Dr. Christian Hagelüken worked in the metal industry for 35 years with a focus on metal recycling, sustainable metal management and circular economy. Until his retirement in August 2023, he was Director of EU Government Affairs at Umicore. From 2003 to 2011, he was Head of Business Development in Umicore's Precious Metals Refinery unit. Prior to that, he held various management positions in the precious metals division of Degussa AG, where he began his career in 1989.

Christian represented Umicore in political initiatives, associations, expert groups and research collaborations, including the EU Raw Materials Initiative, the BDI Raw Materials Committee, the German Circular Economy Initiative and the BatteryPass project. In 2021, he was appointed to the Federal Environment Agency's Resources Commission.

He continues to give lectures and advise various institutions, including teaching at Leuphana University, as a member of the BMBF's Battery Research Committee and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies IWKS. Christian holds degrees in mining engineering and industrial engineering from RWTH Aachen University, where he also completed his doctorate.