Impact Conference 2025
Change Makers for a better world
How do we transform industrial production for the future? Industrial production requires collaboration, innovation and a clear sense of responsibility.
At the Impact Conference 2025 we bring together the people who matter: Decision-makers from the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries – alongside experts from science, technology and finance. The event provides a focused setting for practical exchange and meaningful dialogue across sectors and value chains.
The Garden of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Thursday November 20, 2025
Impact Conference 2025
Let's explore together which key topics will determine the transformation to a sustainable industry: the decarbonization of factories, the implementation of circular economy into innovation processes, and the acceleration of green labor skills – the capabilities and mindsets needed to lead change and make positive impact.
This conference is a space for clarity, expertise and collaboration.
For those who lead with purpose. For those who make the change. For those who shape a better world.
For those like you?
Agenda*
What to expect?
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
09:30-10.00 AM
Welcome and opening
--> Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group
10:00-10.30 AM
Keynote: The big reset – how innovation is changing society
--> Physicist Ranga Yogeshwar, one of Germany's best-known science journalists
10:30-11.15 AM
Panel discussion on the topic: In transition – challenges and opportunities for industry
--> With Pedro Gomez, Member of the Executive committee, World Economic Forum,
Christine Daugherty, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Conagra Brands
Esther Finidori, Chief Sustainability Officer, Schneider Electric,
Hubert Aarts, Executive Director, Impax Asset Management,
and Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group
11.45-01.00 PM
Impulse stops: Best practice sharing with contributions from econsense, KPMG and GEA
--> Navigating Omnibus: How to handle political developments and regulations effectively?
--> Back to relevance: Navigating the road to sustainability reporting.
--> AI as a driver for sustainability: The world is not enough!
Lunch
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
02.00-02.30 PM
Keynote: From commitments to action in a fragmented world
--> Memia Fendri, World Economic Forum
02.30-02.45 PM
Interview: Climate, characters and change: What’s missing in our stories – and in our workplaces, and why it matters for culture and the way we work
--> With Florian Hoffmann, Founder, The DO and Dr. Nadine Sterley, Chief Sustainability Officer, GEA Group
03.00-04.00 PM
Parallel Workshops
I) Circular economy as an enabler: How circular economy benefits not just the environment – but also the bottom line?
by Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Circular Valley® Foundation
II) Decarbonization of production sites: How competitive industrial sites minimize their CO₂ emissions and energy costs through sector coupling?
by Rene Füchtjohann, Manager Strategy & Decarbonization at Phoenix Contact
III) Transformation of the workforce: How to upskill your teams in times of green transition, AI and shifting geopolitics?
by Florian Hoffmann, CEO of The DO
IV) Climate Transition Plans: Methods, key considerations and pitfalls to avoid.
by Jan-Marten Krebs, CEO of sustainable AG
04.30-05.00 PM
Closing session
--> With Patrick West, Sr. Director of Engineering & Maintenance, Conagra Brands
Gilles Suter, Global CAPEX Program Manager, Nestle and others
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Evening reception: Let’s connect over drinks, ideas and music. Networking in the relaxed atmosphere of The Garden of Amsterdam.
During the breaks and after the official program, partners and GEA team members will be available at topic counters for in-depth conversations. Take the opportunity to ask questions, exchange experiences and explore practical solutions.
*The agenda and speakers are not yet final and are subject to change.
The voices of impact
We are proud to bring together a diverse lineup of scientists, business leaders, startup founders and sustainability pioneers. Full speaker list will be published soon. Here a first look at some of our key voices:
Ranga Yogeshwar
The physicist Ranga Yogeshwar is one of Germany's best-known science journalists. He led the science division at WDR before becoming a freelance journalist and author. He has received over 60 awards, including the Federal Cross of Merit and honorary doctorates. Known for making complex topics accessible to broad audiences, he continues to shape public discourse on science, ethics and innovation. He lives with his family near Cologne.
Christine Daugherty
Christine Daugherty is a distinguished Global Sustainability Leader. As Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Conagra Brands, she leads the company’s sustainability strategy, aligning environmental stewardship with business performance to drive long-term value creation. She also contributes her expertise on several boards and advisory councils, including Bayer’s Sustainability Council, Leading Harvest, and AgroScout. Previously, she held senior roles at PepsiCo, Tyson Foods, and the Gates Foundation.
Pedro Gomez
Pedro is a member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum and leads the Industry Transformation Agenda at the WEF’s Center for Nature and Climate, focusing on decarbonization, circularity and value creation. He previously headed the Forum’s work on sustainable mobility, anti-corruption and energy transition. Before joining the Forum, he worked at the Mexican Ministry of Energy and Pemex, and held research roles at Oxford and Edinburgh. Pedro holds a Master’s degree from St Antony’s College, University of Oxford.
Katarin Wagner
As Co-Managing Director of econsense – Forum for Sustainable Development of German Business, Katarin Wagner brings deep expertise in sustainability, sustainable corporate governance and sustainable finance. Before taking on her current role, she was responsible for the sustainability activities of HSBC Germany. Katarin Wagner is an alumna of the HWR Supervisory Board Women Program and continues to support the institute on a voluntary basis.
Dr. Carsten Gerhardt
As Initiator and Chairman of the Circular Valley® Foundation, Carsten Gerhardt brings broad expertise in sustainability and the circular economy. With more than 25 years in consulting, he advises on decarbonization strategies and circular economy models. At EY, he leads the Center of Excellence for Circular Economy. He holds degrees in solid-state physics, Anglo-Irish literature and economics. He is also the initiator of the Nordbahntrasse and has been promoting the Rhine-Ruhr region as Circular Valley® since 2020.
Florian Hoffmann
Florian Hoffmann is founder and CEO of The DO, a global learning company focused on transformation, innovation and sustainability. He is a serial social entrepreneur, Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and advisor to leading institutions. His books and initiatives promote a new economy of impact and courage. He lectures globally and serves on several high-level juries including the Global Teacher Prize. Florian holds an MPhil from Oxford and certificates from Harvard.
Memia Fendri
Memia Fendri leads the Resilient and Sustainable Value Chains portfolio at the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, overseeing the development of new global insights and tools that can help navigate shifts impacting global value chains for a positive economic, societal and environmental impact. Previously, she worked at Novartis across various engineering roles globally. Memia holds an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Swiss Institute of Technology (EPFL) with trainings and research at Carnegie Mellon University and UC Berkeley.
Rene Füchtjohann
Rene Füchtjohann is Manager Strategy & Decarbonization at Phoenix Contact, where he contributes to shaping the vision of an All Electric Society – a world powered by renewable energy, enabled by intelligent, networked systems. He focuses on strategies to reduce primary energy demand and advance sector coupling through electrification and automation. Rene holds an M.Sc. in Management & Economics from the University of Duisburg-Essen and an MBA in Innovation from Colorado State University.
Jan-Marten Krebs
Jan-Marten Krebs has many years of experience in advising companies on the development and implementation of sustainability and climate strategies. An important part of his work is supporting transformation processes, from change and implementation to innovation processes for sustainable business opportunities. Jan is the founder and CEO of sustainable AG. He lectures at beyond others at EBS on topics such as climate reporting and sustainable finance.
Marc Stauder
Marc Stauder is a partner in the Regulatory Advisory department at KPMG. He advises clients on implementing regulatory requirements in the areas of sustainability and corporate governance. His work focuses on CSRD implementation and the development of management systems that ensure reliable sustainability data. With strong expertise in regulatory frameworks, he helps organizations navigate the transformation toward transparent, future-proof governance.
Hubert Aarts
Hubert serves as Executive, Senior Portfolio Manager Listed Investments of the Impax Leaders and Water strategies and contributes to Impax Asset Management’s investment strategies in the listed equities team. He also researches stocks globally, specialising in industrials and consumer discretionary companies. Prior to joining Impax, Hubert was a partner at Cambrian Capital, spent over a decade at BlackRock and was at MeesPierson Asset management. He has a master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Maastricht University.
Stefan Klebert
Stefan Klebert has been CEO of GEA Group since February 2019 and a member of the Executive Board since 2018. He is responsible for all business divisions, regional operations, and key corporate functions including Sustainability. Prior to joining GEA, he was CEO of Schuler AG for eight years and held senior roles at Schindler, Thyssenkrupp and Festo. Trained as a machinist, he studied mechanical engineering in Esslingen and holds an MBA from Brunel University in London.
Gilles Suter
Gilles Suter is an engineering executive with over 20 years of international experience at Nestlé. As Global CAPEX Program Manager, he leads the deployment of digital platforms for asset standardization and manages the Group’s capital investment portfolio. Gilles has held senior engineering roles across Europe, Africa, and Asia, including Chief Engineer positions. Gilles is recognized for driving operational excellence, innovation, and safety across diverse product categories, including dairy, coffee, infant nutrition, and confectionery. He holds a Master’s in Micro-Engineering from EPFL, and has a strong background in team development and preventive maintenance strategies.
Patrick West
Pat is an accomplished engineering leader with extensive experience in leading large-scale capital portfolios and driving operational excellence. As the Sr. Director of Engineering & Maintenance at Conagra, Pat oversees the engineering technical services team and maintenance for all 40 facilities across the US, Canada, and Mexico. His leadership encompasses ongoing engineering, maintenance, capital projects, and utilities operations. Pat is also responsible for directing engineering programs aimed at achieving Sustainability 2030 targets. Patrick has held leadership roles at Conagra and Cargill, brings a background in chemical engineering from the University of Nebraska.
Dr. Nadine Sterley
As Chief Sustainability Officer at GEA Group and member of GEA’s Global Executive Committee, Nadine Sterley is ensuring that sustainability is embedded across all the group and all business areas. A lawyer by training, she drives the company’s global sustainability agenda in line with its purpose “Engineering for a better world.” Nadine Sterley studied in Rostock and Gothenburg and previously worked as an attorney, including for the business law firm Luther. Under her leadership, GEA is recognized as a climate strategy leader in the machinery and plant engineering sector.
Let’s talk about what really drives transformation!
Throughout the day, you will gain insights into current challenges and forward-looking solutions.
Look forward to:
- Keynotes and dialogues with international thought leaders
- Expert insights from inside and outside the industry
- Interactive deep dives into real challenges and scalable solutions
- Honest conversations on what’s working – and what isn’t
- Cross-sector connection and co-creation
Join the Impact Conference 2025.
🌿 The Garden of Amsterdam
An inspiring venue surrounded by nature — just outside the city close to the airport, but far from ordinary.
Aalsmeerderdijk 438,
1436 BL
Aalsmeerderbrug
+++ The Impact Conference 2025 is by invitation only +++
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at: sustainability@gea.com
