MEDIA ADVISORY
CIFOR-ICRAF announces Dr Eliane Ubalijoro as Chief Executive Officer
17 Jan 2023
- Dr Eliane Ubalijoro will be the first African woman CEO of a CGIAR Research Center
- CIFOR–ICRAF’s acting CEO Dr Robert Nasi will become Chief Operating Officer
- Ubalijoro and Nasi will lead the merged organisation of CIFOR-ICRAF – the world’s leading research and development centre on trees, forests and landscapes
(Nairobi, 17 January 2023) – The Board of Trustees for the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) is very pleased to announce the appointment of Eliane Ubalijoro as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CIFOR-ICRAF and Director General of ICRAF. Ubalijoro will be the first African woman Director General of a CGIAR Research Center and CEO of two Centers in CGIAR’s 60-year history.
Born in Rwanda, Ubalijoro is the Executive Director of Sustainability in the Digital Age, and Professor of Practice for public-private sector partnerships at McGill University’s Institute for the Study of International Development. Over the past two decades, her research has focused on innovation, gender, and sustainable development.
“I see CIFOR-ICRAF as a critical institution, poised to accelerate its research and impact, leading the way to achieving the 2030 goals by harnessing the potential of forestry and agroforestry to create ecosystems that generate prosperity, sustainably,” said Ubalijoro. She is interested in combining CIFOR-ICRAF’s wealth of knowledge in forestry, ecology and sustainable agriculture with the transparency that high-resolution satellite data and artificial intelligence can bring to connect with work that aims to increase biodiversity worldwide and ensure transparency in terms of carbon sequestration.
Alongside Dr. Ubalijoro’s appointment starting May 2023, Dr Robert Nasi – CIFOR–ICRAF’s acting CEO – will take up the position of Chief Operating Officer. Nasi is a globally recognised forestry scientist who has been researching the ecology and management of tropical forests for the past four decades, including the sustainable use of forest resources and the intersection of conservation and development.
I see CIFOR-ICRAF as a critical institution, poised to accelerate its research and impact, leading the way to achieving the 2030 goals by harnessing the potential of forestry and agroforestry to create ecosystems that generate prosperity, sustainably,
“This appointment marks a new era for CIFOR-ICRAF,” said Nasi. “As the potential of trees and forests in addressing the climate, food and biodiversity crises becomes increasingly apparent, the new leadership team stands ready to take CIFOR-ICRAF into an ambitious era of growth to provide much-needed solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time.”
CIFOR-ICRAF, which merged in 2019, is the world’s leading authority on forest and agroforestry landscapes. It has partnerships in 64 countries, 159 funding partners and 192 active projects, alongside more than 2,200 completed projects across 92 nations. The organisation has an annual budget of USD 100 million,, and a combined legacy investment of USD 2 billion in research and technology, policy and development. On average, CIFOR-ICRAF research is cited nearly 137 times a day, and appears in global media more than 3,000 times per year.
This appointment marks a new era for CIFOR-ICRAF.
“CIFOR-ICRAF has never been better equipped than now, with the combination of Dr Ubalijoro’s wealth of experience in agricultural research, digital innovation and transformational leadership, and Dr Nasi’s deep knowledge of tropical forestry and exemplary success in guiding both organisations through the merger,” said CIFOR-ICRAF Board Chair Doris Capistrano. “We look forward to the new heights CIFOR-ICRAF will reach in its mission to address interconnected global challenges through the power of forests, trees and agroforestry.”
About CIFOR-ICRAF
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) envision a more equitable world where trees in all landscapes, from drylands to the humid tropics, enhance the environment, livelihoods and well-being for all. CIFOR and ICRAF are CGIAR Research Centers. Learn more at cifor-icraf.org.
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For more information, please contact:
Global
Azzura Lalani
Global Head of Outreach and Engagement
Bonn, Germany
Tel: +49 151 1062 6686
Email: a.lalani@cifor-icraf.org
Africa
Susan Onyango
Global Communications Coordinator
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 7224000
Via USA: +1 650 833 6645/+1 650 833 6646
Email: s.onyango@cgiar.org
Asia
Budhy Kristanty
Communications Project Coordinator – Asia
Bogor, Indonesia
Cell phone: +62 811 1904283
Work: +62 251 8622622 Ext.506
Email: b.kristanty@cgiar.org
Latin America
Yoly Gutierrez Zavala
Regional Communications Specialist – Latin America
Lima, Peru
Cell phone: +51 1 993 59 22 61
y.gutierrez@cgiar.org