2023 Earth Day: Sustainability Changemakers
This blog is part of our Changemakers at Berlin series that highlights our people whose work positively impacts people, communities, and the planet.
In celebration of Earth Month, we are highlighting several of our amazing Berliners who drive sustainability impact. Our people are the heart of the company: they execute our sustainability strategy and commitments, drive bottom-up initiatives, and activate innovative solutions that serve our people and our planet. While they all work in diverse roles, their combined efforts are helping to drive a sustainable packaging movement.
Balaji Jayaseelan
Vice President of Sustainability
Balaji leads Berlin Packaging's sustainability strategy, drawing on his extensive experience working with startups and managing multifaceted portfolios of consumer and professional brands. With 15+ years of experience leading sustainability programs for multiple B2B and B2C firms, including within the packaging industry, Balaji has overseen global teams focused on innovation, cost efficiencies, and digital transformation.
"As an advocate for sustainable business, I firmly believe in enhancing our customers' brands, promoting a healthy and fulfilling work environment for our people, and protecting the environment for future generations. At Berlin Packaging, we are committed to pioneering sustainable packaging practices and making a positive impact on the world.
We achieve this by empowering our customers to make conscious decisions by providing them with a wide range of sustainable packaging solutions, educating them on trade-offs, and encouraging them to think creatively about their impact on the environment. Moreover, we collaborate with like-minded partners to address wider packaging issues and drive systemic change towards sustainable packaging practices."
Martin Rathgeber
Director of Engineering
Martin is the Director of Engineering at Berlin Packaging and Studio One Eleven. He is a product development expert with 25+ years of experience in ideating, developing, and delivering products. Martin works closely with our customers to optimize their products for sustainability, brand impact, cost, consumer experience, and performance.
"At the Studio, we believe that a holistic approach to product development is essential for success in the market. Sustainability is a core aspect of our process, where we consider our customers' sustainability goals, evolving consumer expectations, and the realities of our supply chain to create optimal sustainable products.
My passion lies in driving innovation while educating and guiding our customers through the complexities of sustainability. Together, we work to create products that not only help our customers meet their sustainability goals but also delight their consumers."
Alejandro Medina Aristizábal
Senior Sustainability Analyst
Alejandro brings a wealth of international experience strengthening and accelerating sustainability impact at scale. He has developed and executed innovative programs with public and private stakeholders for resource efficiency, reducing carbon footprint, and improving business productivity. He is also the founder of a composting startup, Eisenia Col.
"My goal is to simplify and translate sustainability into actionable strategies and tangible results. There's an incredibly strong business case for sustainability: it's an avenue that opens up a wealth of opportunities for businesses and benefits us as a society. At Berlin, we catalyze sustainability across the entire value chain, whether it be partnering with our customers to achieve their sustainability goals or collaborating with our supply network to provide innovative, sustainable products."
Kayla Bitner
Senior Product Development Engineer
With over five years of experience and a background in Mechanical Engineering, Kayla combines her technical skills with her passion for sustainability, helping our customers understand the environmental impact of their packaging and influencing their decision towards more sustainable solutions. She successfully implemented Lean Six Sigma principles to reduce waste and process variation in the food and beverage industry, and is well versed in product development, continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and process optimization.
"Working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment inspired me to start thinking about how we can produce goods through processes that minimize the environmental impact. Using tools such as Lifecycle Assessments, I can measure the impact on the environment associated with the product's entire lifecycle. Sustainable actions have a direct impact on our society and contributing to Berlin's sustainability goals is very rewarding. By actively prioritizing these goals during the product development process, I am motivated to design, build and deliver innovative packaging solutions for our customers."
Celine Yang
Sustainability Communications Specialist
Celine partners with our global Sustainability and Marketing teams to lead and execute our sustainability communications strategy. She is passionate about accelerating the circular economy, promoting equity-centered solutions, and advancing corporate social and environmental responsibility. She has published articles through environmental law and policy organizations, spoken at conferences sharing her experience leading sustainability and community engagement initiatives, and designed community-centered tech solutions for conservation nonprofits.
"As a first-generation Asian American woman with a disability, I understand the crucial role inclusive communications play in amplifying historically marginalized voices. Growing up hard of hearing, I discovered early on the power of stories to spark change. My mission is to leverage my sustainability and storytelling passions to create accessible, inclusive, and engaging sustainability education, uplift community engagement efforts, and amplify intersectional solutions."