Candidate info
Particular qualifications:
Until the end of 2024, I was the chair of IUCN-US, a not-for-profit organization established to support the aims and objectives of IUCN within the United States, including facilitating the movement of financial support between IUCN supporters and funders in the United States and IUCN operations elsewhere; in this role I have worked closely with the IUCN Secretariat. In addition, through my participation in several past WCCs, IUCN Leaders Forums, and other IUCN events, prior membership in IUCN commissions, and my relationships with IUCN members in a variety of regions, I believe I have a strong and global view of IUCN, its operations, and its membership. I have 25 years of uninterrupted experience in board-level governance, strategy, and oversight of not-for-profit organizations in the United States and other countries; this has involved roles with a variety of organizations in the areas of environment, science, and education. Through my work as a finance lawyer, and later as an academic, I have developed not only financial literacy skills but deep familiarity with the area at the intersection of law, finance, and environmental sustainability. My entire career path, including my work as a tropical ecologist, a lawyer, a corporate sustainability manager, and an academic, is a direct result of my profound commitment to the protection of nature and my perception of what knowledge and experience will best help me contribute to that goal.
Experience in fields of concern to IUCN:
Extensive international experience: Although I currently live and work in the US, my entire career I have focused on international issues, particularly in developing economies, and have spent a large part of my career living outside the US, including 8 years in Switzerland. Diverse cultural perspective: I was raised in a bilingual and bicultural family in Lima, Peru, have lived in a number of countries, and have been exposed to work in a variety of cultures, both professionally and culturally. As a result, I have developed a culturally-aware approach to negotiation that is effective and delivers results. Diplomatic skills: Being a member of a body as diverse and international as the IUCN Council requires, in order to strengthen relationships and optimize outcomes, an uncommon set of personal skills and cultural sensitivities. I believe I have those skills, and would be honored to put them at the disposal of IUCN.