The Future is Circular: Towards a Circular Economy in China

Ms. Chia-Lin Coispeau is Partner at Maverlinn Impact Innovation and a French Trade Advisor. Maverlinn is a strategy and growth acceleration advisory firm specialised in the resolution of complex corporate governance issues and shared value creation. Chia-Lin focuses on strategic analysis & business development, branding, CSR & Social Innovation.

She has over 15 years of international professional experience (Bain & Co, Louis Vuitton, Guinness…) gained in Europe and Asia. She has worked in China for over 10 years and is a regularly invited guest speaker. She is also co-founder of several social enterprises and support several programs such as the UN Women WEPs Program or the Cartier’s Women Initiative. She is also a Vice-president of the Paris based not-for-profit RICCI Association, and promotes the “Grand Ricci, dictionnaire encyclopédique de la langue chinoise”, the world’s largest database between Chinese and a Western language, with 400 years of history. She holds a MBA from INSEAD business school and majored in Chemical Engineering in France and Germany.

Francois Jenny has been working in China since 2005 and involved in the environmental industry from the late 90s. He studied in both France at University of Compiegne (MSC in Chemical Engineering) and the UK graduating from Cranfield University (MSC in Applied Energy) and from Warwick University (MBA). Francois has been engaging in the waste management industry since early 2000, responsible for a variety of waste treatment and recycling plants in Greater China and Asia including Municipal Solid Waste, Organic Waste, Hazardous Waste, Plastic, Construction and Decoration Waste, Soil Remediation, Industrial Services and Sustainable Waste Management etc.

Francois is currently working for Veolia China as Senior Vice President, in charge of the Solid Waste & Recycling Business Line including Plastic Recycling, Battery Recycling, Landfill, Electronic Waste etc. Francois has developed expertise in circular economy and sustainable development and he is accompanying private and public partners to develop and implement their sustainable development and circular economy road map.

Ermanno Vitali is currently CEO at FAAM China, a wholly-owned company of SERI Industrial, an Italian company listed in Milan stock market. FAAM (www.faam.com) is a leader company in the production and sale of batteries for industrial application.

He worked for FAAM between 2006 and 2013 and was in charge of setting up the business of FAAM in the China market. He also worked as General Manager for AnsaldoBreda Joint Venture in China between 2016 and 2019, managing the implementation of the Electric Traction System of urban railways of Chongqing Metro Line 6. In 2005, he worked in the USA, in the R&D department of Celgard LLC, a producer of separator for Lithium Battery.

He graduated in 2004 in Marketing and Communication – Faculty of Economics at Urbino University, Italy. He is currently Board Member of China Italy Chamber of Commerce. In January 2022, he was selected in the Panel of Arbitrator, Shanghai Arbitration Commission – 7th Cohort. In 2022, he won the title of “Outstanding Entrepreneur” of Yixing, Xushe Government. In 2020, he won the honorary title of “Advanced Industrial Worker” in Yixing, Xushe Town. He was awarded the China Award 2011 as “Young Manager” by “Fondazione Italia-Cina” and “MF-Milano Finanza”.