Leadership Team

Marco Mensink is Director General of Cefic since May 1st, 2016, and one of the leading industry advocates in Europe. Supporting the Cefic Board of 30 industry CEO’s, Mr. Mensink shapes the strategy and direction of the European chemical industry, uniting 22 national federations, 8 associate federations and 650 members and affiliates from all over Europe. Cefic hosts over 70 different sector groups focusing on different chemistries. Virtually all large global and local chemical companies with production facilities in Europe are Cefic members.

A key role in Cefic is the interaction with Brussels based and global stakeholders. A Dutch national, he is a seasoned public affairs professional, who has lived and worked in Brussels since 2006. He has an extensive network of contacts within European institutions and the wider Brussels sphere, and is active in several European Commission High Level Groups. 

Starting his career at Ernst & Young Management Consulting, he worked for six years in environmental management  and due diligence projects. He then worked for six years at the Royal Netherlands’ Paper and Board Association, also representing the Dutch industry in Brussels. Marco Mensink holds a Master of Science Degree in Forestry and Business Management from the Agricultural University of Wageningen in the Netherlands. Born in 1968, he is married and has three children.

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Sylvie Lemoine is a distinguished professional with a robust background in EU regulatory affairs spanning over fifteen years, both in EU trade associations and in
chemical companies. As the Executive Director of Product Stewardship at Cefic since 2019, she has been instrumental in driving initiatives on the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.
Transitioning her expertise, Sylvie now champions Industrial Policy within the organisation since 2024.

Alongside her work within Cefic, Sylvie is actively engaged with the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), contributing her regulatory and strategic expertise to global discussions on chemical management, and sustainable industry transformation.

Prior to her tenure at Cefic, Sylvie held a pivotal role as the Director for Technical and Regulatory Affairs at A.I.S.E., the International Association for Soaps, Detergents, and Maintenance products, after which she joined Dow Government Affairs in 2016.

Sylvie Lemoine holds a chemical engineering degree complemented with a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the esteemed Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France. She commenced her professional career at ExxonMobil Chemical, gaining experience across R&D and market development departments based in Brussels.

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Camilla Martelli joined Cefic’s Public Affairs team in 2017, focusing on the policy areas of Product Stewardship and Health Safety, Responsible Care and Supply Chain. Camilla is leading the advocacy strategy towards the European Parliament and, since January 2021, she is in charge of the coordination of the advocacy actions undergone by Cefic to responds to the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability agenda. With a university degree in international and European Studies, Camilla worked 7 years in the European Parliament, advising two different Members of the European Parliament. 

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Marleen joined Euro Chlor in 2011 and was appointed Science & Regulatory Affairs Director in 2016. Two years later, she advanced to Executive Director of the Halogens Industry Sector. In September 2025, she also assumed leadership of Cefic’s Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE), Responsible Care, and Supply Chain activities.

Throughout her time at Cefic, Marleen has led various sector groups and regulatory committees focused on human health, and co-steered the ‘Bridges & Connections’ project—one of the key pillars of Cefic’s ‘Change Strategy’.

In 2021, she established FPP4EU, Cefic’s sector group dedicated to FluoroProducts and PFAS.

Marleen holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, with a specialization in regulatory human toxicology and alternatives to animal testing. Prior to joining Cefic, she gained industry experience as a Senior Regulatory Affairs and Toxicology Analyst at Albemarle Europe.

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Miguel joined Cefic in 2012 as Manager of the “Food Contact Additives” Sector Group. In 2019 he became director of Specialty Chemicals and is currently heading the “Resins” and “Plastic Additives” clusters.

Miguel is chemist by training and has over 15 years’ experience in industry associations in Brussel dealing with food and chemicals legislation. Prior to that he worked for several years in various R&D projects in Germany.

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Nicola was appointed  Executive Director Climate Change and Energy of Cefic in April 2023. Nicola has more than 20 years of experience in public affairs and stakeholder engagement in Brussels. He started his career in Brussels leading a European youth organization promoting European integration. 

Ever since, his path has been linked to climate change and energy topics: among others, Nicola has advised Eurelectric for several years on Environment and Sustainable Development Policy, and then served for over five years as Energy and Climate Director at CEPI, the Confederation of European Paper Industries. 

Nicola joined Cefic in December 2020 as the new Energy Director. In April 2023, he has been appointed Executive Director Climate Change and Energy of Cefic. In his role, Nicola represents the industry’s interests to European institutions, international organisations and relevant stakeholders. 

Nicola has a master’s degree in law from the University of Turin, an advanced master’s in political and social European integration from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and a Master of Laws in energy and environmental law from KU Leuven and successfully completed the Accelerated Management Programme at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management.

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Marc Vermeulen was appointed to Executive Director of Specialty Chemicals on 20 June 2017.

Marc, a Belgian national, joined Cefic in 1989 after his studies (Biology). Started providing product specific statistics to the members and developed statistical databases covering European harmonised data on the main economic indicators for the chemical industry. The database was the first and unique tool at that time to compare European economic indicators for the chemical industry. The data served to provide economic outlooks and as well for the creation of the Cefic brochure Facts & Figures. The data set was later on extended to energy data allowing the calculation of the CO₂ emissions of the chemical industry and monitoring the energy market liberalisation.

After having being involved in the Climate Change policy for the chemical industry, joined the Cefic department of the sector groups in 2001. Beside managing several sector groups, consolidated the food & feed cluster and provided the members with a weekly newsletter on regulatory developments. Established the needed contacts with EFSA, DG Sante and Codex Alimentarius. Was appointed in 2007 Director Food Chain and Protective Applications.

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Liesbeth Timmermans joined Cefic in 2013 as environmental lawyer and became Legal Director in 2019 and Executive Director in 2023 heading the legal team. Since January 2026, Liesbeth has taken over the role of Executive Director Operations overseeing the Cefic Services (IT, HR, Office Management and Finance) in addition to her role of head of Legal Affairs.

Prior to joining Cefic, she worked as associate in a Brussels-based law firm where she specialized in EU regulatory, advising businesses in the food and feed sector.

Liesbeth holds a master degree in European law from the University of Rennes I, France, and the diploma of Sciences-Po Aix-en-Provence.

She has the Belgian and French nationality, and speaks French, Dutch, English and Spanish.

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Steven brings more than 20 years’ experience in environmental and chemical policy. Steven joined Cefic in 2015 working in regulatory risk management of chemicals, REACH processes and value chain outreach.

Prior to Cefic, he worked as a consultant and policy advisor at the Belgian chemical association. Steven holds an MsC in chemical engineering and several post graduates in environmental and safety management.

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Eric is Cefic’s Executive Director for Innovation since January 2026. In his role, Eric works to align the industry’s innovation agenda with the expectations of European institutions and other key stakeholders. He joined the Cefic Sustainability team in 2021 and advanced to Sustainability Director in 2024, focusing on the role and contribution of the chemical sector to a sustainable transition.

Before that, Eric was CSR Manager at the Antwerp Port Authority and one of the driving forces behind the World Ports Sustainability Program of the IAPH.

Eric has a background in research and innovation having worked almost two decades in the academic world as respectively a researcher at the Dutch Research Council and as a professor at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development at the University of Antwerp.

Eric de Deckere holds a PhD in Mathematical and Natural Sciences from the University of Groningen and a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University.

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