 |
Crystal Bayliss, Director, Strategy & Engagement – U.S. Plastics Pact: With more than 15 years in the consumer-packaged-goods industry, Crystal currently serves as Executive Director of the U.S. Plastics Pact, where she leads the organization’s strategic direction and supports progress toward a circular system for plastic packaging. In this role, she directs priority initiatives and works with companies and organizations across the plastics value chain to advance practical solutions in packaging design, post-consumer recycled (PCR) use, scalable reuse initiatives, and improvements in collection and recycling systems. Her leadership emphasizes voluntary participation, independent decision-making, and the exchange of knowledge to support real-world progress. By fostering a constructive environment for problem-solving and innovation, she is helping guide efforts to address complex sustainability challenges and advance circularity for plastic packaging in the United States. |
 |
Mike Newman, CEO – Returnity: Mike designs and implements transformational circular logistics platforms for global brands and retailers, reducing the mountains of plastics and corrugated cardboard entering our waste stream while saving millions in packaging expenses. Over the last 20+ years he worked at the intersection of supply chain and sustainability, including directing the Sierra Club’s political operations in 20 states and building e-waste programs for companies such as Verizon, Walmart and Best Buy as the Sales and Marketing Vice President for ReCellular. Mike has an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. Mike has also been serving as Board Chair of the USPP since July 2026. |
 |
Marcu Alexander, Director, Strategy & Engagement – U.S. Plastics Pact: With over twenty years of experience in the packaging industry, Marcu brings a wealth of knowledge and insights to the U.S. Plastics Pact. Marcu began her career in packaging as Inside Sales and Customer Service Manager for a small packaging company specializing in the gourmet food and confectionery industries. Prior to her role at the USPP, she was the Packaging Sustainability Manager at Danone North America, where she was dedicated to advancing the company’s packaging circularity goals and decarbonization roadmap. Marcu represented Danone in several key packaging sustainability organizations where she advocated and collaborated on initiatives aimed at promoting a circular economy for packaging. |
 |
Annika Furr, Program Manager, Reuse and Reduction – U.S. Plastics Pact: Annika graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Communication, concentrating in Design for Sustainable Packaging and also minoring in Packaging. Throughout college, she was actively involved in campus sustainability organizations and held several leadership roles. In 2025, she completed a Master of Science in Global Sustainable Business Management — an international program jointly offered by Northumbria University of Newcastle and the Amsterdam School of International Business. Her thesis examined the challenges of implementing in-store reusable packaging schemes for food and household products in European grocery retailers, uncovering key insights for long-term, scalable deployment. |
 |
Olivia Merritt FitzGerald, Program Manager, Circularity & Key Initiatives – U.S. Plastics Pact: Olivia graduated from North Carolina State University with a major in Natural Resources Policy and Administration and a minor in Wildlife Science. For three years she worked for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and managed a six-year research project on breeding bird habitat. Additionally, Olivia has used her scientific and writing skills to create climate change-related content and circular economy solutions for other non-profit organizations and bridged a cross-cultural team with her Spanish language skills to benefit the lives of historically disadvantaged farm workers. She is applying her communications and technical talents to manage projects for the U.S. Plastics Pact. |
 |
Roxanne Spiekerman, National Plastics Director – Circular Action Alliance (CAA): Roxanne is a seasoned plastics recycling and manufacturing leader with more than 20 years of industry experience. A former Chair and Board Member of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), she has led the operation and commissioning of film recycling facilities, development of mixed rigid plastics recycling lines, and organics recycling programs through her work with Roplast Industries and the international Schwarz Group. Her career has focused on advancing recycling infrastructure, end market development, and circular economy solutions. |
 |
Megan O’Brien, Program Manager, Policy & Reporting – U.S. Plastics Pact: Megan brings a background in sustainability data, regulatory reporting, and corporate responsibility across sectors. She’s passionate about aligning data systems with environmental goals and helping organizations meet evolving requirements with clarity and purpose. At the U.S. Plastics Pact, Megan manages reporting and supports special projects that drive systemic change toward a circular economy. |
 |
Helen Bird, Head of Packaging – WRAP: Helen has always had a passion for sustainability and the environment, particularly reuse and recycling, and as Head of Packaging she is responsible for WRAPs packaging strategy and delivery of it. With nearly 20 years of experience, she has in-depth knowledge and understanding of circular economy principles on packaging and plastics. This is founded on working with stakeholders from across the value chain from ideation to practical implementation across policy, design, behaviour change, collections, sorting and processing. She has a track record of convening critical actors from across the value chain to achieve a shared objective. She led the development and delivery of The UK Plastics Pact, which has now evolved to encompass all types of packaging. Not only did this deliver significant impact as a voluntary agreement, it shaped multiple regulations in the UK and was the first, of a now global, network of Plastics Pacts. |
 |
Leah Karrer, Executive Director, Americas – WRAP: With over 25 years of experience building, advising and directing global conservation initiatives, Leah is a champion for Circular Living. As the Executive Director of WRAP in the Americas, Leah has pursued the mission of transforming textile, plastic and food systems to catalyze Circular Living by shifting business practices, government policies, and consumer behavior. Prior to joining WRAP, Leah developed and managed the Global Environment Facility’s portfolio of circular economy related projects, including a suite of over $200M plastic pollution reducing projects in 20 countries. She served on the advisory boards of the WRI-hosted Platform for Circular Economy and the WEF-hosted Global Plastic Action Partnership Program. In her personal time together with her teenage daughters she enjoys finding, patronizing and promoting circular businesses and services in her hometown of Washington, DC. |
