compost and other amendments in improving farm sustainability and productivity. His wife and kids say he’s now as happy as pig in ….compost.

Working in the Bega Valley on the far south coast of NSW, Alan is part of a dynamic team leading the way in best practice waste management in a Regional Council setting. Alan is passionate about getting positive outcomes for Local Government, with a 15-year career in the industry ranging from environmental compliance, health, building, planning and waste management.

Led by the Council’s newly adopted waste strategy, Alan and his team strive to continue providing high quality waste management services for the community, such as construction of a new $11m organics processing facility.

Callum Hickey has over a decade of experience in creating and growing organisations through embracing physical science innovations and strategic product management. A process engineer by training, he has co-invented and commercialised techniques for value-adding from organic waste. Callum specialises in helping organisations scale early-stage research into commercial opportunities. Serving as the Innovation Manager at Urban Utilities, a water distribution and wastewater treatment company, he is actively involved in food waste and biosolids management.

Currently employed by Soilco as General Manager – Commercial, Simon Humphris is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the compost industry. He currently holds the position of Victorian Committee Chair as well as being a Board Member of the Australian Organic Recycling Association (AORA).

With a deep passion for composting, Simon has collaborated with a diverse range of composters across Australia, giving him valuable insights into the industry’s future.

Simon’s dedication to the industry has been recognised with the “Outstanding Contribution to Compost Marketing AORA award 2016”.

For over 25 years, Angus has specialised in organic waste recovery for composting and energy generation. His passion is diverting waste from landfill and promoting a circular economy for organics. Angus’s experience includes private sector consulting, government planning and policy development and project delivery, and work with not-for-profit organisations. In 2018 Angus founded BioCarbon Soil to improve recycled organic products and develop markets for their beneficial use. In addition to leading Biocarbon Soil, Angus works also with Jackson Environment Planning where he focusses on planning, designing, and licensing organic recycling facilities.

Angus was Principal Consultant with pitt&sherry where he led a team delivering waste and resource recovery solutions in NSW and Victoria. He also spent two years helping the NSW EPA establish resource recovery grant programs and evaluate proposals. This built on six years as National Projects Manager for Compost Australia, now the Australian Organics Recycling Association, where he remains an active member and volunteer, including serving on the Board.  Angus grew up on a farm in regional NSW and then went on to obtain a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) and a Master of Environmental Management (University of NSW). 

Michelle Jones is acting Manager of the Circular Economy & Waste Branch of the South Australian Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

Michelle has worked at the EPA for 16 years, with an extensive background in circular economy and waste management policy and legislation.

She is currently responsible for overseeing the EPA’s circular economy and waste management functions, including circular economy policy and reform, industry regulation, waste levy auditing, container deposits and single-use plastics bans.

Sali Khair Biek is a second-year PhD student at RMIT University studying the topic of biotransformation of organic waste. Sali is working on the fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in commercial composting and exploring potential remediation strategies. With a background in environmental science, Sali’s master’s research focused on assessing the impact of the immobilisation approach on the bioavailability of PFAS to plants in contaminated Australian soils.

Jodie has over 20 years’ experience working in the waste and environment space across the public and private sectors. Her areas of expertise include food organics collection and processing, waste auditing, and waste and sustainability education. She joined the City of Sydney in 2018 following more than 7 years in waste management consulting.

Jodie is currently coordinating the City’s residential food scraps recycling service and insect farming processing trial. Her role includes procurement and contract management, community engagement, coordination of collection service operations, and business case development.

As the Sustainability and Operations Coordinator at Enrich360, Alizee oversees logistics, sustainability initiatives, and customer relations. With a background in sustainable enterprise, Alizee is dedicated to creating meaningful change through her role at enrich360. Her mission is to enhance accessibility and education around sustainable solutions in the food waste sector, ensuring environmental benefit while empowering communities to adopt more responsible practices.

Aurel Lübke, CEO of Compost Systems – based in Wels, Upper Austria, is already working in the field of waste management, especially composting, for more than 30 years. After his studies in Mechanical Engineering, Aurel Lübke started the first business in 1989 in the composting industry. 2002 Aurel Lübke established “Compost Systems GmbH” consulting engineers, specialized in the field of waste management, the company designed over 200 biological treatment facilities for clients around the world in various fields including municipal, industrial and agricultural organic waste streams.

Kali Martin is the General Manager of Organic Recycling at Pure Environmental and Vice Chair of the Australian Organics Recycling Association.

Kali holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from The University of Queensland and spent over a decade in environmental and technical roles before transitioning into the organics industry. Her passion for composting and soil health has driven her to pursue a deep understanding of the composting process.

Kali developed and manges Pure’s compost facility in Queensland, where she works with the regional farming community to cultivate a market for high-quality compost. A strong advocate for the sector, Kali is committed to demonstrating the environmental and commercial value of organic recycling, strengthening industry collaboration, and driving sustainable growth through innovation and advocacy.

As the Coordinator of Campaigns and Projects in the Inner West Resource Recovery Planning team, Rachel brings with her 11 years’ waste and resource recovery industry experience.

Nine of those years were spent in the private sector working alongside early FOGO adopters since 2013, such as Orange City, Bathurst Regional, Forbes Shire and Parkes Shire Councils.

Rachel is passionate about empowering the community to take achievable, meaningful action to reduce waste, with FOGO presenting a new, easy opportunity.

Cate champions the idea that Courage is better than Hope, rallies around the hashtag #WeAreNature, and leads with the mantra: Change the Story – Change the World.  She is a principled and ethical entrepreneurial professional with a Bachelor of Education from Deakin University.  Her impact has been widely recognised: in 2023, her company, mememe productions, was named the AAEE Environmental Education Business of the Year. In 2024, she earned accolades as Northern Rivers Business Leader of the Year, alongside awards for Business of the Year, Sustainable Business, and more. Oh, and there’s also an Emmy on her shelf.

Emma has more than 13 years’ professional experience in the environment sector, spanning both government and private industry. A qualified environmental scientist with significant industry experience in waste, resource recovery and contaminated land assessment, Emma recently worked for VIC state regulators’ EPA Victoria and Recycling Victoria and brings in depth understanding of Victoria’s regulatory and policy settings. In her 6 years with EPA Victoria Emma led a program of research on organic waste regulation and strongly advocated for prioritisation of digestate under EPA’s Reducing Regulatory Barriers Program. Emma joined LMS in 2023 and, working collaboratively across LMS’s Policy and Circular Economy teams, her current focus is on bringing LMS’s patent-pending dry anaerobic technology to Victoria.

Philip Parekalam is the Founder & Managing Director of NALG, a company specialising in organic resource recovery and intensive horticulture. His achievements in the last 25 years include odour-free composting sites, production halls for horticulture crops, mushroom cultivation techniques, and launching software products that optimise the operations and management of those facilities with minimal odour footprint.  (55 of 80 words) Co-Presenter Biography (Marc) Dr Marc Stammbach designed, marketed, and built recycling and processing facilities for over 30 years in Australia’s and Europe’s environmental and large-scale investment industries. Today, he manages the local subsidiary of KVI to deliver Waste-to-Energy and Renewable Gas solutions to the Oceania market.

With studies in Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, Eric gained extensive experience through installations in Asia, Africa, Europe and America, eventually migrating permanently to Australia in 2003.  After 14 years supplying European recycling and resource recovery technologies into Australia, he founded CEMAC Technologies in 2017.  CEMAC technologies has fast been established to be a key supplier of world leading recycling equipment solutions to the Australian and New Zealand industries.

Martine Poulain was appointed as CEO of the Australasian Bioplastics Association in October 2024. At a time of unparalleled inquiry and interest in the role of bioplastics in the Circular Economy, both domestically and abroad, Martine brings to the industry over 20 years Association experience from other related sectors managing peak industry bodies. As the primary verification and certification body for the bioplastics industry in ANZ, the Association focus on the appropriate use of certified compostable, certified soil biodegradable mulch films and certified biobased materials for this market.

Jason has commercialised innovative ideas and led them to success stories over the last three decades.  He was and is one of the key developers of the Waste to Energy sector in Australia. Jason secured the environmental permit for the East Rockingham WtE project as an Australian first. He helped secure its financial close at the end of 2019 and then progressed into the CEO role. Today, Jason is working for Kanadevia Inova as Senior Country Sales Director for Australia.

Rod is an experienced leader with an engineering background who has transitioned into management and strategic roles over the course of my career. With expertise spanning heavy industry to aerospace, Rod has a deep understanding of complex systems and commercial operations. In recent years, he has shifted focus to sustainability, particularly in composting and transforming waste into valuable resources. Rod’s passion for innovative solutions and resource efficiency drives his work in creating a more sustainable future.

Rowan joined BASF in 2005 as Business Director for their plastics portfolio. In 2012 Rowan commenced a new role as Director, Global Advocacy and Sustainability, Biopolymers Asia Pacific. Developing solutions in communities across the region in source segregation of food waste, developing new formats for compostable packaging, and commercialising the use of soil biodegradable mulch film for horticulture and broadacre cropping.

Rowan has more gained more than 40 years of practical management experience in Asia Pacific in the agricultural, packaging, plastics, mining and general manufacturing industries, in roles spanning Marketing, Sales and Operations with local and multinational corporations and has extensive Board experience in various roles.

Rowan is the current President of the Australasian Bioplastics Association, the peak industry body for the Bioplastics industry across ANZ and with global affiliations in Europe, the US and Asia and has performed this voluntary role since 2010.