IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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IPC COMMUNITY 79 WINTER 2025 coordinator of the Environment and Health Strate- gic Management Team (ENV SMT). I am also a blog writer, webinar host, and newsletter contributor. My goal is to always be one step ahead of emerging policies and to work with the industry to propose pragmatic solutions for their implementation, or for the need for us to engage directly with government and policymakers. IPC has always distinguished itself as a key voice for the electronics industry on environmental issues. Dr. Kelly Scanlon held this role before me and recently stepped into a new role at IPC as the lead sustainability strategist. As sustainability policies are important to and even drive decisions about sus- tainability for electronics, Kelly and I work together closely. I also liaise with IPC's EU and U.S. government rela- tions senior directors Alison James in Brussels and Richard Cappetto in Washington, D.C. Tell me more about your background before coming into this role. More than anything else, I am an explorer. I've always been passionate about science, technology, and communication. I have a doctorate in physi- cal chemistry from the Technical University (TU) Dortmund through the International Max-Planck Research School Dortmund in Germany and did post-doctoral work at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. I am multilingual and a dual citizen of Germany and Romania. I've always enjoyed writ- ing and discovering other cultures through learning different languages. I also feel lucky to live in such a beautiful area. I love nature and spend much time hiking in the Alps close to the German-Austrian bor- der. Before joining IPC, I worked in the healthcare industry, most recently in a leadership role in regula- tory affairs. I am a passionate volunteer who has worked on human rights, climate change awareness, and sci- ence communication campaigns. While volunteering toward the end of my post-doctoral training, I had the chance to interact with the Governor of Alberta for Advanced Education and Technology who sug- gested that I would be great in science policy. That idea stayed with me. Simultaneously, I realized that one of the most valuable skills gained from a scien- tific education is critical thinking, and that can and should be applied in many areas. It's been 13 years, and I can say that the regulatory field has given me many rewarding experiences. I am proud to have contributed to shaping policies. There is an interdependence between policy and progress. The policy landscape is constantly evolving, often driven by, or in response to, emerging technologies. I find pur- pose in navigating the space in between. I always keep three things in mind: overall strategy, core messaging, and timelines. Given that I am a trained scientist with a passion for communication and, some- times, for challenging the status quo, as well as a human being with a genuine love for the natural world and a strong desire to protect it, I feel right at home in sustainability policy. IPC has been focused on sustainability and advocacy, and it sounds like you entered straight into the action. You are correct. IPC has been supporting the industry on environmental issues for decades. We are a valuable partner for sustainability topics in Europe and globally. It makes sense for me to be located at our Munich HQ because many of the sus- tainability policy priorities we work on are being driven by the EU. While they originate in Europe, they will have a global impact, and sooner rather than later they will affect the entire value chain. What areas are you focusing on in this new role? Currently, I am concentrating on emerging pol- icies in different focus areas: chemicals and prod- ucts, environmental, and social sustainability. Some are specific to the electronics industry, while others have a much broader focus. There is a lot of informa- tion to go through and turn into pragmatic action that is both timely and meaningful. As a result of my ongoing dialogue with the ENV SMT and with other Diana Radovan