Leif Karlson studied chemistry at University of Gothenburg and took a master in organic chemistry 1985. In 2002 he took a PhD in Physical chemistry at Lund University on a thesis with the title Hydrophobically Modified Polymers Rheology and Molecular Associations. He has worked at several different positions at Nouryon (former AkzoNobel former Berol kemi) since 1985. The present position is Principal Scientist.

Gabriele Schild is working in the position of a project manager at the research center of the Lenzing Group in Austria since 1990. Her scientific focus is on basic and applied research in the field of dissolving pulp production, lyocell process and biorefinery. She compared different pulping processes for the production of dissolving pulp from eucalypt and beech wood during her PhD thesis. After graduating in wood science at the University of Hamburg, Germany, she completed several research stays at the North Carolina State University at Raleigh, USA, and Domsjö (former MoDo) at Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.