Charlene Vance
Ireland
Charlene has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers University, MScs in Energy Engineering from University of Iceland and Chalmers University of Technology, and a PhD in Biosystems and Food Engineering from University College Dublin (UCD). Her PhD thesis explored the integration of LCA methodologies with systems modelling approaches to better assess the sustainability of European bio-based products. Currently, she is working as a Research Engineer within the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering at UCD, where she has been researching the impacts of renewable power and hydrogen integration within the Irish energy system. Thus far she has published over 10 papers and technical reports and presented her work at several international conferences. She has also given lectures and tutorials in LCA and carbon footprinting to bachelors and masters level students. She has a particular interest in raising the voices of early-stage LCA researchers, co-founding FSLCI’s Early Career Researchers group in 2023.
Elected 2025
Elena Corella Puertas
Denmark
Elena is an Assistant Professor in Quantitative Sustainability Assessment at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). She has a background in chemical engineering, having completed her BSc and MSc at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, and her PhD degree at McGill University, Canada. Afterwards, she gathered experience in the field of LCA in her two postdocs (at CIRAIG and TUM) and her industrial experience (at Sphera and the startup Dayrize). Furthermore, she has experience teaching in LCA and sustainability-related courses at McGill University, Polytechnique Montreal and TUM. She currently chairs the Plastic Footprint Network Scientific Committee and actively contributes to the Marine Impacts in LCA (MarILCA) Scientific Committee.
Elected 2025
Felix Piontek*
Germany
Felix was born in Stuttgart, Germany, conducted a PhD reseachring the environmental impacts of alternative consumption patterns in the clothing industry at Ulm University, and currently lives in Ellwangen. At Carl Zeiss AG, Felix focuses on advancing sustainable product development and implementing scalable solutions for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). With experience spanning academia, consulting, industry, and teaching, he combines theoretical expertise with practical insights to address complex challenges in sustainability. In addition to his professional work, Felix is politically active at the local level, focusing on climate change and sustainability initiatives. Having moved from urban centers to the countryside, he values the quieter pace of rural life while building LEGO sets
Elected 2024
Kevin Harding
South Africa
Prof. Kevin Harding is a South African chemical engineer and academic specializing in life cycle assessment (LCA). An Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, he works at the intersection of teaching, research, and innovation, focusing on sustainable engineering, acid mine drainage remediation, and bioresource utilisation. His professional background includes consulting at Environmental Resources Management (ERM), where he conducted risk assessments, waste minimisation studies, and process safety evaluations across multiple industrial sectors. He has also spent time at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Geneva in visiting capacities, as well as serving as an International Visiting Scholar at Covenant University in Nigeria, broadening his expertise in environmental science and industrial ecology. With more than 70 peer-reviewed publications, he contributes to global sustainability initiatives while mentoring future engineers and sharing knowledge online.
Elected 2025
Lisa Gobio-Thomas**
United Kingdom
Lisa is a Research Assistant and a final year Doctoral Researcher at the Centre for Sustainable Energy in Food Chains (CSEF) at Brunel University London. Lisa’s PhD research is based on the environmental and economic life cycle assessment (LCA) of the novel ASTEP solar thermal system used to provide thermal energy for industrial processes. She has published two papers on the environmental and economic impacts of solar thermal plants. She has also published two conference papers on the environmental LCA performance of the ASTEP solar thermal system as well as on the use of machine learning in predicting future environmental impacts of the solar thermal system. Lisa has a strong interest in the holistic approach to life cycle assessment where both the environmental and economic life cycle impact of a product, service or system are assessed.
Elected 2024
Rajat Batra
India
Rajat co-founded STENUM Asia in 2007 and brings deep, hands-on expertise in materiality assessment, life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprinting, resource-efficient cleaner production (RECP), ecodesign, circular economy transitions, and net-zero value chain implementation. He is a frequent speaker at international sustainability forums, having delivered guest lectures including some at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi. With professional experience across ten countries and leadership roles in Asia’s SME sector, he has a strong grasp of operational realities in emerging markets. Prior to STENUM Asia, Rajat spent over two decades as an entrepreneur and later as Managing Director of a greenfield foreign joint venture to export automotive components from India. He holds a B.Tech from IIT-BHU, an M.S. from The Ohio State University, and an M&V certification from AEE (USA). His global training and extensive project leadership across South Asia enable him to deliver high-impact sustainability solutions.
Elected 2025
René Itten
Switzerland
René Itten is Senior Life Cycle Analyst and Research Associate in the Life Cycle Assessment Research Group at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. He holds a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and has more than 12 years of experience in Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Thinking. He worked as consultant as well as project manager for ESU-services Ltd. and treeze Ltd. Since 2015 he is researcher and lecturer at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, he teaches Life Cycle Thinking and Life Cycle Assessment in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programme. He was involved in various LCA related research projects focusing on LCIA method development, LCI database development, environmentally-extended input—output tables and environmental rebound effects. He is reviewer for the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment as well as the Journal Energy Efficiency and organiser of the LCA Discussion Forum.
Re-Elected 2024
Shari A Matzelle
United States
Shari is the Founder and a Managing Consultant for Team19 Sustainability Advisory. Team19 works with corporations to achieve their sustainability goals efficiently and effectively. One of the firm’s main focuses is Life Cycle Assessment. Shari holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. She also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. She continues to enhance her education with research and coursework in LCA and chemicals in products from the University of Michigan. She brings broad experience in engineering, product and program leadership, business development, management consulting and as an entrepreneur. She led programs supporting the deployment and integration of sustainability products in aviation and transportation. She has spoken on entrepreneurship in sustainability and is also a member of the ACLCA in the US. She enjoys mentoring early-career sustainability leaders and deploying sustainability solutions in her real estate portfolio.
Elected 2024
Wafa Wafaurahman
Germany
Wafaurahman Wafa is an environmental scientist and sustainability researcher with comprehensive expertise in LCSA, O-LCA, LCC, and Environmental Impact Assessment. He obtained his Ph.D. from University Putra Malaysia, where he formulated an Organizational LCSA framework tailored for higher education institutions. His research encompasses environmental sustainability with publications in prominent international journals such as Sustainability, PLANNING MALAYSIA, etc. Prior to relocating to Germany, Wafa held the position of Chair and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Kabul University, where he also supervised the coordination of Kabul University Postgraduate Studies Center. He also contributed to various national scientific and technical organizations such as the National Environmental Standards Technical Committee, and the National ESIA Committee, while offering advisory and research support to NGOs and national ministries on environmental standards, social impact assessments, disaster risk reduction, and biodiversity conservation.
Elected 2025
*President | ** Vice-President
