With more than 30 years of experience in the direct field with factories, tanneries and dye manufacturers in the important procurement markets, Karl has a comprehensive expertise in the optimisation of value chains and international sustainability management and is in charge of the strategic alignment of CSI.

Due to his well-founded industry knowledge and global commitment, Karl has an extensive network of international NGOs, companies, government institutions and media circles. Against this background he has increasingly focused on the development of industry solutions in recent years.

He is a management professional with advanced expertise in the field of sustainability management within supply chains of consumer goods and retail organizations. As managing director and environmental officer of various companies, he has guided processes to develop company goals and strategies for more sustainability; established management systems in accordance with ISO 14001; developed procedures for the calculation of CO2 emissions in transport systems and for production units.

Since 2016, he has also been the managing director of German Importers, which offers the SocialFair2022 concept.

Dietlind Weide has been working as a sustainability professional for over twenty years and as a consultant for companies looking to make the all-important transition to a more sustainable way of doing business since 2018. She has particular expertise in the areas of sustainability reporting and strategy development.

Companies she has worked for include OTTO GmbH & Co KG, Hamburg; The Linde Group, Munich and McDonald's Deutschland LLC, also Munich. Dietlind holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Hildesheim, Germany.

Dr. Gerhard Nickolaus has a doctorate in chemistry from Germany and has more than 40 years of experience in production facilities in Europe and Asia, particularly in the areas of shoe, leather, and plastics technology. His expertise includes chemical management and implementation of solutions at the managerial and operational levels. He also has the highest level of expertise in physical and chemical test methods, biotechnology, and toxicology. He was director of PFI Pirmasens e.V. for 30 years and founded the International Shoe Competence Center in Pirmasens (ISC Pirmasens), PFI Hong Kong Ltd, and PFI Fareast Ltd. in China and has set up testing, training, and education centers in Asia. He is a publicly appointed and sworn expert.

Cornelia Kunze is an international communications and brand strategist with more than 30 years of experience as an agency executive, communications leader and advisor to international businesses in Europe, Asia and the US. She is advising global market leaders and mid-sized businesses to deliver effective communications and earn trust and recognition in times of change. In her own consultancy firm i-sekai, founded in 2018, she focusses on narrative and strategy development for business and brands in the context of purpose and sustainability. Cornelia has lived in Germany, France and India and is currently based in Munich.

Prof. Daniela Bohlinger is a design expert with long-standing experience in product design and profound knowledge of material development and production forms. As Head of Sustainability Design at the BMW Group, she drives all its innovative initiatives with sustainability in mind. She contributes to the company’s strategic development in sustainability, and is a professor at the University of Umeå, Sweden.

She is considered a pioneer of sustainability, speaks as an expert in think tanks and panel discussions. She earned a Master’s degree at the Pratt Institute and a diploma at the University of Applied Sciences for Design.

Dr Sigurd Riemer is an experienced auditor, certification body manager and consultant in the field of quality and sustainability. He has long-standing experience in leading positions in the pharmaceutical industry and outstanding expertise in sales optimisation and quality management. Dr. Sigurd Riemer is an auditor and certifier of the Green Button label and was responsible for the development and implementation of the label in the Programme Committee and as Scheme Owner. Furthermore, he certifies social standards according to the ETI criteria, is certification body manager of the DAkkS accredited WELL DONE and institute director of the Institute for Sustainability and Climate Protection.

Dr. Manfred Schmidt holds a PhD in Physics and has been engaged as university lecturer since 1995.

His core competences are training, qualification, personnel development, management, management systems, operational performance measurement systems and quality management.

He is auditor for the standards ISO 9001, ISO 29990, ISO 13485 AZAV, and active internationally in academics, research, and standardization.

Bernd has been working for the German trade fair organiser Messe Frankfurt for 18 years in various positions such as marketing, brand management and organizing trade fairs and events in China, the US and Europe. Since 2008 he has been focusing on sustainability in the textile industry and sustainable corporate management. He joined the German Design Council in 2018 setting up an international partner network and establishing a comprehensive sustainability strategy.

Bernd has profound knowledge in the management of diverse, complex sustainability projects. Through numerous stays, notably in the US and China, he feels very comfortable working in international environments. Bernd holds a master degree in Sinology and Social Anthropology, he is also a certified intercultural trainer.

He was an authorized signatory for production technology and quality assurance at ara Shoes GmbH and was the global production head at Josef Seibel and is now responsible for production in Africa.

He built up the International Shoe Competence Center Pirmasens (ISC) and managed it for over 10 years. During his time as head of the ISC, Uwe Thamm advised companies in the shoe industry worldwide. In addition, he developed and implemented training courses and workshops. Uwe Thamm is also a member of the UITIC board and the PFI's technical advisory board.

Manfred brings over 30 years of expertise in the chemical testing and certification industry to the table, specializing in quality assurance, approvals, and compliance for products and production facilities. He is a seasoned professional in both Quality and Environmental Management Systems and has extensive knowledge of recycling processes, particularly the pelletizing of post-consumer plastic waste, and the use and application of recycled materials as well as the compliance of recycled materials with regulatory requirements for consumer products. He works with organizations and companies to ensure the entire material supply chain is organized with full traceability and that all relevant certifications are achieved.

Hayley completed her education in Hong Kong. She has been living and working in China for several years and has an in-depth understanding of the business environment there. As a lead consultant in CSI, she has been responsible for several sustainability in supply chain projects. She has carried out numerous social standard trainings for management and operation staff of suppliers, supervising qualification programmes and conducting workshops. By utilizing her excellent interpersonal skill she wins the trust of suppliers from management to workers and this trust is important to achieve project goals.

Hassan possesses an Honour degree in Economics from the University of Delhi. He worked in the social and compliance-related department for both, domestic and international, retailers and has comprehensive knowledge about the production and merchandising of home textiles in Asian countries. Hassan is very experienced in conducting audits, qualification programs, code of conduct checks, carbon footprint benchmarking, and sustainable products. He is a certified SA8000 basic auditor as well as a certified Environmental Management and Governance consultant and qualified GRI Sustainability reporting trainer.

After attaining his Honours and Master’s degree in Social Science from Chittagong University, Nasim started his career with one of Bangladesh’s renowned multinational companies and worked on human resource management and social compliance issues with retailers such as Nike and Timberland. Nasim specialised in conducting qualification programs, audits, trainings, and workshops on different social standards. He is also a WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) accredited consultant as well as a certified Lead Auditor on EHS Management System (based on ISO 14001: 2004/ BS OHSAS 18001: 2007)