DEPOLY - Key Persons
Adélie has a Master's Degree in Chemical engineering from EPFL.
She has experience in diverse topics such as organic photocatalysis, lithium-ion batteries manufacturing, and immunoassays. After working for three years in the medical devices industry, she joined DePoly as a process-oriented chemical engineer.
Interesting fact - Never tell her she has too many bikes!
Project Manager with extensive experience in roles of responsibility, leading complexes and multidisciplinary projects and with a strong capacity of coordination, design and problem solving. Twenty years of experience in an industrial environment, with a solid practice in management, operations, system and product development, commissioning and in field activities. Daniel is a Mechanical Engineer by training, specialized in materials, design and industrial management at Portugal and Switzerland, with a background as Technical Aircraft Specialist on the Portuguese Air Force, and with a PMP certification from the Project Management Institute. Fluent in French, English and Portuguese.
Interesting fact - he has the knowledge!
David was CFO and Managing Director of Thermondo, Germany's largest B2C heat service company, which has digitized the private heat sector. Before Thermondo, he has been part of building smava.de (http://smava.de/), Germany's leading online loan marketplace, as Managing Director and CFO/COO. David is an entrepreneur and executive with management background in strategy, finance, venture capital, and business intelligence. Before Smava, he worked in Venture Capital. He co-founded the German startup association and is an active Angel Investor.
Bardiya has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from EPFL with 10 years of experience in material and process design, development and scale up both in industry and academia. With experience in various sectors of chemical industry such oil & gas, food, and water treatment, Bardiya is leading the development and scale-up of DePoly recycling technology.
Materials Chemist with nearly 20 years of industrial and research experience in quality control, photochemistry, catalysis and synthesis, and in applications such as carbon capture, water splitting and the chemical recycling of plastic. Has a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from University of Liverpool, Post Doc and Start-Up experience at the University of Cambridge and EPFL. Interesting fact - Chris is a typical Brit: 8 tea cups / day Chris is a typical Brit, drinking 8 cups of tea a day, has been passionate about science all his life, and is striving to bring innovative science solutions to the worlds environmental problems. Outside work he enjoys touring the galaxy in Elite Dangerous, and playing piano and guitar.
Job Titles:
- Head of Quality Assurance
Hale has a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from EPFL. She has nearly 10 years of research experience in nanotechnology, synthesis, characterization, and quality control, and in different applications such as selective cell targeting and hydrogen generation.
Interesting fact - She is a taekwondo pro!
Job Titles:
- Head of Research and Development
Pelin has over 5 years of experience in material science and catalysis. She is enthusiastic about developing sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches to the recycling of different kinds of plastics.
Pelin is fluent in Turkish and English, currently learning French!
"My interest in science started during my childhood with the realization that it gives me the answers for most of my questions: Where are these clouds coming from? Why do we sometimes need to use antibiotics? How does a lighter work? As time passed, my interest began to focus more on chemistry-related subjects and my story continued with me getting a chemical engineering degree - but it didn't end there. I wanted to proceed further to satisfy my curiosity, then I did a PhD in chemistry. My scientific journey intersected with DePoly, and I wanted to continue doing what I've been doing since my childhood, this time in the world of plastics. Here I am, doing research for plastics every day, and the answers I get give me as much excitement as the day I learn about the formation of clouds."
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Co - Founder
- CEO - Cofounder
Sam is an organic and material chemist by training with over 10 years of experience and a Ph.D. from EPFL. Over the course of her career she has had experience in business development, patenting, and scaling chemical processes. As the CEO, she has successfully raised over 3M USD in international awards and grant money for the company. Sam is an English native speaker with a working knowledge of French. She is driven, curious, and resourceful. Interesting fact - she is a great runner! frequently running in the lausanne marathon Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, cooking, skiing, hiking, and running, frequently running in the Lausanne Marathon. To recharge, she loves spending time with family, friends, and her dog Luna.
"I was always into science as a kid, I loved to do experiments with things in the kitchen like baking soda and vinegar. As I went through school, science was always my favourite subject as I liked learning how and why things worked. So naturally as I progressed into university I decided to do a Ph.D in chemistry. We founded DePoly to tackle the worlds plastic problem using simple and sustainable chemistry. Solutions like ours need to happen now so that we can minimize the impact that we as humans have and have already had on the climate, environment and ecosystems."
Sanaz has a research background in heterogeneous catalysis for energy and environmental applications. She received her PhD in Physical Chemistry from the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS). During her degree, she had an internship at the Laboratory of Materials for Renewable Energy (LMER), EPFL University.
Sanaz's multidisciplinary skills are in the areas of material synthesis, characterization, and their application in photochemical, electrochemical, and thermochemical reactors. Previous to joining DePoly, she was a research assistant in Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Surrey, UK.
Interesting fact - Sanaz is a full-time scientist
She really enjoys taking part in conferences and seminars
Eric is an accomplished business builder & leader with 20 years of international experience across industries.
For the past 10 years he has worked within the digital & tech leaders of this world - Google & Salesforce. He has built digital & marketing strategies for companies of all sizes, transforming marketing and automating it to be fit for the future. He has built high performance & diverse teams, overachieving targets on a yearly basis and generating hyper growth in challenging and dynamic environments.
Throughout her career, Joanna has led various teams and spearheaded critical projects, including brand and product launches, rebranding efforts, and comprehensive go-to-market strategies.
She is a professional with a diverse background and a passion for technology and innovation. With an academic background in physics, Joanna has successfully transitioned within DePoly from marketing expert to the role of Head of IT.
Interesting fact - she never believed that...
Joey has always had a keen interest in the field of chemistry, thanks to his father's career in the field. After working for several years in the construction industry as a tinsmith and roofer, he chose to follow in his father's footsteps and continue his career in the chemical industry as an operator. Following his experience in a chemical production plant, he joined Depoly as a pilot plant operator.
Interesting fact - Joey is absolutely crazy about his dog!
He spends a lot of time with Aska, even paddling with her!
Job Titles:
- Head of Marketing, Communication & PR
Former double Swiss Champion in single-seater racing cars, Michael embarked on an exciting career shift into Marketing in 2012. With over a decade of marketing experience, Michael has demonstrated his expertise in global marketing operations, holding roles such as Marketing Operations Manager and Digital Marketing Manager in the health and biotech sector. Prior to this, he honed his skills in the biodegradable coffee capsules industry, initially leading the global customer service department and then transitioning to Product Marketing. This unique journey has prepared him for a thriving career in Marketing.
Interesting fact - Michael was able to...
Miguel has built up his expertise in operations during 23 years of work for a major chemical industry player. He worked in various industries and business units including agrochemicals, coatings, flavours and fragrances, where he developed and led global and regional operations. In the last four years, he has deepened his understanding of Project Execution as Head of a European Business Unit at a leading systems and components supplier in Switzerland. He earned his Process Engineering degree at the Technical University of Munich.
He is fluent in Spanish, German, and English while working on his French.
Interesting fact - He loves playing golf.
He even met his wife doing that!
In his free time, he likes to travel with his family, hike, play golf and drive his XV 950 Motorbike. Cooking and reading are also part of his favorite occupations.
Besides work, Mohamed loves beers, music concerts and is a crazy fan of Friends. If you want a laughter, he's the guy to go to!
Job Titles:
- Administration Director
- Finance
Administrative, Accounting and HR Specialist 20 years of experience with small to medium businesses in Europe and Switzerland. Involved in 3 start-ups launches since 2018, in sustainability and health fields, as support for the incorporation and the set-up of the global administrative function. Fluent in French (mother tongue) and good knowledge in English (can always be improved!). Interesting fact - main ambition: to write a book before getting 60 years old! Priority in life and work: have a sustainable behavior, empathic, good listener, open to new knowledges in all fields. Outside work, like to read contemporary US and French authors, practice yoga, spend time with family at home or in the mountains, main ambition: to write a book before getting 60 years old!
An Innovation Leader with a solid track record spanning three decades of commercialised products, Philip built and led ventures, assets and teams and pioneered long term market development in a multinational materials company. After recycling his first nylon resin in 1990, his career included significant roles in polymer recycle. Philip has a masters degree in chemistry from Oxford University and a PhD from what is today Université de Paris-Saclay. He has given invited lectures in the field of sustainability at the Ecoles Polytechniques of Lausanne and Paris.
Quentin has experience in the field of agrochemical and pharmaceutical production and operations. With a solid background in managing chemical plants, he joined DePoly as a Pilot Plant Operator.
Job Titles:
- Quality Control Technician
- Technician
Roane is a laboratory chemical technician with 18 years of experience. She has worked in the quality control laboratory and as production support in the cosmetics industry, especially within the realms of quality control and production support.
Previous to joining DePoly, she managed the laboratory for the environmental department of the canton of Valais, monitoring the quality of surface water and groundwater, as well as training employees at water treatment plants.
Roane is deeply aware of plastic pollution, and for her, being part of the DePoly team adds significant meaning to her professional life.
Interesting fact - She is a true Valaisanne
Roane loves her canton and its beautiful landscapes
Rossella is an experienced office management and hospitality professional with over a decade of expertise.
As a dynamic and organized individual, Rossella played a key role in the headquarters move at her former company. She has exceptional project management skills, attention to detail and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Interesting fact - Rossella is the R'n'B fan!
She is a walking encyclopedia of R'n'B music from the 90s and 2000s
Outside work, she loves reading, doing fitness, and traveling. Her dream came true when she visited the Cook Islands.
Shaista has a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering with over 13 years of industrial experience in process design, projects, commissioning, and process optimization.
She has worked with 14 operations in the Sugar and Starch Industry across South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe as well as waste-to-energy facilities in Australia. Her most memorable projects include the expansion of a starch refinery in response to an increase in demand for coffee creamer in South Africa, the construction of the first sugar refinery in Mozambique, the construction of the first biosolids gasification plant in Australia, and the optimization of a biochar production facility in Australia.
Interesting fact - She is a bellydancer:
Job Titles:
- Senior Business Development Manager
Tijana is a passionate young professional with a diverse background in sustainability, spanning environmental engineering, material science, business, and international development. She holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering from EPFL (with distinctions) and BSc from University in Belgrade (summa cum laude). Her research work at the Swiss Federal Labs for Materials Sciences and Technology focused on PET and polyester sustainability, which won her the 2020 EPFL Durabilis Prize. She has profound knowledge of life cycle assessments, plastic recycling, and circular economy policy-to-practice challenges. Her other experiences include roles in green economy at the UN Environment Programme, engineering offices, science communication, and after working at Boston Consulting Group as an Associate, she joined the DePoly commercial team.
Interesting fact - Tijana loves to...