Key skills and expertise

Bringing over 40 years of experience in tropical forestry, agroforestry, and urban green development, the expert is skilled in participatory planning, community development, and sustainable management. Career highlights include leading projects in Africa, Latin America, and Europe, achieving significant results in biodiversity conservation and renewable energy. Responsibilities have included roles such as Chief Technical Advisor and Project Director, with a focus on project implementation and strategic planning. The expert has successfully managed municipal enterprises, achieving turnovers of up to €15 million and overseeing teams of 300 staff. Expertise includes project cycle management, monitoring, and evaluation.

Project experience and donor exposure

With a background in international development cooperation, the expert has collaborated with donors such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Kreditanstallt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), and Dutch International Cooperation. Worked across diverse projects involving project implementation, technical assistance, and evaluations in thematic areas like forestry, biodiversity conservation, and rural development. These projects have been regional and national in scope, conducted in geographic locations including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, Honduras, and Cameroon.

Sectors and geographic focus

The expert has worked across key sectors including rural development, environment and natural resource management, logistics, and urban development. Previously held roles such as Chief Technical Advisor, Project Director, and General Manager, with responsibilities in project implementation, strategic planning, and community development. His interdisciplinary expertise includes integrating agro-industrial concepts and value chain development in forestry and urban green projects. The work spans regional and country-specific initiatives in Africa, Latin America, and Europe, focusing on sustainable management and participatory conservation efforts. Extensive geographic experience includes long-term assignments in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Netherlands, with work in countries such as Benin, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Honduras, Indonesia, Mali, Morocco, Niger, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, and Vietnam. The expert's background includes a deep familiarity with local governance and cultural dynamics, particularly in participatory planning and rural development, with recurring involvement in West and Central Africa.

Languages and education

The expert is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, with proficiency levels of 5 in reading, speaking, and writing for English and French, and 4 in Spanish. These language skills have been utilized in international projects across Africa, Latin America, and Europe, facilitating communication in multilingual teams and project settings. Dutch is the expert's mother tongue, and proficiency in Afrikaans and German further supports roles in diverse cultural and linguistic environments. The expert holds an MSc in Tropical Silviculture & Forest Management and a BSc in Agronomy and Forestry from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Additionally, a BSc level Certificate in Operational & Logistics Management was obtained from the Centre for Entrepreneurial Training in Utrecht, Netherlands.