Katariina is Senior Vice President, Group R&D at Finnish forest industry company Metsä Group, where she has worked for the past decade in a range of roles spanning research, development and startup investment. She first joined the BIC Board in 2024.
“I am honoured to chair the BIC Board at a critical moment for Europe’s bio-based industries. I see BIC as a catalyst for systemic change towards a more resilient and circular European bioeconomy.

I look forward to working with our members and partners to strengthen innovation, scale up, and impact across Europe,” said Katariina.

Katariina officially assumed the role during the BIC General Assembly on 28 May 2026.

During Rob Beekers’ tenure as Chair, BIC experienced significant growth in membership, with the number of Industry Members increasing from just over 240 to more than 400, while Associate Membership expanded from 200 to over 350 organisations.
Under his leadership, BIC also realigned its operational structure to better support access to finance for bio-based industries, accelerate innovation and scale-up activities, and contribute to policymaking that unlocks the full potential of Europe’s bioeconomy.
Throughout his mandate, Rob represented BIC at numerous high-level events and strategic meetings, acting as a strong advocate for the organisation’s mission to make Europe’s innovative, sustainable, and competitive bio-based industry a global leader in the circular bioeconomy.

Upon stepping down, Rob reflected on his time in the role: “What a great opportunity it has been for me to serve as Chair of the BIC Governance Board over the past four years. During this time, I’ve met so many bright people from start-ups, research institutes, the processing industry, brand owners, and policy makers, all sharing the same passion and drive to transform the linear fossil-based economy. These people are the foundation that will make the mainstreaming of a circular bio-based economy become a reality. A big thanks also to the BIC staff. They are the lubricant of our consortium, enabling innovation, collaboration, and the connections that make things happen.”