Full Name
Conor Carlin
Job Title
President
Company
Clefs Advisory LLC
Speaker Bio
Conor is the founder and president of Clefs Advisory LLC, a boutique consulting firm advising start-ups and established companies at the nexus of materials, energy, and sustainability.
In 2025, in partnership with CognitionWorks, he launched thermoform.ai, the industry’s first AI-powered tool to capture tribal knowledge and address the long-standing issue of skilled labor shortages in US manufacturing, including in the thermoforming sector.
With 20 years of experience leading commercial strategy in the plastics, packaging, and sustainability sectors, Conor brings a sharp focus to driving market expansion, leading high-value negotiations, and building brand equity. He has delivered multimillion dollar capital equipment and technology sales in US and international markets to Fortune 100 clients. He also serves as a certified exit planner for STS Capital Partners.
He was President (2024) of the Society of Plastics Engineers and was elected as the first Vice President of Sustainability for the association in 2017. In 2024 and 2025, he led the SPE delegation to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) INC5.1 & 5.2 global plastics pollution treaty discussions in S. Korea and Switzerland.
Conor is the co-author and editor of the 2nd edition of “Plastics & Sustainability: Grey is the New Green” published by Scrivener/Wiley (2021). In addition, his writing on plastics & recycling has been featured in industry publications in North America, Europe, and China.
He has degrees from Boston University (BA, International Relations / French) and the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College (MBA). He currently serves as Committee Member for the Plymouth (Massachusetts) Climate Action Net Zero Board and the Recycling Committee.
In 2025, in partnership with CognitionWorks, he launched thermoform.ai, the industry’s first AI-powered tool to capture tribal knowledge and address the long-standing issue of skilled labor shortages in US manufacturing, including in the thermoforming sector.
With 20 years of experience leading commercial strategy in the plastics, packaging, and sustainability sectors, Conor brings a sharp focus to driving market expansion, leading high-value negotiations, and building brand equity. He has delivered multimillion dollar capital equipment and technology sales in US and international markets to Fortune 100 clients. He also serves as a certified exit planner for STS Capital Partners.
He was President (2024) of the Society of Plastics Engineers and was elected as the first Vice President of Sustainability for the association in 2017. In 2024 and 2025, he led the SPE delegation to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) INC5.1 & 5.2 global plastics pollution treaty discussions in S. Korea and Switzerland.
Conor is the co-author and editor of the 2nd edition of “Plastics & Sustainability: Grey is the New Green” published by Scrivener/Wiley (2021). In addition, his writing on plastics & recycling has been featured in industry publications in North America, Europe, and China.
He has degrees from Boston University (BA, International Relations / French) and the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College (MBA). He currently serves as Committee Member for the Plymouth (Massachusetts) Climate Action Net Zero Board and the Recycling Committee.
Speaking At
