LECTURER’S PROFILE

Verónica Sión de Josse

Veronica Sión de Josse is the Minister of Industry and Productivity in Ecuador. She previously held various public and private positions as: Minister of Tourism, Executive Director of the National Council for the Reactivation of the Production and Competitiveness, Regional Director of the National Federation of Exporters (FEDEXPOR), Director of the Competitiveness Unit CORPEI Project Director for Technical Cooperation GTZ of Germany.

Educación: Economist, graduated from the Catholic University of Guayaquil. Diploma in Foreign Trade, specializing in Customs, from the University of Espiritu Santo and graduate of the Advanced Management Program (GAP) of INCAE. She later studied outside of the country mainly in areas of Foreign Trade, International Business, Export Promotion and Investment Attraction and in the implementation of competitive processes.

Minister of Industry and Productivity Republic of

Ecuador

Francisco Dávila

President ANCUPA Ecuador

Francisco Dávila is the President of the National Association of Palm Oil Growers in Ecuador. He has 2 years promoting the palm oil services , has renewed the technology system transfer and training of the palm oil growers establishing good agricultural and environmental practices, and positioning ANCUPA and the palm oil development as pillars of the agricultural economy of Ecuador.

With 17 years experience in the Ecuadorian palm oil sector and 10 years of experience in the financial sector, he currently heads the palm oil companies called Davila’s Ecuadorian Group with plantations and extraction that benefit the palm fruit for more of 1100 small and medium palm producers.

Education: Advanced Studies in Systems and Informatics, Specialization in Strategic Planning and Technology in Business Administration.

Darrel Webber Darrel Webber is the Secretary General of the Roundtble on

Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since January 2011. He has over 20 years of experience in reputable multinational organizations.

With prior work experience in NGO and private sector, is devoted leading RSPO, a not-for-profit association that unites stakeholders from 7 sectors of the palm oil industry with a goal to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil. Webber is well positioned to provide strategic insights on the significance of sustainable palm oil amidst and expanding environmentally and socially conscious in the world.

Education: Graduated with a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Secretary General

RSPO Malaysia

Marcela Aguiñaga

Marcela Aguiñaga is currently the Minister of Environment in Ecuador, a position she has held for more than 4 years. Previously she was the Assistant Secretary of Aquaculture, Undersecretary of Fisheries, legal adviser at the National Fisheries Institute, and legal consultant in the Financial Management in the Unit Project Ugafip-American Development Bank, and legal consultant in the Galapagos National Park.

She has an extensive experience as a consultant on food security issues and aquaculture fisheries resources, consulting, multidisciplinary teams in Bills-legal environment issues, among others.

Education: Attorney specialize in Environmental Law and Sustainable Development and Sustainable at the Catholic University of Guayaquil.

Minister of Environment Republic of

Ecuador

Jens Mesa Dishington

Jens Mesa-Dishington is the Executive President from the National Federation of Palm Oil Growers, Fedepalma in Colombia.

In the 21 years that he has become President , the palm-sector have been multiplied by 4. The Federation has had a very important institutional consolidation under his direction including the creation of the palm oil investigation center called Cenipalma. He has led energy initiative from the palm oil agribusiness, Including the Biodiesel National Program, the implementation of the CDM Umbrella Project that captures and use the methane gas and the use of the cogeration systems.

Education: Master in Agricultural Economy from Cornell University, Economist from the University Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, in Bogotá.

Executive President

Fedepalma Colombia

Anni Vuohelainen

Anni Vuohelainen is Project Manager at Proforest, an organization that works to support and guide the sustainable production and use of natural resources globally. She has been involved in the development and review of sustainability standards in the agricultural commodities and timber sector. Her work at Proforest also includes providing support to growers to meet sustainability standards and helping buyers, processors and investors to implement sustainable procurement.

Anni has experience with ecological research, forest conservation and sustainable agriculture and forestry in Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Education: MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford, BSc in Biological Sciences (Ecology) from the University of Edinburgh

Project Manager Proforest

United Kingdom

Yolanda Kakabadse

Yolanda Kakabadse is President of WWF International since January 2010. Previously she had the following positions: She chaired the Scientific and Technology Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility (STAP / GEF), she founded Fundacion Futuro Latinoamericano, an NGO she served as Executive President until 2007 and is now its Senior Adviser. Fundacion Futuro Latino Americano designs and organizes policy dialogues on sustainable development among decision makers in Latin American.

She was the Executive Director of Fundacion Natura in Quito, where she worked until 1990. Ms. Kakabadse helped Fundacion Natura become one of Latin America's most important environmental organizations through the development of important processes for Ecuadorian society and the international community, among others prestigious positions.

President WWF International

Ecuador

Felipe Guerrero

Felipe Guerrero is the Sustainability Director from DAABON Group, responsible for the sustainability programs and corporate social responsibility. Is in charge for a number of programs including CDM projects and emissions neutrality.

Previously he was the Researcher at the Florida International University and the Environmental Advisor at the Q8 Corporation.

Education: Master in Environmental Engineering, Degree in Renewable Energy Resources Management, Graduate in Environmental Engineering from El Bosque University in Bogota, Colombia.

Director de Sostenibilidad

Grupo DAABON Colombia

Xavier Andrillón

Xavier Andrillón manages the activities of the International Charity at The Forest Trust in Latin America.

After focused for 3 years on International Agricultural Development in various countries (Paraguay, Spain, France, Indonesia), he decided to settle in Brazil in 2008 to establish TFT's regional office. Xavier developed an expertise centered on understanding the challenges faced by farmers, processors and retailers to progress toward sustainable agriculture and forest management and in particular, economical and technical knowledge and leverage can be applied in the supply chain.

Education: Master’s Degree in agricultural development from AgroParisTech. Agro-economist Degree.

Manager-Latin America

TFT France

Tulio Días

Tulio Días is the Manager of Social and Environmental Responsibility from Agropalma Group in Brazil, one of the most important companies throughout Latin America.

For 10 years he has devoted his career to environmental management and social responsibility in the agribusiness, mining and railways. Since 2008 he represents the Agropalma Group in the chair of the Sustainable Amazon Forum Executive Board, a private organization that the objective is to promote dialogue among different sectors to guide the economic activities towards sustainable development in the Brazilian Amazon.

Education: Master in Agribusiness. Agronomist Engineer in the University of Sao Paulo.

Manager of Social and Environmental

Responsibility Agropalma Group

Brazil

Diego Pierrend

Pierrend Diego is the Office Manager of Control Union Certifications Since 2008 Colombia Ltda.

He has experience in the field of agro export certifications and quality systems. It has been linked in the foreign trade sector since the beginning of their professional training. He has attended to several international events in Germany and the Netherlands related to agriculture. Speaker at various events about organic, sustainable, good agricultural practices, quality systems and international trade.

Education: Agroindustrial Engineering, specialize in International Business at the University of San Ignacio de Loyola in Peru.

Gerente Control Unión

Colombia Ltda. Perú

Amylkar Acosta

Amylkar Acosta is Member of the Colombian Academy of Economics, former President of the Colombian Society of Economists, teacher specialization in Mining, Energy and member of the same research group, former Congress President and author of Act 693 of 2001 on the production and marketing of biofuels in Colombia, founder and member of the Board of the National Federation of biofuels and member of the Board of the state oil company Ecopetrol.

Writer with 32 published works and columnist for major newspapers.

Board Member National

Federation of Biofuels

Colombia

Jorge Wated

Jorge Wated is the General Manager of the National Financial Corporation (CFN). He is the Board’s main vocal of the State Bank on behalf of the Public Financial Institutions and he is one the Corpei Directors.

Previously he was the Advisor of the CEO in the Transit Commission of Guayas, Political Chief and Acting Governor of the Canton, Secretary General of the Government of the Province of Guayas, Financial Advisor at the American Financial Corporation, among others.

Education: Marketing and Sales Engineer with a major in Business Administration Degree in Marketing, Bachelor of Business Administration at the State University of New York.

General Manager National Financial

Corporation Ecuador

Reintje Van Haeringen

Reintje Van Haeringen is Regional Director of SNV Latin America and has over 20 years of experience in Latin America, Africa and Asia, with expertise in a wide selection of areas and working with public, private and nonprofit organizations.

She is passionate about promoting inclusive economic and social development for low-income communities through sustainable market-based approaches. She has published numerous case studies on inclusive business, inclusive public policy development, and local economic development with a particular focus on identifying the critical success factors that lead to scalability in inclusive business ventures.

Education: Master in Landscape Architecture, Postgraduate education in Organizational Development.

Regional Director

SVN Holland

Andrés Castro

Andrés Castro is the Leader in the Planning and Social Development Sector from the National Federation of Palm Oil Growers, Fedepalma. He coordinates and develop the sectorial policy, the programs and projects of corporate social responsibility from the Palm Oil Growers in Colombia.

Previously he was the Secretary General of Fedepalma, University Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Government and International Relations at the University of Rosario, Professor at the Faculty of International Relations at the University of Jorge Tadeo Lozano and Independent Consultant in United Nations development Program (UNDP).

Education: Master in Public Administration and Lawyer at the University of Rosario.

Leader in the Planning and Social

Development Fedepalma Colombia

Lourdes Luque de Jaramillo

Lourdes Luque is member from the Directives Board from the Guayaquil Chamber of Industries and Consultant in Corpei. Previously she had the following positions: Minister of the Environment in Ecuador, President Director from CEDEGE, Executive Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEMD), Founder of the Economic Development Agency of Guayaquil and its zone of influence ADREG, President of the Foundation for People Assurance in Health, Economic Development Manager SNV Netherlands Development Organization (SNV).

Education: Master in Business Administration at the ESPOL. Environmental Management and Strategic Management Diploma and Social Science Educator.

Environmental Specialist CORPEI Ecuador

Juan Carlos Espinosa

Juan Carlos Espinosa is the Leader in the Environmental Planning and Development Sector in Fedepalma, he coordinates activities of the guild palm around the adoption of a model of environmental sustainability. Previously he worked for 5 years in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Colombia, worked in the National Planning Department of Colombia in the environmental indicator systems for planning, monitoring and evaluating the regional environmental management, and in the Industrial Ecology Center at Yale University in the conceptualization of eco-industrial parks.

Education: Master in Environmental Management from Yale University, Industrial Engineer at the University of Los Angeles in Bogota, Colombia.

Leader in the Environmental Planning and

Development Sector Fedepalma Colombia

Valmir Ortega

Valmir Ortega is the Director of Environmental Policy Program in the International Conservation in Brazil.

He previously served as Minister of Environment in the State of Pará, Vice-president of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources . He was named special adviser of the Minister of Environment with the position of National Coordinator in the Pantanal Program, among others prestigious positions.

Education: Master in Agribusiness. Agronomist in the University of Sao Paulo.

Director of Environmental Policy

Program International Conservation

Brazil

Max Lascano

Max Lascano is the Socio Bosque General Manager in the Ministry of Environment in Ecuador. He has held various positions in the area of economy and environmental collaborating with determination in the policies design, strategies and projects that will allow the country to advance in the Sustainable Development.

He has a wide experience in public institutions that provides help in the Secretariat Of Public Investment in the Ministry of Economy, Secretariat of the Ministry of Social Development and Socio Bosque Program Coordination of the Ministry of Environment.

Education: Master in Management and Environmental Palnning, Economist at the Catholic University in Quito.

Socio Bosque General Manager

Ministry of Environment

Ecuador

Javier Carvajal Barriga

Javier Carvajal is the Main Teacher and Investigator in the Pontifical Catholic University (PCUE) in Quito, Ecuador. He is Director of the Research Center for Geotropically Biomass (CNIB) and the Catholic Quito Collection of Yeasts (CLQCA), Project Director, Representative of Ecuador to the Iberoamerican Network of Energy (REDIENE) and at the Iberoamerican Society for the Development of bio-refineries (SIADEB).

Is an expert of metabolic engineering in yeast, yeast

biodiversity, biotechnological applications of yeast, biofuel from the fermentation, among others. Javier is currently installing a bio-refinery for the production of bioethanol from biomass waste.

Education: Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology (cum laude),

Master in Biotechnology, Master of Brewery Technology, Bachelor in Biological Sciences Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.

Main Teacher PCUE

Ecuador

Larry Philip

Larry Philp is the General Director from CO2 Spain Innovations and Solutions, S.A., society specialized in carbon markets.

Under his direction includes the development of pipeline projects that generate carbon credits by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and advices to private and public institutions. During the last 3 years he has been General Director of Aretech climate changes, where the company has managed a portfolio of $ 200 million for these new titles in participatory projects. C02 Spain under his leadership since 2003, is a pioneer in the carbon market.

Education: Master in Economy and Business Management, Master in Chemical Engineering, in the Technological Institute from Massachusetts.

General Director CO2 Spain

United States

Roberto Burgos Roberto Burgos is the Director of Research and Technology

Transfer in ANCUPA, National Association of oil palm growers in Ecuador. His experience for over 11 years has focused in the area of development, extension and training in the oil palm sector.

Under his charge runs several programs including coordination in Ecuador of the International Project "Closing Productivity Gap small scale producers in Latin America and the Caribbean" project funded by the Common Fund for Commodities and headed to Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador for the Fund Innovation in Latin American oil palm FLIPA. He has lectured at several events in the agricultural sector both nationally and internationally. Professor at the University of Technology Equator UTE.

Educación: Agricultural Engineer at the Technical University of Manabí.

Director of Research and Technology

Transfer Ancupa Ecuador

Bella Sosa

Bella Sosa is the Project Coordinator from SNV in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She has over 15 years of experience in environmental management and integrated administration of natural resources. Project and management consulting for renewable energy, cleaner production and climate change with the private and public sector.

Counts with a wide work experience with international organizations (UNDP y SNV), U.S. NGOs (AFCS y WLA) and National Public Institutions. She has been invited as a speaker for the IDB.

Education: Master in Local Development, Environmental Engineering at the Catholic University of Honduras and a Degree in Animal Science.

Proyect Coordinator SNV

Honduras

Mártides Banegas

Mártides Banegas is Responsible for the Rain Forest Alliance Certification, supporting the process to the 30 member cooperatives Hondupalma. He has 20 years of experience in the cooperative union, affiliated with the company Hondupalma, social enterprise dedicated to the cultivation and processing of oil palm. Extensive experience in management and projection of the farmer cooperative development. Experience in managing occupational safety hygiene, and production management in the industrial and agricultural Hondupalma.

Educación: He is currently studying a Masters in Financial Management at the Technical University of Honduras. Industrial Engineering Degree.

Responsible for the Rain Forest Alliance

Certification Hondupalma

Honduras

Alain Rival

Coordinator for Oil Palm Research

Cirad France

Rival Alain is Research Coordinator for Oil Palm at CIRAD in Montpellier, France. He has participated in several RSPO Roundtable from the beginning.

His research focuses on epigenetic variation in plants, this work identifies early markers of abnormality monitoring protocols for culture tissue. He spent the first years of his scientific work with international cooperation programs in biotechnology overseas (Ivory Coast, Indonesia, Malaysia and Costa Rica). He is a certificate teacher of Biology and

Physiology certificate since 2002.

Education: Doctorate in Plant Biotechnology, Molecular physiologist.

Egbert J.A. Spaans

President ALIA2

Holland

Egbert Spaans is President and Founding Partner of ALIA2, a company that promotes the development of agro products from Latin America by applying the specific concept of Precision Agriculture and Rural Development. He was professor at EARTH University in Costa Rica. He has dictated courses of “Properties of Soils in the Tropics“ and “Management and Conservation of Tropical Soils”.

He has done consultancies and training in Precision Agriculture, Soil Management and Evaluation in Costa Rica, Guadalupe, Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, USA and Dominican Republic.

Education: PhD in Soils, MSC in Tropic Soils in the Agricultural University Wageningen, Holland.