Etienne studied chemistry and materials science at CPE Lyon and the University of New Hampshire. He holds a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Basel, focusing on the synthesis of novel block copolymers for the design of responsive nanovesicles used in drug delivery. He then joined the Wood Materials Science group at ETH Zürich as a postdoctoral researcher working on the development of advanced wood-based materials. Following his postdoctoral work, Etienne built and led an independent research group at ETH Zürich (the Functional Lignocellulosic Materials group), with the aim to develop simple and versatile protocols for the functionalization of wood with novel properties. Before joining the Food Packaging Forum, he worked as an R&D and Innovation manager for Swiss Wood Solutions, a start-up specializing in engineered wood as a sustainable alternative material.