The Organising Committee is responsible for the overall planning and delivery of the World Salt Symposium.
It oversees the strategic direction of the event, ensures smooth coordination among partners and contributors, and manages all operational aspects — from logistics and programme development to communications, sponsorship and participant services.
Bringing together representatives with long-standing experience in the salt sector, the committee ensures that the Symposium reflects the diversity, expertise, and forward-looking spirit of the global salt community.
Chair
Urs Hofmeier EUsalt (EU) BiographyDr Urs Ch. Hofmeier is an independent Board Member and a strategy consultant. He was CEO of Swiss Salt Works, president of EUsalt and holds a PhD in Chemistry and an MBA
Member
Kwame Agyei Apeaning Precious Premium Salt (PPS) & Ghana Chamber of Salt Producers-Exporters (GH)
Member
Luiz Césio Caetano Sal Cisne (BR)
Member
Dr. Katarzyna Cyran Polish Salt Mining Association (PL)
Member
Param Dave Archean Chemical Industries Limited (IN)
Member
Prof. Wei Du Tianjin University of Science and Technology (CN)
Member
Prof. Menachem Elimelech Rice University (USA)
Member
Dr. Franz Goetzfried Salt Research & Consulting (DE)
Member
Joyce Greene Iodine Global Network (IGN)
Member
Dr Arvind Kumar CSIR-CSMCRI Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (IN)
Member
Patrick Laracy Atlas Salt Inc. (CA)
Member
Wouter Lox International Alliance of Salt Producers
Member
JohnRyan Macgregor National Minerals Information Center (USA)
Member
Jenny Martin Essential Minerals Association (USA)
Member
Roberto Monteiro Norsal (BR)
Member
Sergio Arturo Moreno Mexican Salt Industry Association (MX) BiographyMA-IEP Sergio Arturo Moreno Huitrón is general manager of the Mexican Salt Industry Association since 2000. He has participated in national and international forums representing the Mexican salt industry. He holds a bachelor's degree in Administration and a master's degree in International Economic Policy; he is currently resuming his doctoral studies in Latin American Studies.
Member
John Nadeau Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI)(USA) BiographyJohn Nadeau serves as the Executive Director of the Solution Mining Research Institute and as President of Alpha Geological Services, D.P.C. He is a Senior Geologist, and holds a Masters Degree in Geology.
Member
Bharat Raval The Indian Salt Manufacturers' Association (IN) BiographyBharat Raval is the President of "The Indian Salt Manufacturers' Association (ISMA)" most respected Salt Industry Technologist and Strategic Advisor having four decades of leadership experience in the development, modernisation and management of large-scale Salt Production Systems. He spent 38+ years in senior leadership roles with leading companies: Reliance, Aditya Birla Group, Nirma, GHCL, DCW, BILT, and NDDB. He worked across Government, Co-operative and Large Industrial Sectors, contributing significantly to the advancement of the Indian Salt Industry and its global competitiveness.
Member
Dr Parul Sahu CSIR-CSMCRI Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (IN)
Member
Tetsuji Saitoh The Society of Sea Water Science (JP)
Member
Dr. Stefan Schlag Salt Market Information (CH) BiographyDr Stefan Schlag Leon Beraud is the owner of Salt Market Information. The company publishes a global salt market report and a quarterly newsletter for the salt industry. He holds a PhD in Chemistry.
Member
Rene Schneider Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI)(USA) BiographyRene Schneider is Senior Advisor and Project Manager for underground storage and brine production from salt caverns at DEEP.KBB (Germany). He serves as European Coordinator for the Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI, USA) and holds a Masters Degree in Geophysics.
Member
Werner Schultink Iodine Global Network (IGN)(CA)
Member
Vladimir M. Sedivy Salt Partners Ltd. (CH) BiographyVladimir M. Sedivy, MSc IMD, is a chemical engineer and President of Salt Partners Ltd in Switzerland. In the past, he built petrochemical plants with Badger in London, evaporation plants with Escher Wyss and chlorine plants with Krebs Swiss in Zurich. He invented the HYDROSAL® salt purification process with hydroextraction of impurities and implemented salt and chloralkali projects on all continents.
Member
Andre Snyman Walvis Bay Salt (NA)
Member
Stan Soderstrom IGN and Kiwanis International (USA) BiographyStan D. Soderstrom of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, served as chief executive officer and executive director for Kiwanis International and the Kiwanis Children’s Fund from 2009 to 2024. His background includes both global and community-based work in the public and private sectors. He continues his engagement with Kiwanis as its Executive Director Emeritus. He is Vice Chair of the Board for the Iodine Global Network, an international convening organization that engages public, private, and civic stakeholders to promote iodine nutrition and prevent iodine deficiency disorders. Specific partnerships have included partnership work with UNICEF and the former US Agency for International Development (USAID). He completed undergraduate degree work in geoscience, geophysics and mathematics at Texas Tech University and master’s degree studies in geology at the University of Texas at Austin.
Member
Prof. Patrick Sorgeloos Lab of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center (BE)
Member
Mark Stewart Atlas Salt Inc. (CA) BiographyMark Stewart is the CFO of Atlas Salt, bringing more than 25 years of broad executive finance leadership across public mining and industrial companies. With extensive experience in project finance, treasury, capital allocation, and corporate finance, Mark has supported companies through every stage of development, financing, and growth. He holds a C.A. and CPA from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accounts.
Member
Prof. Liying Sui Tianjin University of Science and Technology (CN)
Member
Nikolay Voutchkov Water Globe Consultants (USA)
Member
Dr Fritz Wilke Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI)(USA)
Member
Catherine Zhang China Salt association (CN)
