UNEP-WCMC Trade Hub

Elisa specializes in international biodiversity law and its linkages with human rights, notably the rights of indigenous peoples and small-scale fishing communities, everyone’s right to health and science, and business responsibility to respect human rights.

She is the director of the UKRI GCRF One Ocean Hub, a global inter- and trans-disciplinary research collaboration that is pioneering research on human rights and the marine environment with a view to better connecting marine and social sciences, and the arts, to support fair and inclusive decision-making for a healthy ocean whereby people and planet flourish.

After significant experience with the private sector in manufacturing and banking in Italy, he joined the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in 1987 as associate Expert in Papua New Guinea.

His latest position with UNIDO was Director of the Department of Agribusiness Development with a portfolio of US$40 million. In 2013 he ran for election to the post of Executive Director of the International Sugar Organization (ISO).

At the core of his experience is policy and strategic advice, development, fund raising and management of large-scale operations and development projects to address poverty and sustainability, with strong emphasis and success on building Public-Private Partnerships covering
the coffee sector and other agribusiness value chains.

Dr. Abhishek Chaudhary is an Assistant Professor of sustainability data analytics at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. His area of research includes sustainable agriculture and diets, biodiversity conservation, life cycle assessment, and environmental footprinting. ​Previously he has worked at ETH Zurich, Switzerland and US EPA. Currently, he is a member of the IUCN’s Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force (PDTF), ES&T’s Early Career Editorial Advisory Board and WHO’s One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP). He has contributed to EAT-Lancet commission’s report on healthy diets. His work on biodiversity has been recognized by UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative as best practice.

Simon is evidence and analysis team lead for Defra’s reducing demand on nature team. In this role Simon leads work to develop the evidence base in support of Defra’s policy initiatives on sustainable commodities, due diligence legislation and trade. Simon has extensive consultancy, applied research, and project management experience in conservation, climate change adaptation and development. He has experience of working with donors, research institutions, policy makers and the private sector to deliver improved environmental outcomes on the ground.

Corli Pretorius is theHead of the Policy, Knowledge and Partnerships Team at UNDPs Crisis Bureau. She is the former Deputy Director of the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). With 20 years of experience in global public policy on environment and development, she advocates for collective action to address some of the key societal challenges. Enabling governments and business to better integrate biodiversity and ecosystem knowledge in decision-making is a key component of her work.

She has previously held roles as the Head of Responsible Sourcing at ASOS, and Programme Director at the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). Ruchira has life-long passion for working towards ensuring that global supply chains are more inclusive of smallholder farmers and workers.

Her key achievements include designing an innovative Volume Based Fee financing mechanism for smallholder capacity building at BCI, setting up the ASOS Responsible Sourcing Programme for third-party brands, and establishing IDH in the UK. She recently coordinated the IDH COP26 campaign and led the Smallholder Support working group, part of the UK government’s Forest, Agriculture, and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue. Ruchira has an MA from SOAS in International Development and is also a trustee of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, a standard holding body for responsible cashmere production in Mongolia and China.

Richard has over 17 years’ experience in strategy implementation, operations and performance evaluation in the public and not-for-profit sectors. He is responsible for the Luc Hoffmann Institute’s internal operations and systems and is also involved in developing the new project portfolio.

Richard obtained his first degree in commerce before winning scholarships to conduct research on the political ecology of conservation and environmental change for his MSc and PhD at King’s College London. He then joined the UK National Audit Office (NAO) which scrutinises public spending for the UK Parliament. Richard led numerous high-profile performance evaluations of government operations, programmes and services while at the NAO including developing renewable energy technologies, decarbonising electricity supplies, civil nuclear decommissioning, public service broadcasting, estate management and government asset sales.

Previously, Richard worked in finance roles in the financial services and transport sectors and as a researcher in an economics consultancy. He has authored dozens of published reports and briefings for the UK Parliament on the operation and performance of publicly-funded organisations.

Jonny is a Team Leader in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. He leads on Analysis and Evidence in the Trade Directorate.