Novartis has set ambitious environmental sustainability targets to achieve carbon neutral own operations by 2025, plastic neutrality and water sustainability by 2030, and net-zero by 2040.  Novartis was recently recognized by CDP as the only big pharma company globally with a Double-A leadership rating in the Climate Change and Water Security categories.

Jürgen’s role as Environmental Sustainability lead for Novartis’ global development organization covers the set-up and execution of low carbon clinical trials. On top, Jürgen is in charge of the company-wide target of “all new products meet sustainable design principles by 2030”, which spans from research up to commercial.  Jürgen represents Novartis within two workstreams of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health System Task Force and within the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition’s industry low carbon clinical trial workstream.

Jürgen has been very engaged and passionate about the topic of environmental sustainability for more than three decades. Prior to joining Novartis in 2011, he was the CFO of the NGO Solar Energy Foundation, supporting the roll-out of solar energy in rural East Africa. From 2015-20, he was the finance head of Novartis’ global clinical supply unit, during which he was awarded with the Novartis “Better World Award for Environmental Sustainability” for significant progress in the decarbonisation of clinical trials.

Richard Hall is a mechanical engineer with several decades experience in the hydraulics industry - selling hydraulic cylinders to global manufacturers of construction and agricultural equipment (Caterpillar, John Deere, Kubota, Bobcat, etc.). He provides active, hands-on managerial support of continuous process improvement methods (SMED, 5S, Kaizen, VSM, etc.) and introduction of new production processes.

Richard has works in business development for Rattiinox (aseptic valve manufacturer) and is a non-voting member of four ASME BPE task groups: CIP, Valve certification, Appendix K (valve testing), and vessel certification. He's also been a member of ISPE since 2011, as well as PDA, A3P, and ASTM E55 since 2021.

He's the technical lead of ASTM E55.11: Clean by Design task group (80 members), and he's writing new standards for the specification, design, manufacture, and FAT test (CIP-cleanability test - not just coverage test) of pharmaceutical manufacturing systems that are rapid to clean robustly with CIP, using 50-80% less water and energy. Richard is also the chair of ASTM E55 subcommittee E55.11 Process Design.

Dr. Michael Hell is a chemist (MSc) and cell biologist (PhD) by education with substantial experience in manufacturing and operations of biopharmaceuticals. Before being appointed to head of sustainability at Merck’s Healthcare operations, he was leading environment, health, and safety for Merck KGaA’s global biotech manufacturing and led a packaging, logistics, and visual inspection operation unit.

Michael brings a diverse background in manufacturing, spanning environment, health, and safety, strategy development, continuous improvement/LEAN, operations, and business consulting. He is an active member of ISPE and chaired conference tracks or contributed as speaker. Michael co-authored scientific papers or book chapters.

Christopher Nial is a senior partner at FINN Partners and is based in Ireland. His career, spanning over three decades, is marked by a deep commitment to enhancing global public health. Christopher’s journey in this field is distinguished by his unique focus on the critical intersection of climate change and public health. This specialised approach reflects his belief in the profound impact of environmental factors on global health outcomes.

His collaborations with both profit and non-profit organisations further highlight Christopher's impact. He has played a pivotal role in advancing the missions of major pharmaceutical giants like MSD, Sanofi, GSK, and Roche, and influential non-profits such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gavi, and PATH. His contributions to these organisations underscore his dedication to shaping a healthier, more sustainable future, making him a respected figure in global public health and climate advocacy.

Equipped with an MSc. in material science and manufacturing processes and 5 years of experience in medical device development, I currently serve as a Circular Design Lead within Novo Nordisk’s device development organization. In this role, I prioritize the comprehensive consideration of the environmental impact of our products within our development projects. This involves spearheading initiatives for the development of reusable concepts, reducing plastic consumption, transitioning to non-fossil-based virgin plastic, and championing design for recycling. Additionally, I actively contribute as a member of ISO and CEN standardization committees, focusing specifically on Plastics Sustainability, underscoring my unwavering commitment to promoting sustainability within the healthcare sector.

Alissa is currently working as a Sustainability Lead at ten23 health and was previously an Environmental Sustainability Lead in the research department at Novartis. She is an executive member of ‘Go Circular in Life Sciences’ and a steering committee member for My Green Lab. She has a background as an environmental scientist, more specifically ecotoxicology. She pushes for collaborative action to address systemic issues and is passionate about understanding and measuring environmental impact, and creating tools and automated processes to help accelerate sustainable action.

Sam Maguire is a principal consultant who specialises in sustainability strategy and operating model design across multiple industries. He has particular expertise in sustainable business models, designing organisations to be more circular, and supply chain transformation. He works across the pharmaceuticals, financial services, and food and beverage industries.