As a sustainability consultant and project manager within our industries division, Simone devises actionable advice that allows organizations to adopt sustainable organizational practices by deploying the power of science-based insights, conceptual thinking, and an inclusive approach.

Her prior role as a sustainability consultant and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) specialist in the agri-food industry gave her a deep understanding of food production systems, quantifying environmental impact, and the collaboration required to reduce that impact throughout the value chain.

Her journey discovering how we can achieve true sustainability began with a master’s in Industrial Design Engineering (University of Twente). Sensing a proliferation of selling “needs” to consumers in order to make a profit is what drives the manufacturing industry, she became determined to fully understand the system in order to be able to help dismantle it. This meant exploring multiple pathways towards sustainable design and engineering – from the product to paradigm level. New ventures ultimately lead to a decision to leave a PhD position and work in industry in order to have a more direct impact on systems change.

In her spare time, Simone prefers analogue hobbies over digital ones. She has played the violin from a young age and has taken part in multiple orchestras and ensembles – a rich experience of mutual trust and engaging of the senses throughout the performance of a piece. This firsthand experience of the strength a group can create is for her a powerful analogy to how we could embrace sustainability as a group.