JOSEPH PIERRE CLAUDE GASCON

Dr. Claude Gascon is Director of Strategy and Operations at the Global Environment Facility (GEF).   In this capacity Dr. Gascon leads the development of strategic planning, programming, policy, and operations for the GEF.  Prior to this position, Dr. Gascon was Manager for Programming at the GEF from 2015 to 2023.  Before coming to the GEF, Gascon was Executive Vice-President and Chief Science Officer at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation from 2010 to 2015. In that role, Dr. Gascon led the development of conservation goals and priorities for the Foundation and the investment strategy to achieve concrete conservation outcomes.   Dr. Gascon managed a team of science and monitoring experts as well as a team of conservation program officers in 4 regional offices around the US. 

From 1999 to 2010, Dr. Claude Gascon worked in a variety of position at Conservation International.  As Executive Vice-President for Field Programs at Conservation International,  Dr. Gascon managed 4 Field Divisions and 2 HQ technical Divisions.  The Field Programs Unit was responsible for developing CI’s institutional conservation and science strategies as well as their implementation. The Unit comprised over 700 people in over 30 countries around the world. 

Dr. Gascon completed a Master's in Ecology at Université du Québec à Montréal in Canada and his doctorate in Ecology at Florida State University. 

Dr. Gascon's areas of research include Biodiversity patterns and causes and Amazonian Biodiversity, especially amphibians. His research has resulted in over 70 publications and 3 books emphasizing Conservation and forest fragmentation in the Amazon, amphibians, and wildlife management.   Gascon has appeared in public broadcasting television films on the Amazon Ecosystem as well as in interactive environmental education television programs for US and Brazilian schools.