From the Sector

Reconomy, a leading international circular economy specialist, has published a new global strategy exploring the evolving global landscape of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, outlining how businesses can prepare for upcoming changes and detailing Reconomy’s strategic initiatives to support businesses across Europe and worldwide.

The textile industry is approaching a period of significant regulatory and operational transformation. Traditionally, one of the most resource-intensive sectors, textiles generate substantial waste and emissions throughout their lifecycle. 

New EPR legislation is driving a fundamental shift by making producers responsible for end-of-life management, including collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal. This structural change is intended to accelerate the transition towards circular business models and more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

Reconomy views this regulatory shift not as a compliance burden, but as a critical opportunity for innovation and competitive differentiation. By supporting stakeholders in turning regulatory requirements into strategic advantages, Reconomy aims to help businesses build more resilient and circular operations while meeting increasing expectations from consumers, retailers, and policymakers.

The new strategy paper, Textile EPR Strategy 2030, sets out a comprehensive five-year roadmap, providing an overview of anticipated policy timelines and evolving requirements. It also addresses key themes including eco-modulation, Digital Product Passports, and the growing need for robust data and supply chain transparency.

The document outlines Reconomy’s mission and specific initiatives over the next five years that will enable clients to navigate the complex textile EPR landscape effectively.

In the short term, during the “pre-EPR” phase, this includes helping clients understand the regulatory impact, preparing them operationally, building strong partnerships across the textile ecosystem — including with sorters, recyclers, and other key stakeholders — and investing in technology to enable advanced data management and material returns. 

In the longer term, once EPR legislation is established across all EU member states and additional global markets, Reconomy will continue to support clients with multi-jurisdictional compliance (including in regions such as North America), help them leverage product-level data insights to drive innovation and better product design, and accelerate their transition to circular business models.

The strategy follows the launch of Reconomy's Textile EPR Impact Assessment service – a new tailored service designed to help businesses prepare for the rapidly evolving landscape of textile regulations.

Lavi Aharon, Director of Reconomy’s Textile Programme and Business Development Director, said:
“Textile producers are facing an increasingly complex and fast-evolving regulatory landscape as EPR schemes roll out across the world, and especially in Europe. At the same time, they are under growing pressure to demonstrate real progress on sustainability to retailers and consumers.”

Jonni Friman, EVP, Transformation Management Office and a member of the Executive Management Team has decided to leave Suominen to pursue new opportunities outside the company.

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Jonni for his exceptional leadership of the Transformation Management Office (TMO). As planned, the TMO will now be dissolved, with its responsibilities seamlessly integrated into various functions to maintain our strategic focus and ensure a smooth transition,” says Tommi Björnman, President & CEO.

Following this change, the composition of Suominen’s Executive Management Team will be as of August 1, 2025:

• Tommi Björnman, President & CEO
• Janne Silonsaari, CFO
• Darryl Fournier, COO
• Markku Koivisto, EVP, EMEA & CTO
• Mark Ushpol, EVP, Americas
• Minna Rouru, Chief People and Communications Officer

The Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG has appointed Georg Kasperkovitz as a member of the Managing Board and Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Lenzing AG with effect from June 1, 2025. Georg Kasperkovitz (58) brings more than 15 years of experience in various management functions in Europe, North America and Asia – Lenzing’s most important production regions and markets. During his career, Kasperkovitz has held positions including Business Unit CEO at the international packaging and paper company Mondi plc (2016-2019), CEO of Rail Cargo Austria AG (2012-2016) and at the international consulting firm McKinsey (1999-2012, most recently as a partner). Georg Kasperkovitz is a qualified mechanical engineer (Dr. techn., TU Vienna) and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

At Lenzing, as COO in the now four-member Managing Board, he will manage the company-wide fiber production sites and drive forward the ongoing performance program and, thus, operational cost excellence and the transformation of the entire company. He will also take over the management and further development of the site in Lenzing (Upper Austria).

Patrick Lackenbucher, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG, comments: “Lenzing AG has been able to report a continuous increase in earnings in recent quarters – despite the difficult market environment. The current macroeconomic challenges, persistently high energy costs and intensified global competition continue to require full focus on the implementation and further development of the current performance program. Profitability is crucial for Lenzing in order to survive in global competition in the long term and to be able to continue investing in new products and markets. With Georg Kasperkovitz, we are therefore strengthening our Managing Board with sound operational transformation expertise – and relevant experience in the nonwovens market.”

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, proudly announces Carl Cucuzza and Lynda Kelly as the recipients of the 2025 INDA Lifetime Service Awards. Carl and Lynda are being recognized for their key contributions to the advancement of the nonwovens industry and INDA.

“I am thrilled to recognize Carl and Lynda for their exceptional dedication and impactful contributions,” said Matt O’Sickey, PhD, Director of Education & Technical Affairs at INDA. “Their unwavering commitment and tireless advocacy play vital roles in shaping the future of the nonwovens industry. I am looking forward to seeing and giving them their Awards at Hygienix and IDEA®25.”

• Carl Cucuzza will receive his award during the Hygienix™ Conference on November 18th at 4:30 pm.
• Lynda Kelly will receive her award during IDEA®25 on April 29th at 4:45 pm.

Here are the Award recipients:

Carl Cucuzza: INDA Lifetime Service Award
“I am deeply honored and thankful to receive this Lifetime Service Award from INDA. It has been a blessing to collaborate with a close-knit community of dedicated professionals who continually innovate in ways that improve lives while protecting the environment. I’m grateful for the recognition and continue to be excited to see steady growth through the entrepreneurial spirit that is a hallmark of this industry.”

Carl Cucuzza, prior to retirement, was President and Managing Partner of Teknoweb North America, a key supplier of converting equipment for wet and dry wipes, facemasks, and similar disposable products. He also partnered with his son in establishing the Hot Melt Supply Company, which provides service and support for adhesive applications in the disposables, product assembly, and packaging industries.

Prior to that, Carl was General Manager of Newco Enterprises, Inc. and Global Sales and Marketing Manager for the Nonwovens Systems Group of Nordson Corporation. In that role, Carl directly managed the North American and European sales efforts to disposables producers and personally coordinated hot melt systems sales and support activities for a major producer’s global baby diaper production expansion through the 1990s.

Carl is a past board member of INDA, Organizing Committee member, Moderator and Presenter for over 35 years at Vision, WOW, Hygienix, and various other domestic and international conferences. He has been recognized by the state of Georgia with the Award for Product Development and Management Excellence and has received seven patents for machinery and processes for the production of disposable products. He has also published numerous technical papers and articles, consulted on disposables projects, and acted as an expert witness.

Born and raised in Bradford, PA, and living in Monroe, GA, he and his wife Toni have been married for 47 years and have four children and four grandchildren,

Lynda Kelly: INDA Lifetime Service Award
“I am truly humbled and honored to receive the INDA Lifetime Service Award. Growing up in this amazing industry has been a remarkable journey, working alongside so many incredible colleagues across the globe to develop and sell unique nonwoven product solutions and technologies. As an industry, we have achieved so much over the decades, and I am proud to have been part of its evolution. It has truly been an incredible experience!

Lynda Kelly served as Senior Vice President, Americas & Business Development for Suominen Corporation until her retirement in 2023, due to health challenges. She dedicated nearly a decade to Suominen, where she led the Care team then transitioned to lead Americas sales team alongside global product and business development professionals. Under her leadership, the company successfully advanced its sales, market presence, and innovative products to achieve optimal profitability.

Lynda began her career at Kendall, which later merged into International Paper/Veratec and eventually became BBA Nonwovens. Throughout her tenure, she managed sales and marketing across various sectors, advancing into leadership roles. Early in her career, she embraced an expatriate assignment in Toronto, Canada, which provided her with early exposure to the rapidly growing spunmelt market.

In addition to her time at Suominen, Lynda brought deep expertise to the nonwovens industry through 11 years at First Quality Nonwovens, where she helped expand their spunmelt nonwovens offerings in the medical market. She also gained valuable insights into consulting during her two years with John Starr.

A devoted contributor to the nonwovens industry, Lynda remains a long-term supporter of INDA initiatives. She played a significant role as a key member of INDA’s AAMI medical disposable standards committee, helping to shape critical industry-wide guidelines. From 2019 to 2022, she served on the INDA Board of Directors, navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic and advocating for collaboration across the sector. While at Suominen, she championed wellness-focused events like the “Run or Walk with Suominen,” blending industry engagement with health, fun, and community.

Lynda’s passion for the nonwovens industry extended beyond her professional contributions. Known for her enthusiasm, she often turned personal encounters into learning opportunities. For example, she would often examine new nonwoven products in a hospital or doctor’s office to spark inspiration. This curiosity drove her to learn more, initiate meaningful conversations, and implement innovative changes within her own teams.

Above all, Lynda cherishes the relationships she developed throughout her career. From colleagues to friends, she believes the most rewarding part of her journey was the people who enriched it. For Lynda, the true heart of the nonwovens industry has always been the connections and partnerships that make it thrive.

The CHT Group announced the appointment of Dr. Lorenza Sartorelli as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO). With this appointment, Dr. Lorenza Sartorelli completes the management board consisting of Dr. Christian Rink (CFO) and Eva Baumann (CEO).

With the now complete management team, the CHT Group is continuing its strategic realignment. As COO, Lorenza Sartorelli will focus her responsibilities on the sustainable global alignment of the CHT Group's operational functions.

Dr. Lorenza Sartorelli has extensive experience and an international career in the chemical industry. She has held various management positions at renowned companies, most recently at Evonik, where she demonstrated her expertise in the areas of operations management, strategic planning and process optimization.

Dr. Lorenza Sartorelli holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Padua and a PhD from the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg. Her career includes positions at Roche and Evonik, where she was instrumental in optimizing production processes and increasing efficiency.

Dr. Lorenza Sartorelli on her new role: "I am looking forward to further advancing the path CHT has already taken to become a unique provider of sustainable and sustainably produced specialty chemicals. The consistent focus of my role on operational excellence, digitalization and sustainability speaks for itself. Together with Eva Baumann and Christian Rink, I will align the operational side of CHT holistically with the three dimensions of People, Planet and Performance."

CARBIOS, a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, announces the resignation of Philippe Pouletty from term of office as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director, as well as from his term of office as Chief Executive Officer, a position he had accepted on a transitional basis on 18 December 2024.
 
The Board of Directors has taken note of this decision and thanks Philippe Pouletty for his contribution to CARBIOS' development.

The Board of Directors has appointed Isabelle Parize as Chairwoman of the Board and Vincent Kamel as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.
 
Continuing the work already undertaken, Vincent Kamel will focus on successfully executing CARBIOS' strategic objectives, including securing the additional financing needed to build its PET biorecycling plant in Longlaville.

Isabelle Parize is CEO of DELSEY. Isabelle Parize began her career at Procter & Gamble, where she held strategic positions in marketing and brand management for 13 years. She then joined Henkel as Vice President EMEA. On the strength of this experience, she became head of Canal Sat, the French media group. She then pursued her career in the beauty sector, becoming President of the Managing Board of Nocibé, one of France's leading perfume retailers, in 2011. In 2015, she was appointed Managing Director of Douglas AG, a European perfume giant, where she steered the company's expansion and modernization.
 
In 2018, she took a new role as CEO of DELSEY. Between 2021 and 2025, she will continue to support the Group as President of its Supervisory Board. Isabelle Parize has served on Coty Inc.'s Board since 2020.
 
Isabelle Parize has been a member of the CARBIOS Board of Directors since 2022.
 
Vincent Kamel, with over 38 years' experience in the polymer and chemical industries, has held management positions in companies such as Rhône-Poulenc, Rhodia and Solvay, both in France and abroad (China, South Korea, Brazil), notably as General Manager of Solvay's polyamide division, Director of the Coatis business unit and Director for Asia in the engineering plastics sector.
 
Vincent Kamel has been involved in CARBIOS’ development since 2021 as a member of the company's Board of Directors, and since December 2024, as an advisor to CARBIOS’ executive management.

RUDOLF, a leading global medium-sized specialty chemical company, is adopting a new management structure at the beginning of 2025 to accelerate the implementation of its strategic goals.

The aim remains to further strengthen RUDOLF‘s international market position and to sustainably, expand the company‘s innovative strength in an increasingly dynamic competitive environment.

The company appoints Marcos Furrer as CEO, Dr Gunther Duschek as CTOO and Dr Oliver Kusterle as CSO – Dr Wolfgang A. Schumann becomes Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Global strategy - local execution
The reorganisation also underlines RUDOLF‘s commitment to remain a leading player in the speciality chemical industry and to make a sustainable contribution to the future of the textile, construction, paper and coating additives industries.

Change in the management structure
At the beginning of 2025, Mr Wolfgang Schumann and Dr Wolfgang A. Schumann will take over the chairmanship of the newly established Board of Directors as its Co-Chairs. In his new role, Dr Schumann will focus specifically on developing strategically important business in Asia in order to further expand the company‘s market position there.

‘It is with great pleasure and confidence that I hand over the role of CEO to Marcos Furrer. I am equally pleased that Dr Gunther Duschek as CTOO and Dr Oliver Kusterle as CSO, in their existing global responsibilities, will round off the operational management team in terms of continuity and commitment. This new management structure is a decisive step for the future of our company. It will apply from the beginning of 2025. In my new role as Chairman of the Board of Directors, I will focus specifically on the development of the strategically important business in Asia and continue to be the point of contact for our joint ventures. I am convinced that this realignment will enable us to further expand and strengthen our market position. I would like to thank all employees for their commitment and support over the past years and look forward to continuing to advance the vision of RUDOLF together with the new management team and to serve our customers worldwide even better.’

Marcos Furrer has been appointed as the new CEO of the RUDOLF Group and will also take on the role of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). His many years of experience in the speciality chemical industry and his strategic insight make him the ideal person to drive RUDOLF‘s global vision forward.

‚I am very pleased to take on the role of CEO of the Rudolf Group. You can literally feel the Group‘s more than 100 years of activity in the textile chemical business. The excellent team and the special customer proximity are the cornerstones of our success, which I would like to build on in order to further develop the successful strategic path. I am convinced that with this new approach we will not only strengthen our international market position but also make our contribution to a sustainable future. Together with our dedicated team, I look forward to advancing the vision of RUDOLF and serving our customers worldwide even better.’

Mark Ushpol has been appointed Executive Vice President, Americas business area at Suominen. He will be a member of Suominen's Executive Management Team and report to President and CEO Tommi Björnman. Ushpol will start in his new position on January 6, 2025.

Mr. Ushpol joins Suominen from Ahlstrom, where he worked as Executive Vice President of the Food & Consumer Packaging division and as a member of the Executive Management Team.

“Mark has a strong experience in leading industrial business and operations. He also has industry knowledge and proven record in successfully executing company goals. I am sure he will be a valued member in our Executive Management Team and support us in our journey towards profitable growth,” says Tommi Björnman, President and CEO of Suominen.

As of October 1, 2024, Dr. Christian Rink will take over the position of global CFO of the CHT Group held by Prof. Dr. Klaus Müller on an interim basis. In this role, he will be responsible for Finance & Controlling, Information Technology, Digitalization, Compliance Management and Project Management. From now on, Dr. Christian Rink will form the Management Board together with CEO Eva Baumann.

Dr. Rink has gained extensive experience in various functions within the Bosch Group, where he held management positions in Logistics and Finance & Controlling. Among other things, he was Commercial Head Asia Pacific for the Bosch Home Comfort Group in Shanghai, China, and most recently Vice President Finance and Controlling of the Business Unit Electric Solutions which was responsible for building up the Bosch Group's heat pump business.

Rico Randegger, Head of the Business Group After Sales and member of the Group Executive Committee, will step down from his position on December 31, 2024.

The Board of Directors of Rieter Holding Ltd. has appointed Alexander A. Özbahadir to the Group Executive Committee of the Rieter Group with effect from January 1, 2025. He will be responsible for the Business Group After Sales.

Alexander A. Özbahadir started his career with the Jungheinrich Group in Shanghai (China) and Hamburg (Germany). In 2017, he was Head of Global Sales and Marketing at Schindler Management Ltd., Ebikon (Switzerland). In 2020, he joined Schindler Group China, Shanghai (China), as Senior Vice President New Installations (NI) and Head of “China Growth”.

In the period from 2021 to 2024, he was Chief Executive Officer of C. Haushahn GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart (Germany), and, among other positions, he was Head of Acquisitions at Schindler Deutschland AG & Co. KG, Berlin (Germany). Most recently, as Senior Vice President, he was responsible for Global Account Management Europe at the Schindler Group in Ebikon (Switzerland).

Alexander A. Özbahadir was born in 1978 and is a German citizen.