Guillaume Chiron is Deputy Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Biodiversity Division at the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). Guillaume Chiron joined AFD in 1993.

In this position he has been in charge of biodiversity, ocean, and forestry issues since 2017. He has held several operational positions in Mauritania, Haiti, Mozambique, and Brazil. For seven years, as a biodiversity team task leader, he managed a portfolio of projects for biodiversity protection and natural resources management in Africa (Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritania, Democratic Republic of Congo), Asia (China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar) and the South Pacific.

Guillaume studied economics (Center for International Development Studies and Research – University of Auvergne).

Dr. Heike Henn is Director for Climate, Energy and Environment as well as Commissioner for climate policy and climate financing at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). She studied political science, economics and law. Heike Henn has almost thirty years of experience in the field of development policy, covering research, non-governmental organizations, and the governmental sector. Since 2003 she has been working at BMZ in various positions, e.g. as Coordinator of the German G8 Africa Personal Representative, Head of German Development Cooperation in Burundi and Rwanda, Head of Division Special Initiative ONEWORLD – No Hunger and as Head of Division of Policy Issues of Cooperation with Civil Society and Private Organizations.

Barry is an experienced leader with a strong record of developing and implementing programs that balance the needs of people with a thriving and resilient environment. He has expertise in addressing large-scale terrestrial and marine conservation issues, as well as climate change. He has significant international experience, including work in Canada, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Western Pacific.  

Barry held leadership positions at the Walton Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Prior to this, he held senior positions with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Committee on Science in the U.S. House of Representatives. And, before that, he held senior positions at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  

He has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2017 National Champion of the Ocean Award from Monmouth University, past recipients have included Christy Todd Whitman and Leon Panetta. In 2007 he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for “…enhancing scientific literacy in the electorate, academia, agencies, and philanthropic organizations, and for training the next generation of leaders at the science-policy interface.”  

Barry is skilled at facilitating diverse groups to develop solutions to complex problems. He has served on or led numerous Boards, including serving as President of the Board for the Biodiversity Funders Group. He holds a B.S. in biology from the University of Miami, an M.S. in ecology from the University of Connecticut, an M.A. in political science, from George Washington University, and a D.Sc. from Washington University in St. Louis. 

Aileen Lee is the Chief Program Officer leading the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Environmental Conservation Program.

Prior to joining the Moore Foundation, Aileen was an associate principal at McKinsey & Company, where she led client engagements in strategy, operations, and organizational effectiveness across a wide range of sectors. She currently serves on the boards of the Windward Fund and the Climate and Land Use Alliance. Aileen has previously served as chair of the board of the Environmental Grantmakers Association and treasurer of the Western Conservation Foundation.

Aileen attended Yale University, where she received a B.A. in political science and East Asian studies. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and is a member of the California bar.

Director, Southern Africa, KfW Development Bank

Dr. Thomas Duve joined KfW in 1995 and, since August 2010, he has been a Director in the Africa region, currently for the Southern Africa Department, with a multisectoral portfolio of approximately 4 billion Euro. He has been the Chair of the board of the Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF) since 2011, and in 2013/14 was also a member of the board of the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund. Thomas Duve’s focus areas include renewable energy and energy efficiency, water supply, HIV/AIDS, biodiversity, and agricultural finance.

Prior to joining KfW, Thomas Duve worked in rural development projects with GIZ in Ghana and Burkina Faso (1991-1994).

After graduating from Justus Liebig University in Giessen with a degree in geography and biology, Thomas Duve carried out research on plant diseases in South Korea and the Philippines. He obtained a PhD-Degree in 1989 and completed a Postgraduate Course in Rural Development in 1990.