Speakers

Architect by training, Teodor Frolu is a successful entrepreneur in creative industries (Communications, Multimedia, Architecture, Design and Urban Regeneration), currently Co-Managing partner of DC Communication, a leading Romanian Communications agency. Together with Ivan Patzaichin, in 2018, he launched the United Rivers of Romania, a national activation campaign for public awareness of the value of hydrographic heritage, which proposes for debate the importance of rivers in the life of communities and the relationship of communities with waters. During the last 10 years, he developed, in close collaboration with the world sports legend Patzaichin, an innovative platform concerned with the reviving of traditions from the perspective of the human – nature perspective. The PATZAIKIN Ecosystem, conceptualized as a collaborative entrepreneurship model between artists, architects, designers and passionate craft people, promotes the transfer of material and immaterial resources from the local rural heritage, guided by its creative experience and distilled through contemporary design. It integrates the wisdom of nature, the management of natural resources and lessons learned from the past, approached through innovation and meeting the needs of the modern world, materializing into fashion and product design (wood boats, décor ceramics, etc.).

Dr. Eng. Aida Szilagyi is a Sustainability Expert and the President of the National Center for Sustainable Production and Consumption. She has accumulated more than 22 years of professional experience working as an advisor for enterprises and managing European, National and International sustainability projects. In the last 5 years she has been involved as RECP International Expert by UNIDO in the National Cleaner Production Program of Albania and Moldova and recently she was responsible for developing a new resource package for the application of resource efficiency and cleaner production within small and medium size companies in EECCA countries. In 2010, Ms Szilagyi established the National Centre for Sustainable Production and Consumption (NCSPC), of which she holds the presidency since foundation. The NCSPC is a member of the international network RECP Net and of PREPARE (the European Network of Sustainability Experts) and is aimed at promoting sustainable industrial development in Romania.

Senior Lecturer, SNSPA & CEO of the Progress Foundation Dr. Camelia Crisan has an extensive experience in development, both organizational and at community level. Within 2009 and 2014 she has managed the training component of the Biblionet program in Romania, overseeing the development of more than 5000 trainers, directors, head of departments, rural librarians and community members. Biblionet was a 26.9 million USD worth program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She has done done numerous research projects in the area of corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, sustainability and climate change. She has delivered also training courses for corporations and public institutions in order to prepare them for sustainable practices. Among them correlating the citizens view on climate change with their personal cultural values and a methodology for measuring the social return on investment. Mrs. Crisan is a Senior Lecturer at SNSPA, Bucharest, Romania, holds a PhD in Sociology, a BA in Communication Science and a BA in Psychology.

László Borbély is a Romanian economist and politician, a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Mureș County since 2000, and a state counselor of the Department for Sustainable Development (Departamentul pentru Dezvoltare Durabilă) of Romanian Government.

Co-Founder & Chief Research Officer at Hyve Forum, and Research Associate for the Circular Economy Centre, University of Cambridge Judge Business School Samsurin is a researcher, entrepreneur, and professional working in the intersection of technology, business model innovation, sustainability and the circular economy. He has a particular focus on the innovative potential of digital technologies such as AI, Blockchain and IOT in accelerating the sustainability transition. He is co-founder of Hyve Forum, a think tank with a mission to catalyze a sustainable future by bridging rigorous academic research and actionable insights for business and policy. He is also a Research Associate with the University of Cambridge Circular Economy Centre. He teaches on the Executive MBA and Executive Education programs in topics of strategy, disruptive innovation, sustainability, and circular economy. Samsurin brings over 18 years of experience across sectors including oil & gas, manufacturing, and retail. He was formerly head of Digital Strategy & Innovation and head of Enterprise Architecture for PETRONAS, the national oil & gas corporation of Malaysia. He has also founded several start-ups. Samsurin holds a PhD and MPhil from the University of Cambridge, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BA from Northwestern University.