Sam Bickersteth, Chief Executive Officer
Sam became CEO of CDKN in January 2011. In this role he is responsible for leading CDKN’s strategy and delivery, ensuring coherent direction across its regional and global outputs on knowledge management, research, technical assistance and partnerships. Sam brings an established background in international development, natural resources and climate change, having worked for DFID and Oxfam over a number of years. From 2006 to 2010 he was head of programme policy at Oxfam and prior to that led DFID programmes in Mozambique, Bolivia and Nepal. He has lived and worked in Sri Lanka, Sudan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bolivia and Mozambique and travelled widely in his roles as researcher, policy adviser, and programme manager. Most recently he was leading international donor efforts to mainstream agriculture into climate change policy and negotiations.
Simon Maxwell, Executive Chair
Simon chairs the Network Council which shapes the overall strategy and direction of the Network. Simon is a Senior Research Associate of the Overseas Development Institute and was ODI Director from 1997 to 2009. Before that, he worked for ten years overseas, in Kenya and India for UNDP and in Bolivia for the UK aid programme, and then for sixteen years at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.
Stefan Raubenheimer, Africa Network Director
Stefan is a leading expert on climate change and development in Africa. He facilitated the Long Term Mitigation Strategy (LTMS) for the government of South Africa, and is now involved in similar processes in a number of other developing countries for the MAPS project. He is the CEO of SouthSouthNorth (SSN) and the director of SSN Africa. Stefan is an accredited mediator, arbitrator and facilitator of a number of award winning processes.
Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, Asia Network Director
Ali is the head of LEAD Pakistan, his home country and has almost 20 years experience in sustainable development in the Asia. He heads LEAD’s Climate Network, allowing him access to over 2000 experts in various sectors and regions, many based within low and middle income country governments. He has assisted the Government of Pakistan on COP negotiations, climate change strategies and sectoral climate change mitigation and adaptation planning.
Yolanda Kakabadse, Latin America Network Director
Yolanda is a highly respected leader on Latin American climate change issues and was previously the Minister of Environment in Ecuador. She set up and was the Executive President of Fundacion Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA) one of the most important organisations in Latin America working on environmental sustainability. Yolanda has been granted numerous awards including by the United Nations for her exceptional contribution to development in Latin America.
Professor Emilio Lebre La Rovere, Chief Scientific Advisor Emilio is a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and a well known researcher and academic. He is head of the Center for Integrated Studies on Climate Change and the Environment at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Over the past 20 years Emilio has advised a wide range of stakeholders including the Brazilian government, international organisations, businesses, research institutes and NGOs on all aspects of climate change.
Geoff Barnard, Head of Knowledge Management Geoff has been involved in communications and knowledge management in the international development sector for over 25 years. Formerly Head of Information at the Institute of Development Studies, he is an expert in setting up and managing successful knowledge services and has a strong understanding of how to communicate research and other expert knowledge in ways that are accessible to policy makers and practitioners.
Alison Cambray, Head of Technical Assistance
Alison has ten years’ experience as a specialist in environmental policy, including on climate change mitigation, adaptation, water quality and resources and flood management. A consultant in PwC’s Sustainability & Climate Change team, she has worked with both central and local government to develop climate change strategies and programmes in the UK. Experienced in project management and stakeholder engagement, Alison also brings skills in integrating climate change objectives with other priorities, investment plans and decision-making processes.
Natasha Grist, Head of Research Natasha runs the CDKN Research Output from her base in the Overseas Development Institute. Natasha specialises in climate change, adaptation and international development. As a Research Fellow at ODI, Natasha has worked on adaptation policy, international negotiations, international and national policy, and adaptation planning in West Africa, with a focus on agriculture. Natasha brings a background of expertise in agriculture, natural resource management, social development and pro-poor policy to her work on climate change and is particularly interested in integrating knowledge on climate change into development policy and action. She has worked with many international entities (e.g. UNDP, GDPRD, IFAD), research institutions, and NGOs over the last 10 years.
Caroline Spencer, Partnerships Coordinator Prior to joining CDKN, Caroline was Programme Manager of the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA), a non-profit organisation which promotes best practice and self-regulation in the voluntary carbon market, where she managed the ICROA Secretariat. Before this, Caroline coordinated the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group, one of the largest and most active parliamentary groups in the UK.
Celine Herweijer, Chief Strategic Advisor
Celine has deep technical expertise in climate science, risk modelling, adaptation strategies, and climate change policy advisory. A Director in the Sustainability and Climate Change Team at PwC Celine also leads PwC’s Climate Risk and Adaptation agenda, working with both public and private sector clients, and the PwC country firms globally. She has advised the United Nations, G-20 and World Economic Forum, as well as numerous governments, development banks, international organisations, and the private sector.
Zlatina Loudjeva, Chief Operating Officer
Zlatina has more than 10 years of experience in international development, including the management and successful delivery of complex, multi- national programmes. Zlatina’s technical background in impact assessment has helped her develop results and impact driven approaches to operational management. Her experience in developing countries, including work in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, has helped her appreciate the different working environments and cultural impacts on management models. Prior to joining PricewaterhouseCoopers, Zlatina has worked with the World Bank and Shell as well as civil society organizations.
Tim Ash Vie, Head of Negotiations Support
Tim has over 10 years experience in large complex sustainable development climate change projects and programmes, both within the public and private sectors and understands the people, processes and systems needed to deliver successful programmes. He brings strong skills in project management, finance, reporting, performance management and legal skills. As a leader Tim is focused on building and motivating strong teams and is passionate about delivering a successful Climate and Development Knowledge Network programme.
English
Management team
Sam became CEO of CDKN in January 2011. In this role he is responsible for leading CDKN’s strategy and delivery, ensuring coherent direction across its regional and global outputs on knowledge management, research, technical assistance and partnerships. Sam brings an established background in international development, natural resources and climate change, having worked for DFID and Oxfam over a number of years. From 2006 to 2010 he was head of programme policy at Oxfam and prior to that led DFID programmes in Mozambique, Bolivia and Nepal. He has lived and worked in Sri Lanka, Sudan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bolivia and Mozambique and travelled widely in his roles as researcher, policy adviser, and programme manager. Most recently he was leading international donor efforts to mainstream agriculture into climate change policy and negotiations.
Simon chairs the Network Council which shapes the overall strategy and direction of the Network. Simon is a Senior Research Associate of the Overseas Development Institute and was ODI Director from 1997 to 2009. Before that, he worked for ten years overseas, in Kenya and India for UNDP and in Bolivia for the UK aid programme, and then for sixteen years at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.
Stefan is a leading expert on climate change and development in Africa. He facilitated the Long Term Mitigation Strategy (LTMS) for the government of South Africa, and is now involved in similar processes in a number of other developing countries for the MAPS project. He is the CEO of SouthSouthNorth (SSN) and the director of SSN Africa. Stefan is an accredited mediator, arbitrator and facilitator of a number of award winning processes.
Ali is the head of LEAD Pakistan, his home country and has almost 20 years experience in sustainable development in the Asia. He heads LEAD’s Climate Network, allowing him access to over 2000 experts in various sectors and regions, many based within low and middle income country governments. He has assisted the Government of Pakistan on COP negotiations, climate change strategies and sectoral climate change mitigation and adaptation planning.
Yolanda is a highly respected leader on Latin American climate change issues and was previously the Minister of Environment in Ecuador. She set up and was the Executive President of Fundacion Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA) one of the most important organisations in Latin America working on environmental sustainability. Yolanda has been granted numerous awards including by the United Nations for her exceptional contribution to development in Latin America.
Professor Emilio Lebre La Rovere, Chief Scientific Advisor
Emilio is a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and a well known researcher and academic. He is head of the Center for Integrated Studies on Climate Change and the Environment at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Over the past 20 years Emilio has advised a wide range of stakeholders including the Brazilian government, international organisations, businesses, research institutes and NGOs on all aspects of climate change.
Geoff has been involved in communications and knowledge management in the international development sector for over 25 years. Formerly Head of Information at the Institute of Development Studies, he is an expert in setting up and managing successful knowledge services and has a strong understanding of how to communicate research and other expert knowledge in ways that are accessible to policy makers and practitioners.
Alison has ten years’ experience as a specialist in environmental policy, including on climate change mitigation, adaptation, water quality and resources and flood management. A consultant in PwC’s Sustainability & Climate Change team, she has worked with both central and local government to develop climate change strategies and programmes in the UK. Experienced in project management and stakeholder engagement, Alison also brings skills in integrating climate change objectives with other priorities, investment plans and decision-making processes.
Natasha runs the CDKN Research Output from her base in the Overseas Development Institute. Natasha specialises in climate change, adaptation and international development. As a Research Fellow at ODI, Natasha has worked on adaptation policy, international negotiations, international and national policy, and adaptation planning in West Africa, with a focus on agriculture. Natasha brings a background of expertise in agriculture, natural resource management, social development and pro-poor policy to her work on climate change and is particularly interested in integrating knowledge on climate change into development policy and action. She has worked with many international entities (e.g. UNDP, GDPRD, IFAD), research institutions, and NGOs over the last 10 years.
Prior to joining CDKN, Caroline was Programme Manager of the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA), a non-profit organisation which promotes best practice and self-regulation in the voluntary carbon market, where she managed the ICROA Secretariat. Before this, Caroline coordinated the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group, one of the largest and most active parliamentary groups in the UK.
Celine has deep technical expertise in climate science, risk modelling, adaptation strategies, and climate change policy advisory. A Director in the Sustainability and Climate Change Team at PwC Celine also leads PwC’s Climate Risk and Adaptation agenda, working with both public and private sector clients, and the PwC country firms globally. She has advised the United Nations, G-20 and World Economic Forum, as well as numerous governments, development banks, international organisations, and the private sector.
Zlatina has more than 10 years of experience in international development, including the management and successful delivery of complex, multi- national programmes. Zlatina’s technical background in impact assessment has helped her develop results and impact driven approaches to operational management. Her experience in developing countries, including work in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, has helped her appreciate the different working environments and cultural impacts on management models. Prior to joining PricewaterhouseCoopers, Zlatina has worked with the World Bank and Shell as well as civil society organizations.
Tim has over 10 years experience in large complex sustainable development climate change projects and programmes, both within the public and private sectors and understands the people, processes and systems needed to deliver successful programmes. He brings strong skills in project management, finance, reporting, performance management and legal skills. As a leader Tim is focused on building and motivating strong teams and is passionate about delivering a successful Climate and Development Knowledge Network programme.