Introducing the speakers

Marga Hoek
True visionary on sustainable business

Marga Hoek is a member of Thinkers50, she is that rare combination: a true visionary on sustainable business and capital and a successful, innovative business leader who understands and applies the commercial realities of business. Operating at the highest level with ministers and presidents, Marga is a global voice for G20, G7 Climat Change and if Cop 23; an award winning author and a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and other prestigious media.

She is a non executive director for various, international companies after a successful CEO, executive career as well an appreciated and sought after boardroom advisor. As the most appreciated speaker on sustainable business and capital and a multiple awarded author, she is considered one of the most influential thought leaders leading the way in the transition towards a sustainable world.

She is the unique in demonstrating in how today’s ICT’s and technological innovations can be a huge force for good and has a strong trackrecord in the financial sector.

Jori Ringman
Director General, CEPI

Since June 2019, Jori Ringman is Director General of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi). Previously he was Deputy Director General and responsible for issues relating to sustainability, environment and consumer protection, with particular concern for packaging and food contact. Since joining Cepi in 2005 he has been advancing and exploring circular low carbon bioeconomy in the sector.

Prior to 2005, he was a civil servant at the European Commission and a political advisor in the European Parliament.

Mr Ringman has a background in Economics, Econometrics and Business Management and broad experience in communications, public administration and politics. He also holds an MSc in Environmental Decision-making.

Ronalds W. Gonzalez
Ph.D. MBA Associate Professor NC STATE University

Professor Ronalds W. Gonzalez is director of Tissue Pack Innovation Lab at NC State Univeristy. Recently, he established a University-Industry research consortium, “SAFI” (Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative), supported by more than 20 companies (go.ncsu.edu/SAFI), to promote responsible sourcing, development, and use of sustainable fibers to fight climate change. His research portfolio exceeds 9 million dollars.

Luiz F. Gomez
Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Texas Tissue Converting, LLC
Founder and President of Global Link & Supplies, Inc.
Partner Cardinal Tissue Converting, LLC.

Luis Gomez was born and raised in Colombia. He obtained his Bachelor of Mechanical engineer at EAFIT UNIVERSITY in 1996. During his young professional life, at age 25, he
created his first company in 1998, High Pack limited, doing packaging outsourcing for the food and beverage industry.

In 2001 he came to the US to work for a worldwide leading company of converting equipment for tissue paper converting, FABIO PERINI spa. Thanks to his experience and network achieved during his job at Fabio Perini Spa, he created in 2009 Global Link & Supplies Inc, to serve tissue paper converters to secure raw materials for their equipment.

In 2014, launched a state-of-the-art tissue paper converting facility located in Houston TX, Texas Tissue Converting LLC and later partnered 49% in 2019 with Cardinal Tissue LLC located in Spindale, North Carolina. The two converting facilities provide private labeled tissue paper products to the local and national supermarkets stores.

Ulf Johnsson
Concept Manager Mill Technology

Ulf has experience from global Tissue projects in different phases and in different roles both as consultant and as a machine supplier. For the last 20 years he has been involved in Process technology, Mill engineering, Project execution, Concept development and Sustainability projects. He has a B.Sc. Degree in Industrial and building service engineering from Karlstad University, 1995.

Jenny Lahti Samuelsson
Manager Global Tissue Technology

Jenny holds a University MSc degree in engineering from Royal Institute of technology  and has held several different roles in Valmet since starting in 1995 as R&D Engineer.

Jenny took over the responsibility for Valmet’s tissue making technology including tissue machine concepts, mill technology and process automation in 2018. The main task is to lead and coordinate the strategic work for technology development within the global organization to secure Valmet Best Available Technology.

Arvid Johansson
Concept Manager, Dry Crepe Tissue

Arvid has held several different technical roles in Valmet. In 2010 he moved to China to work with Tissue engineering in Valmet´s Xián office. In 2012 Arvid joined the R&D department and has been deeply involved in various product developments. Since 2015 he is is the Concept Manager for dry crepe tissue at Valmet. He is also the manager for the product management team. Arvid holds a university degree in Mechanical Engineering from Karlstad University.

Danilo Marcos
Concept Manager Structured Tissue

Danilo started his career in 2007 with an internship for Voith Paper in Sao Paulo. In the end of the same year, he graduated in mechanical engineering and was hired as a project engineer for tissue projects, specialized in paper and celluloses technology. In 2016 he moved to Sweden and started working at Valmet Sweden as a senior process engineer and global reference manager for tissue machines. Since 2018 he has been the concept manager for structured tissue.

Mikko Viitamäki
Business Manager at Valmet Automation

Mikko has worked in the company since 2016 and has several years of experience with automation systems in paper, board and tissue industries. He holds a Master of Science in process automation technology.

Juha Luhtalampi
Product Manager, Tissue Fabrics

Juha Luhtalampi has over 30 years’ solid experience working in paper industry. He has been working for 25 years in tissue making area in production, technology, product development and international sales management. As Valmet Global Product Manager Juha Luhtalampi is managing tissue paper machine clothing product offering (forming fabrics, press felts, shoe press belts) to our global tissue PMC customers.

Mikko Viljamaa
Director, Tissue Mill Solutions North America

Mikko started his career with Valmet in the air systems unit in Finland in 1994. Since then, he has held several different global and local roles in Valmet, latest one being managing and developing the Tissue services to our North American customers. Mikko has lived in the USA the past 20 years and is currently located in Atlanta, GA. Mikko holds a BSc in Engineering from Finland and a MBA from the University of Wisconsin.

Sonia Bertetto
Mill Sales Manager EMEA

Sonia, currently living in Porcari, Tuscany, Italy , joined Valmet in 2020 as Mill Sales Manager. She was previously working as a Project Manager and Sales Managers at various companies within the pulp and paper industry. She holds a Master Degree in Pulp&Paper Engineering from Grenoble. And as she says herself "During my studies I fell in love with this industry and I have never left it since". 

Jonas Johansson
Head of Tissue Industrial Internet

Jonas is currently leading the Valmet Industrial Internet tissue offering. He has over 30 year's experience from automation technology, mill maintenance and Internet of Things within the board and tissue industry. 

Bruno Tremblay
Concept Manager, TAD Technology

Bruno graduated from the University of Sherbrooke in Chemical Engineering in 2003. With close to 15 years working in the chemical sales & applications for the tissue industry, he joined Valmet in 2016 in the Reference Management department. In his first years within Valmet, he has supported essentially the launch of Valmet hybrid platforms such as NTT and QRT. Today, he has been leading the Advantage™ Thru-Air® concept, the Valmet TAD technology. 

Angelo Silva
Product Sales Manager

Angelo graduated in Electrical Engineering from Faculdade Politécnica de Jundiai and has a specialization in FGV project management. At Valmet, he is the responsible product manager for quality management systems (QMS). He has extensive experience in project management, having participated in large projects in Pulp and Paper Mills and Mining and Construction mills in Brazil, in addition to having participated in projects in several other countries.