PROBLUE Global Engagement Forum

Valerie Hickey is the Global Director of Environment, Natural Resources and the Blue Economy (ENB) at the World Bank. Valerie takes this role having worked as the manager for Advisory and Operations in the Climate Change Group, where she oversaw the implementation of the World Bank’s commitments on climate change, climate mainstreaming and climate finance, and before that the Practice Manager for ENB in Latin America and the Caribbean where she managed a cross-sectoral team that supported countries and communities on issues related to climate change, sustainable forest management, integrated conservation and development, integrated coastal zone management, fisheries, pollution management and environmental health, environmental economics and environmental risk management.. Valerie holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University.

Tom Bui is the Director of Environment at Global Affairs Canada. He recently concluded three years of service as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council Member for Canada and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board Member for Canada, Belgium and Poland. Previously, he served as country director for Vietnam, Indonesia and ASEAN development programs at Global Affairs Canada; director for International Financial Institutions at the Canadian International Development Agency; and policy director for horizontal policy and international protection at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Between 1997 and 2006, Tom occupied many positions with Finance Canada. He helped create the Canadian Debt Initiative as Canada’s contribution to the abolition of Third World Debt. He also served as Canada’s G-7 expert on International Monetary Fund (IMF) issues, including quota reform.

Tom has an MA in Economics and BBA in Economics and Business Administration from Simon Fraser University. He is a CFA charterholder.

Ilona Drewry is Head of International Sustainable Blue Finance at the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and co-chair of the PROBLUE World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund.  Ilona currently leads on Blue Finance policy for the UK.  Ilona’s previous roles in UK government focused on ocean plastic pollution, including leading international marine pollution programming and the UK-Vanuatu Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance.

Ilona has over 15 years’ international development and humanitarian experience.  Ilona has worked in South Sudan for International Rescue Committee on multiple occasions and furthered her experience of community-led approaches and emergency health through working for International Medical Corps.  Just prior to joining Defra, Ilona led a fragile states programme and published gender research at Saferworld, a conflict prevention NGO. 

Ilona has an MA from Columbia University in Education in Emergencies, is a trained teacher and an accredited Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) health adviser.

Sylvia Michele Diez is the Program Manager for PROBLUE at the World Bank Group, and focal point for integrated seascape management, one of the Pillars of PROBLUE. Prior to this position, as a Senior Environmental Specialist in the Environment, Natural Resources and the Blue Economy Global Practice at the World Bank Group, she led the blue economy agenda in Latin America and Caribbean Region, and was responsible for projects related to fisheries, marine litter, ocean governance and a wide range of blue economy activities. She co-led the development of the innovative COAST fisheries parametric insurance in the Caribbean, and has co-authored the report “Marine Pollution in the Caribbean: not a minute to waste”. She has led work in a variety of operations in the eastern Caribbean, Belize, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Ghana and Brazil. She holds a M.Sc. in Environmental Science and Policy from John Hopkins University, and a marine biology degree from the University of Maryland. is the Program Manager for PROBLUE at the World Bank Group, and focal point for integrated seascape management, one of the Pillars of PROBLUE. Prior to this position, as a Senior Environmental Specialist in the Environment, Natural Resources and the Blue Economy Global Practice at the World Bank Group, she led the blue economy agenda in Latin America and Caribbean Region, and was responsible for projects related to fisheries, marine litter, ocean governance and a wide range of blue economy activities. She co-led the development of the innovative COAST fisheries parametric insurance in the Caribbean, and has co-authored the report “Marine Pollution in the Caribbean: not a minute to waste”. She has led work in a variety of operations in the eastern Caribbean, Belize, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Ghana and Brazil. She holds a M.Sc. in Environmental Science and Policy from John Hopkins University, and a marine biology degree from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Vincent Pieribone is Co-CEO and Chief Science Officer for OceanX, an initiative of Dalio Philanthropies. He is also a Professor of Cellular & Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine and a Fellow at the John B. Pierce Laboratory where he continues to conduct research. His research is directed at discovering and engineering methods to measure brain activity using a combination of light and proteins found in the ocean and has conducted ocean research expeditions across the globe. Vincent received a baccalaureate degree in Biology and Chemistry, and doctorate in Philosophy in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, both from New York University. He was a National Science Foundation and Fogarty International Fellow at the Nobel Institute of Neurophysiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and did post-doctoral work at The Rockefeller University in New York and became an Assistant Professor there.

Susan Ruffo serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the United States National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In this role, she is responsible for developing and coordinating international policies that support and promote U.S. interests in ocean conservation, ecosystem-based management, climate change, oceanic and atmospheric research, Earth observation and weather forecasting.

Ms. Ruffo brings more than 20 years of experience leading development and implementation of policies on environmental conservation and combating climate change in the U.S. and internationally. Most recently, she was senior director for ocean and climate at the UN Foundation, where she built a program on advancing ocean-based climate solutions, particularly decarbonizing shipping.

From 2011 to 2015, Ms. Ruffo served as Associate Director for climate preparedness at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, focused on development and implementation of the climate preparedness pillar of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. She began her career as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, serving in China, Argentina, Nigeria and Washington, D.C.

Ms. Ruffo was also executive director of The Circulate Initiative, an NGO focused on ending ocean plastic; managing director of international initiatives at Ocean Conservancy, where she led international work on climate change, marine plastics, and ocean acidification; and the lead on the Vibrant Oceans portfolio for Bloomberg Philanthropies, where she supported reform of local and industrial-scale fisheries.  She holds Bachelor of Science degrees in economics and political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Renata Terrazas joined Oceana upon its arrival in Mexico in 2018 as the Director of Transparency Campaigns. That same year, she succeeded in opening the satellite monitoring data of fishing vessels in Mexico, and since then, this data has been public, allowing for more transparency in the fishing industry and better analysis to understand the sector.

Since 2020, she has led Oceana's team in Mexico, with campaigns on fishery restoration, fishery transparency, protection of critical marine habitats, and pollution reduction. Recently, Oceana achieved the creation of a protected natural area in the sea to protect the coral reefs in Bajos del Norte, in the Gulf of Mexico. With more than 13,000 square kilometers of extension, it is the largest Marine Protected Area in the Gulf.

Renata is the current Vice President of Oceana in Mexico.

Maria Fernanda Cuartas Ríos has dedicated over two decades to environmental management and biodiversity conservation, leading over 150 projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. She has worked with governments, businesses, and NGOs to foster sustainable development. As a strategic leader, she has been instrumental in negotiating and securing resources for impactful environmental alliances and multilateral projects. Notably, she’s a strategic leader known for her role in creating Herencia Colombia (HECO), a program protecting 32 million hectares of Colombian territory. Currently, Maria Fernanda plays a key role in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, a collaborative marine conservation project across four countries. Locally, in Bucaramanga, she has advanced water conservation efforts, established a payment scheme for environmental services, introduced a forestry manual for urban native species, and developed a Climate Change and Energy Transition Policy to guide the city's environmental strategy for the coming decade.

Professor Manuel Barange is the Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division at the FAO since 2016, and Assistant Director-General since 2023, responsible for FAO’s biennial “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA)” report. Previously he was Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Science at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK, and Chair of the Science Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Manuel is an Honorary Professor at the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, UK.

Professor Barange is a global expert on the impacts of Climate Change on marine ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture, and on the interactions between natural and socio-economic drivers of change. He sits in advisory boards of several institutions and is a regular speaker at international scientific conferences. He has over 130 academic publications and contributes to IPCC assessment reports. In 2010 he was awarded the UNESCO-IOC Roger Revelle Medal for his contribution to ocean science.

Lori Anna Conzo is the Global Biodiversity Lead in the ES&G Sustainability Advice & Solutions Department of the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group.  For over 20 years, she has worked on the development of mitigation and management strategies to address biodiversity-related risks and impacts on private sector developments in emerging market countries globally.  In addition to overseeing IFC’s team of biodiversity specialists, she serves as the Lead Environmental Specialist on IFC’s Scaling Wind Program and the World Bank Group’s Offshore Wind Development Program and was key to the development of both programs.  Lori also serves as Vice Chair of the Convention on Migratory Species’ Energy Task Force, a multi-stakeholder platform that works towards reconciling renewable energy developments with the conservation of migratory species, and is on the Board of Directors of IUCN-US.

Phil Karp is an independent Citizen Scientist, ocean advocate, and filmmaker, formerly with the World Bank where he was a knowledge management and learning specialist.  His work is focused on the interface between marine conservation and livelihoods, with particular emphasis on empowering and creating new income opportunities for women in coastal communities.  He has been involved for more than a decade in various programs related to nature- and market-based solutions to biodiversity loss and climate change.  He is also actively involved in advocacy and awareness raising on the issue of marine litter/ocean plastic. Among other projects, he is lead producer of a feature-length documentary on women’s leadership in marine conservation in Belize.  Phil holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Vivienne Solis Rivera is a biologist from the University of Costa Rica. MSc in Systematics and Ecology from the University of ​​Lawrence/ Kansas USA. Biology. With more than 30 years of experience in biodiversity conservation in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean .  Her work in the last 20 years has been developed in the field of marine conservation and human rights, leadering the inputs from civil society, governments, and fishing organizations for the implementation of the SSF guidelines in her region and promoting IPLC governance models towards more equitable, efficient and effective marine conservation.  She is part of CoopeSoliDar R.L, a Cooperative for Social Solidarity based in Costa Rica that promotes the conservation of biological and cultural diversity as a main asset for resilience of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to new challenges and opportunities.   She is part of the Board of Directors of the International Collective for the support of  fishworkers and Honorary member of the ICCA Consortium, IUCN CEESP and Protected Area Commissions and the UN Women Major group within others at the International Level.

Juliana Castaño-Isaza is a Natural Resources Management Specialist at the World Bank. She has been a member of the PROBLUE Secretariat since 2020, where she has supported the supervision of the integrated seascapes approach, and the emerging and traditional oceanic sectors work. Over the last four years, Juliana has led the development of advisory and analytical tools on blue carbon, marine spatial planning, and gender integration in the blue economy. She has also contributed to the Mozambique blue economy agenda, focusing on mangrove restoration and blue finance opportunities with the private sector. Prior to her work at PROBLUE, Juliana played a crucial role in integrating nature-based solutions into disaster risk management and climate change strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean. This included the development of the COAST Insurance, a pioneering climate insurance product for the fisheries sector, and the creation of payment for ecosystem services schemes. Before joining the World Bank, Juliana worked with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Forest Trends, and Terra Global Capital, focusing on nature finance mechanisms and community-led climate adaptation. Juliana holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology, and a Master's degree in Sustainable International Development.

Gianfranco Bertozzi is a Lead Financial Officer for the Capital Markets Department in World Bank Treasury. Prior to joining the World Bank, Gianfranco worked at the Interamerican Development Bank as a Finance Officer and he subsequently spent over a decade on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers as a Senior Vice President in Emerging Markets.  Gianfranco has worked with sovereign clients for over 25 years and has extensive global market experience, particularly in financial innovation.  Over the years, he has led numerous engagements involving the use of credit enhancements to support the mobilization of capital in a variety of jurisdictions, and he continues to innovate with the Market Solutions and Structured Finance team of Treasury, where he focuses on outcome-based financing and disaster risk management transactions.  Gianfranco holds a Master of Arts in International Economics and International Law from John Hopkins University.

Cynthia Barzuna is the Director of Ocean Action 2030, a voluntary coalition dedicated to supporting countries in their aim of building a sustainable ocean economy through the development and implementation of Sustainable Ocean Plans. Members of Ocean Action 2030 are leading institutions that can provide the technical and financial assistance that countries may need to develop and implement their Sustainable Ocean Plans, where there is a match between country demand and member capacity. Currently, this coalition works with the countries that are part of The High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), a unique global initiative by serving world leaders that is working to build momentum towards a sustainable ocean economy in which effective protection, sustainable production and equitable prosperity go together.

Prior to joining WRI, Cynthia was the Deputy Minister of Water and Ocean Affairs from Costa Rica. She was appointed by the president of Costa Rica to lead the expansion of the Cocos Island National Park and its marine protected area. This expansion led Costa Rica to reach the ambitious goal of protecting 31% of its exclusive economic zone by 2021.

Cynthia has worked as Director of the Environmental Impact Assessment Agency and various sustainable city programs in Costa Rica.

She is a lawyer, with a master's degree from the Carlos III University of Madrid in International Law and Trade and a diploma from the same university in Globalization, economic liberalization, and administrative intervention.

Born in 1972, Mr. Baudran has been graduated from AgroParisTech University in Agriculture sciences in developing Country (1996).  He spent the first part of his career as agro-economist in Asia (Laos, Vietnam) and Pacific (New Caledonia) in AFD office, NGO’s and Chambers of agriculture.

After 10 years of ground experience, he has been recruited by AFD as Project Task Team Leader in Paris then Programme officer for rural development in Morocco (irrigation, rural roads, agriculture credit).

He has been appointed as AFD Country Director in Tanzania (2014-2018) and Indonesia (2018-2022) where he has contributed to the development of AFD portfolio on Energy, Transport, Water sectors, Urban Development in relationship with Ocean and Climate change global issues.

At 51 years old and with an experience exclusively dedicated to development operations in low income and emerging countries, Mr. Emmanuel Baudran has been appointed as the Deputy Executive Director of Sustainable Development and Global Head of Infrastructures at the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in August 2022.

Ms. Cadman is the World Bank Regional Blue Economy Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean assisting client countries to identify viable solutions to the myriad challenges faced in ensuring sustainable use of their coastal and marine natural resources base. Previously, she served as Environment Sector Coordinator for the Caribbean, Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Islands and Indonesia. Ms. Cadman has worked directly in 35 developing countries^,including seven Fragile States, across three Regions (East Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa), leading regional, national and sub-national World Bank investment operations and analytics as well as high-level policy dialogue on artisanal and industrial fisheries, blue carbon, blue economy, climate resilience, deep seabed mining, marine biodiversity, transfrontier marine protected areas, marine spatial planning and coastal and marine pollution.

David Chacón Rojas is a prominent figure from Tárcoles, located in the central Pacific region of Costa Rica. He is associated with Coope Tárcoles R.L., a cooperative that is known for its diverse marine catch, which includes tuna, sea bass, white shrimp, conger eels, croakers, mahi-mahi, jack mackerel, spiny lobsters, mackerels, snappers, billfish, octopus, and snook, among others. Under his influence, Coope Tárcoles R.L. has achieved several significant milestones:

-It was the first community to adopt the FAO's Voluntary Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

-In collaboration with CoopeSoliDar R.L., the cooperative supported the Executive Decree for the creation of responsible fishing areas, No. 35502-MAG-2009.

-The Tárcoles Responsible Fishing Area was recognized in 2011, which included negotiations with the semi-industrial sector.

-The cooperative has served as a learning space for small-scale fishing organizations within the country and the broader Latin American region.

Aracelly Jiménez Mora is a key figure associated with CoopeMolusco-Chomes R.L., based in Chomes, located in the Gulf of Nicoya. The cooperative specializes in the collection of various mollusks, including pianguas (ark clams), choros (mussels), clams, and mejillones (mussels). Aracelly Jiménez Mora has played a significant role in the cooperative's achievements and initiatives:

-She served as the National Co-Coordinator of the Network of Responsible Fishing Areas and Marine Life Territories.

-She has been instrumental in advocating for the recognition of the rights of women mollusk collectors.

-In 2015, she presented a Management Plan to the authorities for the sustainable use of the Chomes Mangrove.

-CoopeMolusco-Chomes R.L. was the first organization to receive a corporate license, which acknowledged the contributions of women mollusk collectors.

-With the goal of restoring the Chomes Mangrove, the organization has planted 20,000 red mangrove seedlings.

Jesús Cháves Vidaurre is a key member of the Asociación de Pescadores Artesanales de Barra de Colorado, located in the northern Caribbean region of Costa Rica. This association is recognized for its harvest of a variety of marine species such as pink shrimp, spiny lobster, calva, mackerel, grouper, snook, snapper, and tarpon. Jesús Cháves Vidaurre's contributions have been significant in the following areas:

-He has served as the National Co-Coordinator of the Network of Responsible Fishing Areas and Marine Life Territories.

-The community under his leadership has spearheaded research initiatives for the sustainable harvesting of shrimp.

-The women shrimp processors in the community have been active in advocating for the recognition of their fishing rights.

-The Responsible Fishing Area of Barra de Colorado has gained official recognition.

-Leveraging the knowledge of the fishing organization, the zoning of the responsible fishing area has been established to define marine conservation spaces, which are complementary to the Barra de Colorado National Park.

-The insights and expertise of the local fishers were instrumental in the creation of the Barra de Colorado Marine Management Area.

Erika has over a decade of experience in the field of responsible tourism and sustainable ocean economy. She holds a combined master's degree in business administration and natural resource management from INCAE (Central American Institute of Business Administration). Among other roles, she worked at the World Resources Institute, was a founder of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and for two years, from the secretariat of the World Resources Institute, she coordinated the advisory council of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, where 14 countries committed to sustainably managing their ocean waters. Within this group, Iberostar co-chairs the Tourism Action Coalition for a Sustainable Ocean.

In July 2021, she joined Iberostar as the Director of Coastal Health in the Group's Sustainability Department to bring her extensive experience in the world of public institutions, non-profit organizations, and the private sector, to help transform the work of Wave Of Change in terms of coastal health into an example of responsible tourism for the industry. On the first of June, she will assume her position as Global Director of Sustainability.

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez was selected as CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility in June 2020.  Rodríguez, a Costa Rican national, was a pioneer in the development of Payment for Ecosystem Services and strategies for forest restoration, ocean conservation, and decarbonization. During his three terms as Environment and Energy Minister, Costa Rica doubled the size of its forests, made its electric sector fully renewable, and consolidated a national park system that has made the Central American country a prime ecotourism destination. Rodríguez has also founded and served on the board of several environmental NGOs and tropical research institutes. After his second tenure as minister, he was Vice President for Global Policy at Conservation International for 12 years.

Ruth Tiffer Sotomayor is a Senior Environmental Specialist at the Global Environmental Unit of the World Bank. She has more than 25 years of experience working in the conservation of biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems and on the environmental assessment of large infrastructure development.  Ruth has lead World Bank operations in multiple sectors including fisheries, forest and landscape restoration, water resources, climate change adaptation, mining remediation, among others.

She is co-managing the Global Program of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Resilience and the NbS Invest program for Least Developed countries.   Ruth is an ecologist and an expert on tropical ecosystems and leads the World Bank Biodiversity Expert Technical Group.  Before joining the Bank, Ruth worked with the government of Costa Rica in the National Protected Area System. Ruth has a Master’s in science on Natural Resources Management from the State University of New York and Syracuse University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Rioja, Spain.

Anjali Acharya is leading the World Bank’s global marine plastics agenda, while also supporting country programs on marine plastics and circular economy. She also serves as the pillar manager for PROBLUE –a multi-donor trust fund for the blue economy. Anjali brings over 25 years of development experience at the World Bank leading projects and analytical work on climate resilience, watershed management, pollution management, environmental health, biodiversity and environmental policies. Her positions have covered programs in Latin America and East Asia Pacific regions, including field assignments in Vietnam and Singapore. An Indian national, Dr. Acharya holds a Ph.D. degree in International Environmental Health from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree in Environmental Economics from Duke University.

Ms. Amparo Perez Roda is a Fishery Officer at the Operations and Technology team of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of FAO. Prior to that, she coordinated the Glo Litter Partnerships project at FAO. She has extensive work experience in food loss reduction in marine capture fisheries, fishing gear management, and plastic marine litter prevention and reduction from fishing operations, in particular, ALDFG. She is Licensed in Biology by Universidad de Valencia, and she holds a Master’s in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning and Management at the Universidad del Pais Vasco.

Dr. Janaka de Silva, Senior Programme Coordinator, Ocean Team, Centre for Conservation Action, IUCN specializes in Marine and Coastal issues. His experience includes working in the Government, Academic and Non-Profit sectors and has included, designing, implementing and managing ecosystem based programs that integrate forests, watersheds and marine systems, providing advice on species management to governing bodies and developing and implementing results based monitoring at program and project level scales. He currently manages IUCN`s Global Plastic Portfolio  “Closing the Plastic Tap” that is being implemented in 11+ countries that advances knowledge and takes action to  address the impact of plastic waste and leakage on the marine environment. Janaka also supports the Ocean Teams programme of work on Ocean Multistressors and Sustainable Blue Economy.

Heidi has led marine litter and plastic pollution related activities within the Marine and Freshwater Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme since 2009. She has worked with coastal and marine management including prevention of land-based sources of pollution for 20 years. She trained as an ecotoxicologist with an MSc from Lund University, Sweden.  

Henrique is an economist at UNCTAD in Geneva, working on trade and circular economy themes. He is a member of the leadership team for the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) program, a GBP 25 million initiative established by UK Aid focusing on pollution prevention in manufacturing sectors of Africa and Asia, including plastics. Pacini holds a degree in economics from the University of São Paulo, a M.A. in European Studies from Hochschule Bremen, and a Ph.D. in Energy Technology from KTH in Sweden. He recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University examining global trade networks of plastic scrap material.  Mr. Pacini also co-chaired their first Circular Economy Symposium at Harvard. He has published over 30 articles on environment, trade, and development and has worked for various private and public institutions.

Hannah is a Project Specialist at the Global Ghost Gear Initiative. Based on the Central Coast in Australia, she holds a BSc with Honours in Marine Biology and MSc with Distinction in Biodiversity Conservation and brings with her over 10 years of experience working in the marine conservation field. Prior to her role, Hannah spent 8 years with PADI AWARE Foundation (formerly Project AWARE), leading their global Clean Ocean Strategy. As an avid scuba diver and surfer, she has been lucky to have experienced the beauty of our marine world and, in turn, has also seen first-hand the impact that ALDFG causes to the underwater world as well as the challenges associated with removing ghost gear from the ocean.