Executive Director:
 |
Dr Michael Warhurst has been Executive Director of CHEM Trust since July 2014. He previously worked on waste & resource use at Friends of the Earth from 2005-June 2014, including heading up Friends of the Earth Europe’s Resources and Consumption programme for over 5 years. Prior to this he worked on chemicals policy at WWF European Policy Office for 3 years and at Friends of the Earth for 5 years, focussing on advocating for reform of EU chemicals policy and working on the initial stages of REACH. He is a PhD Biochemist, with an MSc in Environmental Chemistry and a degree in Biochemistry. |
Director of Fundraising:
 |
Elizabeth Salter Green co-founded CHEM Trust with Gwynne Lyons in 2007. She worked for WWF-UK, WWF European Policy Office, Brussels and WWF International, Switzerland for over 10 years. She was Director of the WWF-UK Toxics Programme. She holds degrees in Clinical Physiology and International Environmental Law and speaks French and Spanish. Prior to WWF she worked for several years as a marine biologist. She is author of the book “The Toxic Consumer.” |
Head of Science:
 |
Ninja Reineke, Head of Science at CHEM Trust, holds a degree in chemistry and a PhD on the analysis of marine pollutants. She previously worked for WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) on EU chemicals policy for almost 10 years before joining CHEM Trust in 2013. Her main work areas are EU regulations on endocrine disrupters and persistent chemicals. She also works at the science-policy interface to ensure the most up to date science is reflected in regulation, e.g. on combination effects and human biomonitoring studies. Since December 2018 she is the Chair of the Management Board of CHEM Trust Europe, based in Hamburg, Germany. In addition to her CHEM Trust work she also provides technical expertise and support for other non-profit organisations, institutes and foundations. |
Director of Policy and Advocacy:
 |
Dr Anna Watson has been working with CHEM Trust since January 2018. Before joining CHEM Trust Anna worked at Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) for almost 20 years. During this time she led work on UK waste policy, the Rights and Justice team, the Fair Transition programme and devised and led the organisation’s Run on Sun campaign, calling for a national roll-out of solar on schools. She is a scientist by background, and has a PhD in Freshwater Ecology. |
Director of Finance and Resources:
 |
Julie Chisholm joined CHEM Trust in March 2022 and is our Director of Finance and Resources. She has many years’ experience of managing all aspects of finance, HR, IT, and governance, and her career spans both public and private sectors. Julie also worked as a senior lecturer for a number of years, where she taught accounting and finance across both undergraduate and postgraduate level programmes. |
EDC Science and Policy Expert:
 |
Pia Juul Nielsen has been working as a Senior Adviser to CHEM Trust since May 2019 with a main focus on endocrine disruptors (EDs). She holds a master’s degree in pharmacy and has been working with regulatory toxicology and hazard and risk assessment of chemicals for more than 25 years as consultant in toxicology, and as chief adviser and deputy head of chemicals division at the Danish EPA. She was responsible for the activities under the Danish strategy on endocrine disruptors for many years, initiated several activities in relation to endocrine disruptors and combination effects both nationally and internationally and coordinated the establishment of a Danish Centre on Endocrine Disrupters. During recent years she has been focusing on the establishment of criteria for EDs and identification and risk assessment of EDs. In 2014-2015 she was a seconded national expert at the European Commission (DG ENV) working on the endocrine disruptors file and with health assessment of chemicals. |
Chemical Policy Expert:
 |
Antonia Reihlen has been working as an expert advisor to CHEM Trust since 2019 with a focus on the development and implementation of REACH and food contact materials legislation. Antonia started working on chemicals policy as an employee for the consulting company Oekopol. Since 2018 she works as a self-employed researcher and consultant with clients from consulting companies, NGOs and public authorities. Antonia is a biologist. She is on the Management Board of CHEM Trust Europe since December 2018 |
Chief EU Policy Advocate:
 |
Stefan Scheuer has been working with CHEM Trust as Chief EU Policy Advocate since December 2019. Stefan Scheuer has extensive experience of shaping and influencing EU energy and environmental policies, including chemical and water policy. He works with his consultancy team to develop advocacy strategies and forge alliances to win political majorities for effective action. Since 2015, he has represented the environmental, health and consumer interests as a member of the Management Board of the European Chemicals Agency in Helsinki. Since 2011, he has headed up the Coalition for Energy Savings, the cross-sector stakeholder alliance, which helped to put the energy efficiency first principle into the EU’s Energy Union and to put in place a more ambitious 2030 energy efficiency target. In the past, he led the REACH and water campaigns as Policy Director at the European Environmental Bureau, the largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations in Europe. By academic background, Stefan Scheuer is a hydrologist. |
EU Policy Advocate:
 |
Ioana Bere has been working with CHEM Trust as EU Policy Advocate since 2020. She has four years of consultancy experience on EU environmental and energy files, developing skills in advocacy and strategic advice, as well as policy analysis. Previously, she completed internships at the Romanian Permanent Representation to the EU and the Romanian Embassy in Paris. She has a legal background (Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in European and international law at Paris Sorbonne School) and also holds a master’s degree in EU International Relations and Diplomacy (College of Europe, Bruges). |
EU Policy Support:
 |
Fanny Buffin joined CHEM Trust in August 2022. She graduated in European policies and advocacy at Sciences Po Aix, and holds a Master in International and European environmental law (Aix-en-Provence). As part of internships or consultancy assignments, she previously worked on pesticides for several environmental NGOs and for a Member of the European Parliament |
UK Chemicals Campaigner:
 |
Chloe Alexander started at CHEM Trust in February 2020. She has experience in UK policy-making and advocacy as a senior UK parliamentary researcher working on environmental issues for over ten years, including on the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2019 and the 2018 Agriculture Bill. She also campaigned on issues affecting the creative sector from the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, as Policy Development Officer at Equity and political consultant to the trade unions of the Performers Alliance. |
Chemicals Campaigner:
 |
Julie Schneider has been CHEM Trust’s Chemicals Campaigner since December 2018. She has BSc and MSc degrees in Earth Sciences and a PhD in Geochemistry. After 8 years as a lecturer in Geosciences at Nice-Sophia Antipolis University in France she decided to change career path and volunteered at Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) from 2016-2018. She worked as CHEM Trust’s intern from April 2018 till December 2018. |
Scientific Research Assistant:
 |
Dr. Shubhi Sharma has been CHEM Trust’s Scientific Research Assistant since March 2023. She holds a BSc. In Biotechnology, MSc in Environmental Sciences, and a PhD in Environmental Sociology. She spent six years working as a research assistant and guest lecturer at the University of Edinburgh before joining CHEM Trust. |
Assistant Campaigners:
 |
Eleanor Hawke has been an Assistant Campaigner at CHEM Trust since December 2019. She has a degree in Geography from the University of St Andrews. Prior to joining CHEM Trust, she volunteered at The Climate Coalition, assisting with their campaigns on climate change. Eleanor worked as CHEM Trust’s campaign intern from December 2018 to December 2019. |
 |
Chloe Topping has been an Assistant Campaigner at CHEM Trust since July 2022. She has an MSc in Environment Politics and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, (SOAS), and holds a BA in History and Italian from the University of Durham. She has previous experience working on campaigns with local environmental groups and has conducted research and built sustainability strategies for NGOs and businesses. Chloe worked as CHEM Trust’s Campaign Intern from July 2021 to July 2022. |
Fundraising Officer:
 |
Joe Reed has been working at CHEM Trust as the Fundraising Officer since April 2023. He has a BSc in Biology from The University of Sheffield and previously worked as a Housing Solutions Officer in Sheffield City Council’s homeless department. Joe worked as CHEM Trust’s Campaign Intern from July 2022 – April 2023 |
Campaign Intern:
CHEM Trust’s Campaign intern is a 12 month role, 5 days/week paid at the London living wage. Keep an eye out for the blog advertising the post on our web site if you are interested in applying.
 |
Amber Brown joined CHEM Trust in May 2023 as our Campaign and Communications Intern. She holds a master’s degree in Global Biodiversity Conservation and a bachelor’s degree in Zoology. She also volunteers with environmental organisation, Green United, supporting primary and secondary school children in Lewes to implement environmental projects. |
Adviser:
 |
Gwynne Lyons is co-founder of CHEM Trust which she soon established as the leading civil society organisation working on EU endocrine disruption policy and the EU’s REACH chemicals regulation. She worked for many years as a pharmacist, before becoming Senior Researcher at Friends of the Earth in 1987, and subsequently Toxics Science and Policy Advisor at WWF-UK. She has been a member of the Health and Safety Commission’s Advisory Committee on Toxic Chemicals, and was a member of the UK Government’s Advisory Committee on Hazardous Chemicals from 2001-2008. In 2008, Gwynne was listed in the Independent on Sunday’s list of Britain’s top 100 environmentalists as “Britain’s most effective expert on toxic chemicals.” |
