Profile

Alejandro Castilla

Treasurer of gaia-liNc e.V. 

Munich, Germany

acastilla@gaialinc.org

Areas of Knowledge:

  • Circular Economy 
  • Waste Management
  • Finance & Economics

Education:

 M.Sc. Sustainable Resource Management (specialized in material and waste management, and soils and soil management) and B.E., Industrial Engineering (specialized in process optimization and finance)

Areas of expertise:

Back in 2016, I took a very conscious decision, which implied moving to Germany to study a master’s degree in sustainability. At that point, I knew that I did not want to continue working in financial related projects, in which the main objective is solely to be profitable. On the contrary, I interiorized that what really motivates me is to be part of projects that have a significant impact on the environment and on the society. In particular, after analysing some of the major challenges that developing and vulnerable economies face, I decided to specialize in material and waste management, and soils science. In my opinion, the latter are key fields to be addressed in order to successfully achieve the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs).

Alejando-Castilla

Background

I am a Sales Project Manager at econ industries, a German based company specialized on developing and producing plants for the treatment of hazardous and industrial wastes using vacuum thermal desorption. The main objective that we pursue, is to recover resources and to avoid landfilling, incineration or export of those hazardous wastes. Before moving to Germany, I had the privilege of working with Credicorp Capital, one of South America’s leading investment banks. Here, I was responsible for managing the first corporate venture capital fund of Colombia together with the largest utility company in the country, developing responsible investment strategies, evaluating potential green investments, and promoting the fund internationally.

What drew you to gaia-liNc’s mission:

The fact that I studied a master’s degree in sustainability and that was able to learn more in-depth technical concepts of waste management, has not only open many doors for my professional development, but also has helped me become a more well-rounded person also applying sustainability in my everyday life. This means, when going shopping, consuming goods, travelling, among others.

Main message to stakeholders:

I am convinced that the application of state-of-the-art waste treatment solutions, which are focused on enforcing and promoting a circular economy, are an exceptional opportunity to improve waste management systems and combat climate change, especially in emerging and developing economies. My personal and professional goal is to bring and develop such technologies in Latin-America.