Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Michael Gann studied chemistry and technical chemistry at the University of Vienna and the Vienna University of Technology, as well as toxicology at the Medical University of Vienna. After holding various positions in private research institutes, he worked in the research department of Dynea Austria in Krems from 2006, then for Metadynea Austria. He is currently Head of Patents and European Chemicals Legislation - REACH at Metadynea.

Motivation: “I am not a fan of routine work, I am motivated by the variety of issues in my job. Here I can also pursue my personal passion - although the work can be very formal at times - to trace the background and find out about the how - what - why, which is important to me personally.”

Dr. Birgit Stöffler studied chemistry at the Technical University of Darmstadt (www.tu-darmstadt.de), where she completed her PhD at the Institute of Chemical Technology in 1997. She then worked as a scientific employee. From 2000 to 2002, she qualified as a safety engineer at BG Chemie (now BG RCI: www.bgrci.de) and has since worked as a safety engineer in the occupational safety department of an international chemical and pharmaceutical company. Her main topics are hazardous substances and the effects of GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals: www.unece.org/about-ghs) and the CLP Regulation (www.echa.europa.eu/regulations/clp/understanding-clp) on occupational health and safety. She also gives many presentations on these topics. Birgit Stöffler has been a certified BG RCI trainer since 2010 and has been a deputy member of the Committee for Hazardous Substances (AGS: Ausschuss für Gefahrstoffe: www.baua.de/ags) as an expert and a member of Subcommittee II (protective measures) (Unterausschuss II – Schutzmaßnahmen: www.baua.de/DE/Die-BAuA/Aufgaben/Geschaeftsfuehrung-von-Ausschuessen/AGS/Ueber-den-AGS.html) since 2015. Since 2018, she has been a lecturer at the Technical University of Darmstadt on the subject of "Legal applications for future laboratory and production managers" and teaches students how to create a legally compliant risk assessment for activities involving hazardous substances.

The Pop in My Job
Nowadays, hazardous substances are everywhere and the regulations on hazardous substances have become very complicated. In these times with many fake news, it is my motivation as a chemist and as an occupational safety expert
- to spread scientific facts and fight fake news whenever possible,
- to support anyone to understand the hazards and risks of hazardous substances,
- to protect the occupational health and safety of people working with hazardous substances and
- to reduce the environmental impact by promoting substitution of hazardous substances.
With my decades of experience on regulations for hazardous substances, I can support managers how to transfer the complicated regulations to their workplaces and to achieve compliance by choosing adequate protective measures.

Cecilia Branneby has been the HSE Manager for Hazardous Substances at Valmet in Karlstad, Sweden, since January 2024. Prior to this, she worked for over 15 years at Cambrex Karlskoga AB, where she held roles including REACH Manager and Chemical Safety Engineer. In these positions, she ensured REACH compliance, classified substances, and developed and communicated safety data sheets. Earlier in her career, she gained experience as a lab leader and project manager, focusing on biocatalysis and enzyme development.

Abhijeet KOKATE is a seasoned procurement and sustainability professional with over 17 years of international experience in procurement, supply chain strategy, and environmental compliance across EMEA and global markets. Having led key initiatives in sustainability and decarbonization within the logistics and infrastructure sector, he now serves as the Global Program Manager for Environmental Levies at LyondellBasell (LYB). In this role, he drives the implementation of compliance activities related to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT), and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), ensuring alignment with corporate sustainability goals. Abhijeet is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), reinforcing his expertise in strategic leadership and environmental stewardship.

The Pop in Your Job:
Navigating environmental levies is more than just compliance—it’s about proactively shaping how businesses respond to evolving sustainability challenges. The real challenge lies in balancing regulatory requirements with strategic foresight, ensuring that sustainability initiatives drive both compliance and long-term business value.

The company was founded in 1948 and has since then successfully developed the site. For over 50 years the company was known as Krems Chemie, and for the last decade as Metadynea Austria. Since 2014 it has been integrated into the Sorcy Investment Trust. With KremsChem, the brand is returning to its roots - in a new, modern and international version. The new name KremsChem reflects the spirit of innovation and the connection to the region. KremsChem Austria is the regional market and technology leader in glues and synthetic resins, as well as a specialist in fine chemicals, paint raw materials and flame retardants. Around 400,000 tons of these quality products are manufactured annually in state-of-the-art production facilities. KremsChem Austria currently employs around 225 people. The R&D team with well-trained and experienced specialists acts as an important competence center for product development and application technology.

A passion for science and technology drives our approximately 63,000 employees in 65 countries. They are working to find solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time in order to create a more sustainable future. We accompany people at every stage of their lives, helping them to shape, improve and extend them. We enable personalized treatments for serious illnesses and make the desire to have children a reality for many couples. Together, we are making a decisive impact on life and health through science. Our digital platforms, products and services simplify accurate research and help to achieve breakthroughs faster. They accelerate access to health and ensure that analyses are accurate and medicines are trustworthy. We are the company behind the companies, driving digital life forward. Our developments are in technologies that change the way we access, store, process and display information. Our innovations unlock the potential of data and open up opportunities to positively influence the way we live. Scientific research and responsible entrepreneurship are crucial for technological progress that benefits us all. We have been guided by this principle since 1668, pushing the boundaries of what is possible to create opportunities for all. That's what drives us

Valmet has a global customer base across various process industries. We are a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries, and with our automation and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our more than 19,000 professionals in more than 40 countries around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward – every day. Valmet is organized around five business lines and five geographical areas. The business lines are Services, Flow Control, Automation Systems, Pulp and Energy and Paper. The areas are North America, South America, EMEA (Europe, Middle-East and Africa), Asia Pacific, and China. The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. Valmet’s net sales in 2023 were approximately EUR 5.5 billion. Valmet’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.

We are LyondellBasell – a leader in the global chemical industry creating solutions for everyday sustainable living. Through advanced technology and focused investments, we are enabling a circular and low carbon economy. Across all we do, we aim to unlock value for our customers, investors and society. As one of the world's largest producers of polymers and a leader in polyolefin technologies, we develop, manufacture and market high-quality and innovative products for applications ranging from sustainable transportation and food safety to clean water and quality healthcare.