Women in Plastics -
The networking event at K 2025

Stephanie Kalil

Commercial Vice President – Europe, Middle East & Africa
Packaging & Specialty Plastics
Dow

Stephanie Kalil is the commercial vice president for Packaging & Specialty Plastics (P&SP) in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Dow Inc. She is responsible for developing and driving business strategy, particularly Dow’s circularity and decarbonization efforts, as well as the overall profit and loss of P&SP in the region. Stephanie is also responsible for delivering value-creating initiatives to help better serve customers and the industry at large. Prior to this role Stephanie was the Senior Global Business director for the Polyethylene business.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing with a specialization in International Business from Michigan State University (MSU). She also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. She is a passionate advocate for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the Women’s Innovation (WIN) employee resource groups, championing initiatives to enhance professional development and improve cross cultural understanding, as well as fighting for greater representation for women in technical and leadership roles. She lives in Zurich, Switzerland with her husband.

Miriam Olivi

General Manager
Frigosystem Corema

President – WOMEN IN PLASTICS ITALY

With 30+ years of experience in auxiliary equipment for plastics processing, Miriam Olivi built an inspiring path from sales back office to General Manager of FRIGOSYSTEM COREMA. 

She led projects in 70+ countries and pursued studies in management, sociology, and global education. Expert in international markets and business strategies, she is known for her multicultural mindset and advocacy for diversity.  

Since 2024, she is President of WOMEN IN PLASTICS ITALY, promoting female leadership in plastics and fostering inclusive, innovative corporate culture.

Samira Uharek

Sustainability Manager
ARBURG GmbH + Co KG

Samira Uharek is a Sustainability Manager at ARBURG. In 2014, she completed a degree in Business Administration – Freight Forwarding Transport and Logistics at the Cooperative State University Lörrach (DHBW Lörrach). This was followed by a master's degree in Process Analysis & Technology Management at Reutlingen University, which she completed in 2017. She wrote her master's dissertation as part of a research fellowship at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. In the same year, Samira Uharek began her career at ARBURG in application technology development, where she worked on calculating the carbon footprint and energy requirement of injection moulding machines. In 2022, she began continued training as an environmental manager and became Sustainability Manager at ARBURG. In this position, Samira Uharek has since analysed and advised extensively on sustainability issues.

Anabel Crespo Soler

Tecnologies Manager
AIMPLAS

Anabel Crespo Soler is working at AIMPLAS since 2007, initially as a Researcher, then as Head of Composites. Later as leader of the Construction and Renewable Energies group and currently as Technologies Manager, being part of the Management Committee since 2021. Specialist in raw materials and composite processing, working on national and international research projects, mainly in the area of nanocomposites, thermosets, sustainable materials and circular economy. Anabel has participated in the technical coordination of several 7th Framework Programme, CIP Eco-Innovation and H2020 projects focused on sustainable materials and circular economy (POLYCOND, CORNETFOAM, ECO RUBBER, ECOGEL, URBANREC). Currently, her activity is based on leading and managing multidisciplinary teams of an area with more than 100 people, managing resources and defining and implementing research lines according to the needs of society and companies.

Mirjam Mayer

Vice President Circular Economy Solutions
Borealis AG, Vienna

Mirjam Mayer is Vice President Circular Economy Solutions at Borealis. Since joining Borealis in 2020 as Director Strategy & Growth Portfolio, Mayer has played a key role in shaping the Group's strategy. Most recently, she was Vice President Polyolefins Transformation and was responsible for the strategic development of the Polyolefins, Circular Economy and Innovation & Technology divisions. Prior to this, she worked for several years as a management consultant at McKinsey in various countries and has a strong scientific background: a postdoctoral degree from MIT in Boston and a doctorate in biochemistry/biophysics from TU Dresden and the Max Planck Research School. CEO Thomas Gangl emphasises her strategic foresight and implementation strength and sees her as a key person for Borealis' sustainable future.

Angelika Huemer

Managing Partner, CEO
Starlinger & Co Gesellschaft m.b.H.

Angelika Huemer is Managing Partner and CEO of Starlinger & Co. After joining Starlinger in 1983 she worked in several central departments and business areas until she took over the position of Managing Partner and CEO of the companies belonging to the Starlinger Group in 2002. In addition to her management activities in the Starlinger Group she is CEO of the Starlinger Group Holding company, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the production sites in China and India and President of the Starlinger branch in USA. Her particular focus is on sustainable corporate development, innovation and customer orientation. Under her leadership, the company was able to grow successfully and to sustainably strengthen its market position.

Laura Flórez

General Manager
ICIPC - Tecnologia del Plastico

Laura Flórez is a mechanical engineer and master in mechanical engineering from the University of the Andes in Colombia. She has devoted her career to plastics industry, holding positions in simulation, optimization of processes and circular economy. She earned her PhD in polymer processing from the IKV in Aachen, Germany. She currently serves as content director of Tecnología del Plastico magazine, is general director of the ICIPC Plastic Research Institute in Colombia, and leads her own consulting firm, PM Tec Engineering.

Kerstin Sochor

Editor-in-Chief
Österreichische Kunststoffzeitschrift

• Studied business administration in Vienna
• Marketing positions in the plastics machinery industry
• Editor of the Austrian Plastics Magazine since 2002
• Founding member and board member of the Austrian Carbon Cycle Circle (ÖCC²) - Team for Sustainable Carbon Cycle

  www.linkedin.com/in/kerstin-sochor-90564619