Erik van Buuren studied Materials Science and Technology at Delft University of Technology and Business Administration at Henley Management College. Erik is an acknowledged expert for the Circular Economy, as endorsed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and the Cradle to Cradle design principles developed by Michael Braungart and Bill McDonough.

From 2008 until now, Erik is lecturer and examiner of sustainable design and management at various European universities. Erik was appointed jury member of the official German Design Prize from 2012 – 2014 and is currently jury member of the Green Product Award. Besides advisory group membership for the revision of the Cradle to Cradle Product Standard and for the European Commission, Erik is curator of sustainable design exhibitions.

Before solely focussing on sustainability in 2007, Erik worked as Senior Management Consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and IBM and as equities analyst for international sustainable investment funds in London and Switzerland. In these functions he obtained extensive strategy development and change management experience.

Erik’s consulting and coaching focus lies on management and leadership development in the context of sustainability transition and the interface between strategy and supply chain management regarding corporate ethics and issues of organizational development and communication.

In his work Erik is supported by a team of long-term specialists, creatives, trainers and scientists. He is fluent in Dutch, English and German.
Erik has worked with multiple industries and organisations in achieving sustainable supply chains, increased revenues and positive reputations in EU, China, Turkey, Switzerland, USA, India, Russia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Algeria

COACHING
Ongoing coaching for professional insight is my speciality.  Learning from past experiences is crucial as it allows you to benefit from my extensive industry and strategic experience. Hereby I rely on evidence-based approaches that rest on state of the art know-how and hands-on work. At the end of the day, change and innovation is all about leadership, motivation and knowledge.

CONSULTING
Through assessment, strategy and implementation, I accompany companies to be the very best they can be.  Many sectors are characterized by complex and dynamic supply chains, making transparency a challenge for policy makers and producers. To overcome perceived barriers, I work with all stakeholders within organisations focussing on profit & growth and enabling change processes.

ENGINEERING
Besides strategic consulting, together we walk the talk and engineer the change processes of detox product development, circular economy material loops and architecture. With specialist partners, I provide technical advisory with regards to chemical and materials management including hot spot analyses, circular models, chemicals assessment and substitution.

References
For multiple industries and organisations, beneficial products, increased revenues and positive reputations were realised (excerpt):
Textile: apparel, basics, sportswear, workwear; cotton, polyester, nylon, leather
Architecture: commercial developments, city halls, schools, hotels
Construction/Interior products: carpets, tiles, paint, coatings, insulation, fabrics, wallpaper, concrete,
Consumer goods: electronics/IT, cosmetics, detergents, packaging
Finance: investment funds, CSR/GRI reporting

In close co-operation with creatives from Berlin I founded Walachei in 2010, a company focussed on developing and marketing certified sustainable products.
Fundamental School is my Institute for Material Experiments to foster Circular City concepts and sustainable urban environments.