Milena Amaral serves as CEO and Board Member of Neovili, where she oversees a think tank focused on impact measurement and sustainable solutions for consumer goods industries. Her work centers on life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) applications and technology integration to address the digital transition and environmental challenges.
Ms. Amaral has participated in several European Commission Horizon-funded research initiatives. These projects address decarbonization processes across textiles, construction, wood, pulp & paper, and biochemicals sectors (GA 101060546), representing significant areas within the bio-economy framework.
As an Advisory Board Member for SYMBA, an EU-funded project, she contributes to the development of industrial-symbiosis methodologies designed for bio-based industries to establish more efficient circular value chains in Europe. Within the Calimero project, she led the development of the Theory of Change and identified systemic key levers to support bio-based industry sustainability.
Ms. Amaral contributes to research on alternatives for substances of concern in chemical applications (GA 101178011), which supports the implementation of the EU’s Safe and Sustainable by Design framework. Her work encompasses both strategy development and implementation in areas such as digital product passport systems and extended producer responsibility mechanisms.
During her tenure at Zalando, she implemented sustainability strategies across operations in 23 countries involving 7,500+ business partners. Her responsibilities included developing monitoring protocols aligned with OECD due diligence guidance. She participated in the “Raise the Bar” committee, which reported to the Management Board on sustainability goal progress, and conducted reviews of potential sustainability standard breaches.
Ms. Amaral has worked on EU projects examining nanotechnology applications in textiles (GA953152) and digital product passport implementation (NWE0200212 ECHT – ENO). For the ECHT project, she coordinated textile sector planning to implement chemical traceability systems within circular value chains, consistent with EU Textiles Strategy objectives.
Her educational background includes an Executive MBA from IMD Business School and specialized programs in organizational leadership and emerging technologies from institutions including Singularity University and IE. She currently serves as an Independent Expert for France 2030 under the French General Secretariat for Investment, providing assessment of digital sovereignty proposals with consideration for environmental responsibility and ethical dimensions.
With professional experience built over 25 years, Ms. Amaral contributes to the advancement of bio-economy principles and circular economy practices across various European industrial contexts.