Dr. Marina Maier

|| Driven by care - Sustainability Manager at WEIG || science ⇄ business ⇄ real-world practice ||

Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

About

I'm a Sustainability Manager. Sustainability is not an add-on – it’s a strategic responsibility. With a PhD-level academic foundation, international experience and strong lateral leadership skills, I design and lead sustainability initiatives that are impactful, verifiable, and aligned with business goals – from carbon accounting to diversity strategies. I combine technical depth with strategic thinking to embed sustainability across organizations – with clarity, structure and results. My strength lies in bridging science, business and practice – translating complex requirements into actionable solutions that work in real-world settings.

Experience

  • Sustainability Manager at WEIG-Gruppe
    Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

    As Sustainability Manager at WEIG, I support the strategic and operational development of our sustainability initiatives — from carbon footprint calculations to international data coordination and transparent communication. My work focuses on: • Implementing and supporting PCF and CCF calculations according to ISO 14067 • Coordinating internal data collection across sites (e.g., Germany & Paraguay) • Preparing and supporting external verifications (e.g., TÜV, EPDs) • Developing sustainability reports and aligning external communications • Acting as an interface to certification bodies and customer inquiries (e.g., EcoVadis, ISO 14001) With hands-on experience in regulatory frameworks such as the CSRD, I help translate complex requirements into meaningful, verifiable action — enabling WEIG to move toward greater transparency, comparability, and impact.

  • Principle Expert Sustainable Culture at Atruvia AG
    Sep 2021 - Oct 2024 · 3 yrs 2 mos

    As Principal Expert, I held overall responsibility for key corporate sustainability topics. I led strategic initiatives and projects independently, acting as a driving force across the organization. My role involved lateral leadership, steering cross-functional collaboration, managing interfaces, and building alignment without disciplinary authority. Key responsibilities: • Overall responsibility for developing and implementing the company-wide sustainability strategy • Lead and coordinate the ISO 14001 certification process • Manage the implementation of a corporate-wide sustainability software solution • Design and lead the corporate climate neutrality plan, including methodology and accountability for CO₂ footprint calculations • Strategic leadership of the company-wide diversity management program I worked across departments with strong initiative and demonstrated leadership through subject-matter expertise and effective stakeholder engagement

  • Principal Expert Sustainable Culture at Fiducia & GAD IT AG
    Jan 2021 - Oct 2024 · 3 yrs 10 mos

  • Postdoc Think Tank "Industrial Resource Strategies" at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
    Apr 2018 - Dec 2020 · 2 yrs 9 mos

    Research area includes: Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Circular Economy, Resource efficiency and demand

  • PHD Student at University of Exeter
    Jan 2014 - Mar 2018 · 4 yrs 3 mos

    Environment and Sustainability Institute Developing a dynamical model to calculate LCA of renewable energy technologies