Event Speakers
H.E. Heng Nareth
Under Secretary of State, General Directorate of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Environment
Dr. Daniel Schmücking
Daniel Schmücking was born in 1982 in Germany. He studied political science and sociology at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena (Germany) and the Palacky University in Olomouc (Czech Republic). His professional and scientific focus is on political communication and election campaigns. He worked as a campaigner for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In his dissertation he devoted himself to the topic of the effects and development of negative political advertising in Germany. As part of his doctoral studies, he spent time at the University of Maryland (USA) and the University of California (USA). He taught at universities in Jena (Germany), Erfurt (Germany) and Budapest (Hungary). From 2015-2017, he headed the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s (KAS) office in Mongolia. Since the beginning of 2018 he has been country director of KAS in Cambodia. In the beginning of 2021 he went on a special mission to become the campaign manager of CDU for the elections in the free state of Thuringia.
Dr. Günter Riethmacher
Dr. Günter Riethmacher joined GIZ in 1987 as a research fellow in the Philippines, working on Biological Pest Control in Asian cabbage production. During his whole working life, he changed between positions abroad and in Germany.
Before starting his current position as GIZ Country Director of GIZ in Cambodia in 2018, he was Director of Global Financial Services in GIZ HQ, Germany for six years, supporting field projects in co-financing and financial reporting. From 2005 to 2010 he was the GIZ Country Director in Vietnam, after being Regional Director for India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Timor-Leste in GIZ HQ.
As a trained environmentalist, he gained a broad insight in the international ODA system during his time as Senior Environmental Specialist in The World Bank, in Washington DC from 1997-2001. From 1992 to 1997 he managed a GIZ environment research facility, financing long term scientific research linked to GIZ projects in the field. He holds a PhD in Biology/Tropical Ecology from the Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany and a BA in Business Administration from the University Uetrecht, the Netherlands. Beside this he is a certified Yoga Therapist and Yoga Teacher from different schools in the USA and Germany.
Dr. Moeko Saito-Jensen
Dr. Moeko Saito-Jensen is an environmental policy specialist of UNDP Cambodia. She has been working with UNDP Cambodia for more than 7 years and is a focal point for environmental initiatives including “circular economy”, “plastic waste management” and “natural resources management” in Cambodia.
Before joining UNDP, she worked at the World Bank, JICA, and Copenhagen University. She holds a PhD degree of natural resource management from Copenhagen University, Denmark and a master’s degree of environmental economics and policy from Duke University, U.S.
Linkedin: Dr. Moeko Saito-Jensen
Dr. Jürgen Stäudel
In 2000, for the first time, Jürgen Stäudel came as student to Cambodia to work on a pilot composting plant on the old dumpsite in Stung Mean Chey. His time in Cambodia, studying, playing and working with the wastepicker kids on the dumpsite, changed his life. He fell in love with Cambodia, her people and with waste management and he is until now.
In his study as Civil Engineer he focused on water supply, wastewater treatment & sanitation and solid waste management (SWM). According to him, we must learn to seeing the possibility of transformation in everything that stinks, the value of garbage and the beauty, which can manifest from well-functioning solid waste systems. No mud – no lotus. គ្មានភក់ – គ្មានផ្កាឈូក.
Since more than 20 years Dr. Jürgen Stäudel works in the field of environmental engineering for different organizations (e.g. MSF, GIZ, Siemens, tennet and as freelancer) in Europe, Africa and Asia in various positions. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering with focus on Integrated Sanitation Systems based on Material-flows at the Bauhaus-University Weimar, Germany.
Currently he is working at the Ministry of Environment in Phnom Penh in the Department of SWM as an integrated expert and advisor for strategic SWM.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staeudel/
Dr. Manny Sanchez
Manny Sanchez is Institute for Development Impact’s Chief of Party for the USAID Tech for Green Cities project. With nearly 20 years of expertise managing international development and social impact programming around the world, he serves as a technical advisor and thought partner to industry stakeholders. During the past 3 years, he has successfully deployed I4DI’s Green Cambodia technology to advance sustainable development and improve SWM in pilot sites throughout Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Chhnang, and Oddar Meanchey province
Dr. Keo Vanthoeun
Deputy Director, Department of Green Economy, Ministry of Environment
Mr. Christoph Janensch
Christoph Janensch is currently the coordinator of the Business & Cooperation Desk of the GIZ Business Scouts for Development Programme (BSfD) within the German chapter of EuroCham Cambodia. He provides information, advice and guidance to support local, German and other European businesses and institutions in engaging in development cooperation. He is convinced that the Sustainable Development Goals can only be achieved once the private sector is actively involved.
Prior to joining GIZ Cambodia and EuroCham, Christoph worked as a project manager at GIZ Düsseldorf, Germany. He has been working for German development cooperation for the last 7 years. Christoph is German and received his higher education degrees in East Asian studies and public management from universities in Berlin, Beijing and Copenhagen.
Florian Werthmann
Florian Werthmann is founder and CEO of ECOLOGICON GmbH – a think tank and external compliance as well as recycling & technology solutions department for circular economy & environmental projects. As a thoroughbred entrepreneur he started his activities in the waste and recycling sector in the early 2000s. He has been working under the slogan „Circular Economy and Consulting”, as a service provider and operator, consultant, and entrepreneur in the sectors of WEEE, EPR schemes and systems as well as batteries in the private and public sector in numerous countries worldwide. He is skilled on expert level in the WEEE / E-Scrap’s sector and is fostering circular economy projects with a focus on reuse, optimized collection, and treatment solutions. Besides of his operative activities he is not only participating in numerous international industry federations and NGO working groups in the international WEEE / E-Scrap sector but as well member of the WEEE and scrap metals section board of the bvse, “Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V.” Germany (Federal Association of secondary raw materials and disposal) which is representing the interests of 900+ member companies from the waste sector in Germany.
Ms. Monika Noun
Monika works for KAS Cambodia as a program manager for sustainability and digitization. She has bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Japanese Language Education.
Monika used to work as a work-camp coordinator for educational and environmental programs. She was chosen for the first batch of the “South-North-Component of Weltwärts” program in Germany because of her enthusiastic participation in the international work-camp. Following that, she honed her project management and coordinating skills through various independent consultancy works. Monika carries hope for social change within her work and pursues her passion for sustainability, equality, and diversity.
Mr. Rogier van Mansvelt
Rogier van Mansvelt is working for GGGI as the project lead for the Switch Garment project. Almost 20 years ago, he relocated to Cambodia from the Netherlands. He started to work for GERES with solar cookers, biogas and cookstoves and become a renewable energy consultant for UNDP, World Bank, ADB and IFC. About 10 years ago, Rogier moved to the private sector to work for a private investment company in renewable energy as CTO and CEO, and over the last 6 years he worked as an engineer and business development manager at one of the leading engineering companies on solar and renewable energy in Asia. He holds an environmental master’s degree from the Utrecht University, and he can speak English, Dutch and Khmer fluently.
Mr. To Loeurt
Loeurt is the Senior Partnership Engagement & Learning Manager of a Tech for Green Cities (T4GC) Project of the Institute for Development Impact (I4DI). He has been working in the education sector for over 15 years. He was a Program Manager of an Arts Vocational Training School (Phare Ponleu Selpak) before joining T4GC Project as a Senior Project Management Specialist for Monitoring and Evaluation, Data Science, and Research. and an established researcher at the Southeast Asia Research Academy (SEARA). He has published several scientific research articles in Education.
Ms. Jess Kalisiak
Jess Kalisiak is a marine researcher and impact manager for TONTOTON – a community based solution for the collection of mismanaged ocean-bound plastic. Jess works to ensure key social and environmental performance indicators are aligned with UN SDGs and her current assessments focus around the vulnerability of informal waste collectors, plastic awareness within the community, and openness to behaviour change for plastic consumption and disposal.
Ms. Jacky Plaster and Mr. Sovann Nou
Jacky Plaster is a Project Manager at EVERWAVE and Sovann Nou an Executive Director at River Ocean Cleanup Organisation.
Mr. Chhay Lim
Lim Chhay is recently program manager in charge of foreign affairs projects at the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation in Cambodia (KAS). He joined KAS Cambodia since 2020, which formerly served in junior research associate and program officer positions. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with an Honour and Distinction thesis award from the Royal University of Phnom Penh in 2020. His thesis project centered on US-China strategic competition and Cambodia’s foreign policy.
Lim Chhay used to serve as an assistant and interpreter to the spokesperson of the Royal Government and later on worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in charge of communications and knowledge management under the policy and innovation unit. He was appointed by Peking University as a Representative of ASEAN Delegation to China-ASEAN Youth Summit 2021 and received an award from China’s Foreign Affairs University as Best Delegate and Best Delegation in 2019.
Ms. Chanbormey Long
Bormey began her journey with KAS Cambodia as an intern in early 2019. She, later on, earned the opportunity to become a project officer, and later, a program manager in 2020. With her bachelor’s degree in international studies, her continuous pursuit of law degree, and her passion to connect, and empower youths in Cambodia, she is now in charge of youth empowerment and rule of law projects.
Mr. Keo Chhannarith
Deputy director of Phnom Penh Solid Waste Management Authority and the Chief of Dangkor Landfill
Mr. Noy Chek
MR. Chek NOY, Deputy of Municipal Public Transportation, Sanitation, Environment and Public Order office. Mr Chek have been in charge of Municipal Solid Waste Management for 10 years. He has obtained his Master Degree of Philosophy , Columbo, Sri Lanka in 2009 and Municipal Solid Waste Management in Osaka , Japanese in 2014. Under his roles and responsibilities, he have been leading and coordinating to set up various local regulation such as (1) Dekha on Municipal Solid Waste Management ,(2) Dekha on setting up fee for Municipal Waste Management, (3) Legal Enforcement agency ( 4) Municipal Solid Waste Management Master Plan.
Mr. Sam Phalla
Mr. SAM Phallla is the Director of the Environmental Education and Recycling Organization (COMPOSTED) since 2022. Up to 2021, he supervises Waste Management Project Groups (COMPED-WM) and manages a composting project in Battambang province, Cambodia. Over the last 25 years, Mr. Phalla has coordinated and implemented several projects, for example, capacity building, public awareness raising, and waste, energy and climate change, and conducted studies such as analysis of institutional and legal framework on solid waste management and of waste characteristics for composting and energy. Since 1997 he was engaged in the field of waste management involving with waste collection in Phnom Penh. From 2000s, he involved in compost recycling at Steung Mean Chey old dumpsite in Phnom Penh; developing guidelines for solid waste management and urban organic waste utilization in Cambodia and a manual on installation and maintenance of renewable energy technologies. Prior to COMPED, he had been with Ministry of Public Work and Transport of Cambodia before working as Manager of Transportation at one waste collection company in Phnom Penh. Mr. Phalla holds master’s degree in Public Administration from Chamroeun University of Polytechnology, Phnom Penh, Cambodia and is diploma engineer in Mechanical Engineering at Rostock University in Germany
Mr. Uch Rithy
Mr. Uch Rithy is the Deputy Director of the Environmental Education and Recycling Organization (COMPOSTED) since 2022. Up to 2021, he is a program director of Waste Management (WM) Projects Group, Cambodian Education and Waste Management Organization (COMPED). He has been with COMPED for more than 15 years, having strong professional experience in waste and energy sector. With COMPED, Mr. Rithy has actively and closely worked with various key stakeholders from local to international levels, involved in project design and implementation to tackle critical waste issues in Cambodia. Managing various projects, Mr. Rithy has facilitated several trainings to raise awareness of the public, including waste workers, about 3Rs, safety, and health and conducted several studies and researches.
Mr. Pech Sotha
Mr. Pech Sotha is a General Manager at Lim Vanni Handicraft based in Prek Kampeis village, Prek Kampeis commune, Khan Dangkor, Phnom Penh. Prior to that he worked at Chip Mong Company for 9 years in management section.
Mr. Chhayheng Soth
Chhayheng Soth has been a Program Officer at KAS Cambodia since March 2022. Prior to that he was a former junior research associate intern at KAS Cambodia from August to October 2020.
He holds an educational background in a Bachelor of Political Science in Politics and International Relations with a minor in Governance and Transnational Studies at Thammasat University. Chhayheng has received a fully-funded scholarship from Thammasat University for his undergraduate studies in Thailand and another scholarship from Krou Yeung School. During summer 2021, he was admitted to the International Anti-Corruption Summer School for Students and Young People in Asia, co-organized by the International Anti-Corruption Academy and UNODC.
Mr. Sambath
Mr. Sambath is currently a senior student majoring in Political Science and International Relations at Paragon International University. He is currently a Project Coordinator at Politkoffee (PK) and a former Research Intern at Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP). His interest focuses on youth and politics where he has involved in several activities such as leading a debate club at his university (2019-2020) and organizing Politikoffee Weekly Forum since 2020 until today. Moreover, he was also a part of organizing team of Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung Political Empowering Academy (KASPEA) in 2021 and 2022.
Ms. Dy Sereyvoleak
Dy Sereyvoleak joined KAS Cambodia in December 2020. She holds a Bachelor Degree in International Relations from Royal University of Phnom Penh. She is a the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program alumni which did a one semester exchange in the United States funded by the Department of States. She was also a Volunteer Youth Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr. Christopher Godlove
Chris Godlove has worked on environment and climate issues for the past 20 years, involved in a range of technical areas including waste management, air quality, water and energy resources, as they intersect with climate policy. He began his career working on the development of technical capacity building activities focused on municipal water supply and solid waste management in Latin America. While at the Alliance to Save Energy he managed a USAID supported technical initiative designed to reduce energy and water consumption of municipal water utilities in Asia, Latin American and Eastern Europe. With the Clinton Climate Initiative, Clinton Foundation, he served as Senior Advisor on waste and water resource issues, supporting decision making in megacities around the world seeking to reduce climate impacts. During his seven years with the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Climate Change Division, he managed methane mitigation activities, assisting cities to develop biogas resources from municipal solid waste and wastewater treatment, in support of the Global Methane Initiative. Currently he is serving as the Team Lead for the 3RproMar Kratie Pilot implemented by The Asia Foundation. Chris is based in Brussels, Belgium where he manages the activities of THINKCities Consulting.
Mr. Chau Kim Heng
Mr. Chau KIm Heng holds Master Degree in Physics Science. He Is currently a Head of COMPED. He used to engage in Municipal solid waste management and renewable energy, social work and educational work with small children.
Mr. Hak Kosal
Mr. Hak Kosal, Department of Public, Transportation, Sanitation and Public Order, Poi Pet Municipality Mr.Kosal is in charge of Department of Public, Transportation, Sanitation and Public Order in Poi Pet municipality. He obtained a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from Royal University of Law and Economics, Cambodia. He has been working in local government and in Waste Management sector for over 10 years. He recently has been active in promoting clean and green city in Poi Pet Municipality. Mr.Hak Kosal wants to see Poi Pet become a smart city.
Mr. Sanka Seneviratne
CHIP MONG ECOLOCYCLE
Mr. Peam Suttapirom
Project Engineer at WELLE Environmental Group
Ms. Soun Sreydett
Communication Team Leader at Re-Five
Ms. Sotheavy At
