CV - Ralph Schneider

Dipl. Ingenieur - Dipl. Designer (Fh)
Since 08.2018
Lead, Sustainability at the World Plastics Council (50% secondment from Covestro). Representing leading multinational plastics makers and associations from around the world on political global level (United Nations Environment, Basel Convention, OECD, G7/G20, et.al.). Coordinating the development and jointly deploying activities and views to enable plastics' circularity and the reduction of mismanagement of plastic waste and plastic waste in the environment. 
Since 08.2017
Manager Governmental Affairs at Covestro, Leverkusen, Germany. Responsibilities: Project lead, Alliance to End Plastics Waste, coordinating the global internal team, developing contributions and involvements to stop the mismanagement of plastic waste; partnership management for the Solar Impulse Foundation and NGO relationship management.
08.2017 - 07.2018
Senior Advisor at Solar Impulse Foundation, Lausanne (50% secondment from Covestro AG). Support of the Solar Impulse Foundation in developing the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions in general and their expert network in particular. Governmental Affairs Manager at Covestro AG, Leverkusen: Heading the NGO relationship management.
03.2013 - 07.2017
Senior Environmental Affairs Manager at PlasticsEurope, Brussels (seconded from Covestro AG). Led the 6 FTE large flagship cluster-project “Marine Litter Solutions” from strategy to implementation, overlooking 20+ of own and team litter research/prevention initiatives. Core activities: Operation Clean Sweep – a pellet loss prevention initiative across all plastics producers in Europe; PolyTalk, Regional Seas Observership & Microplastics roundtable; contributed to many solution initiatives with NGOs, authorities (e.g. UNEP, IMO, European Commission et.al.) and science; FP7 projects BIOCLEAN (WP lead) and MARLISCO; coordinated Working Groups, chaired "tech" team of Global Action Team; expert and industry representative on marine litter prevention in Europe and globally; leading EU and contributing to global policy actions; further subjects: Carbon Trading (ETS) and Automotive (full job description)
07.2011 - 02.2013
Lead Social Media Manager at the Bayer MaterialScience AG - Communications: Creating of the first social media portfolio, including strategy, policy, piloting of marketing campaigns and creation of education material
10.2006 - 07.2011
Innovation Manager (Designers Network) at the Bayer MaterialScience AG – New Business: Created and led the European Designers Network (’07-’11): 6 million EUR market opportunities in 2010 in furniture, consumer products and transportation (‘07-‘11); developed and produced an award winning material sample box (’07-’08), feasibility studies blending new markets and materials: e.g. Janus – Future ICT 2020, ViscoCarpet (patented) and the VisionWorks student Award (‘06-‘07); developed, produced and licensed out an awarded and patented personal care product (‘06-‘07); participated in scenario studies and innovation method development and assessment

Results received Awards (if communication award 2010, nominee of the German design award 2012) and are mentioned in books e.g. Roberto Verganti's "Design Driven Innovation".
02.2006 - 10.2006
Innovation Manager (Light & Optics) at the Bayer MaterialScience AG - Corporate Development - New Business - Creative Center, responsible for the flagship program "Light & Optic". Activities: Project management, production cost oriented re-engineering of EXTRACT - LED-tweezers, production of 10k sets followed by an out-licensing to "moree" and were honored by a promotional gift Award in 2008.
05.2005 – 12.2005
Final Thesis (Diplom) at Bayer MaterialScience AG – New Business – Creative Center
Task: Project Management – development of illuminated plastic tweezers (EXTRACT LED-tweezers) from the idea to the small series (1000 pieces), supported by marktunddesign.
Activities: Establishing an internal and external development and manufacturing network; plan, support and coordinate all development and manufacturing steps; detail constructions and FEM simulation; patent application; first business model evaluations.
10.2004 - 02.2005
Design and build a visionary headlamp prototype for Philips Automotive Lighting.
11.2003 - 09.2004
Intern at the Henkel KGaA, department of technological development in Düsseldorf
_ Activities: CAD reverse engineering of packing lines
12.1999 - 07.2003
Student research assistant at the faculty of engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen;
Design and engineering of steel structures, followed by FEM analysis; CAD lectures
08.1998 - 01.1999
Project engineer for Mannesmann DEMAG Energy and Environmental Technologies in Hong Kong, renovation of an ash handling system in a coal power plant owned by “Hong Kong Electric” (HEC).
06.1998 - 02.1999
Technical draftsman at Mannesmann DEMAG Department of Power Plant Components and Systems Ash-Handling

Additional Involvements

Marine Litter
_ Clean Delta Initiative Rio de Janeiro: Advisor, Contributor, Member of Finding Mission
_ Marine Litter News: Co-Founder and Editor
_ Floating Horizon: Project Owner
_ Ocean Collaboration Platform: Co-Founder and Advisor
​_ open-H2O & Protei.org (organization development & material consulting)
Connected Generation
_ Chairing the Special Interest Group at the European Institute of industrial Leadership in Brussels.
Innovation & Creative Industry
_ Participation as an expert to the EU FP7 proposal "Materials for the creative industry"

Education / Training

Dipl.Des.(FH) - Dipl.Ing. - Technischer Zeichner
Since 03. 2012
Senior Talent Team member of the Talent Development Program at Eiil (European Institute for Industrial Leadership)
21.12.2010
Graduated in Design at the Köln International School of Design (KISD).
Main-Topic: Marine Litter Extraction (start-off: Mass-Consumption in a Low Carbon Society 2030)
Sub-Topics: Holography; Design Service Platform
11.01.2006
Graduated in Mechanical Engineering (Construction Technology) with a University degree.
10.2001 – 12.2010
Studying at the Köln International School of Design (KISD),
Focus areas: Product Design, Service Design and Design Management.
08.1998 – 01.2006
Studying at the faculty of engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
01.08.1996 – 22.06.1998
Trainee as a technical draftsman at Mannesmann DEMAG Energy and Environmental Technologies
01.08.1995 – 31.08.1996
Civil service in the youth hostel Bad Honnef
26.06.1995
Achieved the general qualification for university-entrance at the Otto-Hahn Secondary School Monheim

Conferences and Publications

Conferences:
2011:
06.10.2011 marcus evans, Industrial Design Summit 2011 in Montreux, Switzerland

2010:
 02.07.2010: Design and Innovation, by Design Continuum, Milano  (program under preparation)
08.04.2010: Kh Berlin Weissensee GreenDesign
23.03.2010: openhouse @ designaffairs, read report here
Public presentations and lectures:
2009: 
Future of Global Product Design Conference __ KHM (Academy of Media Arts Cologne) __ VDID Köln

2008: 
Werkstoffzentrum Rheinbach __ IHK-Neuss __ Euromold __ designaffairs

2007: 
Hannover Messe __ GBG Senior Design Conference Barcelona __ Design Zentrum Bremen

Further Interests

Recreation:
Strange movies, watching media art, riding on my mountain-bike, hiking, old-cars, dancing in a loud club, fiction books about distant or imagined countries, a good long talk and a good exploratory meal