Our Team

With 80% of our staff based in project countries, our work is grounded in local expertise and community-led action.

Leadership

CO-Founder and CEO
Marie-Noëlle Keijzer

Fundraising, Partnerships and Communications

Chief Growth Officer
Tariq El Haj Omar
Philanthropy & Institutional Partnerships Lead
Marjorie Unal
Corporate Engagement Lead
Eliot Wuhrmann
Carbon Finance Lead
Vitalija Lavreckyte
Corporate Partnership Development Manager
Liz Oates
Head of Marketing
George Clarke
Corporate Partnerships Manager
Marine Hérisset
Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships Coordinator
Gaetan Magrin
Impact Partnerships Manager
Gemma Bowcock
Digital Creative Content Associate
Luiza Campos

Programs & Operations

Global Programs Director
Olivier Standaert
Head of Project Development
Natasha Watts
Agroforestry Program Advisor
Corrie Mauldin
Livelihoods Program Manager
Claire Parfondry
Head of M&E and Research
Kenny Helsen
Research Partnership Coordinator
Rachel Cohen
Senior geospatial data scientist
Michelle Picoli
Lead Advisor
Cristina Yuri Vidal
Geospatial Data Scientist
Valentin Louis
Carbon Project Technical Lead
Maria Fernanda Buitrago

Human Resources

HR Director
Anne-Laure Cordier
Executive Assistant/HR Officer
Alice Pirson
HR Assistant
Ambre Denolf

Finance & Administration

Chief Financial Officer
Hoai Pham​
Finance & Admin Director
Michaël Tytgat​
Assistant Accountant
Laila El Abouti
Financial Project Controller
François Baganizi
Senior Finance Manager
Alicia Brigger

Brazil

Brazil Project Manager
Natalia Guerin

Ethiopia

Ethiopia Director
Aklilu Negussie Mekuria
Finance/Admin Manager
Anteneh Metiku Damte
Tigray Regional Manager
Yemane Gebru Hagos
Tigray Finance & Admin Officer
Elsa Ayele Nigatu
Senior Livelihood Expert
Bahre Embaye
Forest Restoration Advisor
Simon Berhanu
Forestry Expert
Birhane Etay Reda
Forest Expert, Wof Washa
Hailemarkos Tilahun
Agroforestry/Natural Resources Expert
Tadele G. Tedla
Finance, Admin & Logistics Officer
Tinsae Taye
Project Assistant, Desa'a
Meles Weldeabrha
Data analyst/M&E specialist
Nesibu Yahya
Project Manager, Wof Washa
Asnake Atakure
Tigray Driver
Kinfe Gebresilasie
Tigray Driver
Kiflom Haftu Shiferaw
Driver / Logistic Assistance
Moges Tilahun
M&E Expert, Desa'a
Assefa Hadgot Tekle
Technical Assistant NRM and community mobilization
Hailay Arefe

Malawi

Country Director, Malawi
Mathews Tsirizeni
Agroforestry Extensionist
Aaron Chirwa
M&E Assistant
Jones Matemvu
Community Outreach Extensionist
Madalitso Salimu
Community Forest Manager
Richard Swirah
Finance & Admin Officer
Joana Makwete
Agroforestry Extensionist
Mercy Panyanja
Community Outreach Extensionist
Blessings Munyenyembe
Beekeeping & VFAs Management Extensionist
Gladys Mwanga
Agroforestry Extensionist
Dorothy Kanyika

Senegal

Country Manager Senegal
Germaine Neyra
Biodiversity Expert, Ferlo
Omar Sall
Monitoring & Evaluation Manager
Thibaut Vandervelden
Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
Saliou Diop
Local Mobilization and Partnerships Officer
Harouna Sy
Interim Country Representative
Ousmane Pam

Tanzania

Partnership Manager and Technical advisor Coordinator
Sefia Jetha
MEL & Technical advisor
Leonard Lutalamila

Zambia

Zambia Director
Fainess Lumbwe
Muchinga Regional Manager
Dries Van de Loock
M&E Officer, Katanino
Hinji Mutondo
Conservation & Operations Lead
Catherine Zulu
Project Manager, Mukungule
Rachel Ndabala
HR Manager, Zambia
Patricia F. Kampamba
Project Manager, Katanino
Mulako Muimui
Community Extensionist
Carmen Malupande
Community Outreach Lead
Sara Banda
Director of Operations
Diwell Siwakwi
Beekeepking Extensionist
Mike Cheeka
Senior Finance & Admin Officer
Lawrence Chilambe
Agriculture Extensionist
Estone Simachenya
Assistant Extensionist, Copperbelt
Innocent Kasanda
Agriculture Extensionist, Muchinga Province
Besnart Banda
Operations Assistant
Lloyd Kantumoya
Nursery & Agroforestry Coordinator
Paul Mwale
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Manager
Gift Mazimba
Support Driver
Bruce Muyenu
Organisational Development Specialist
Bornface Katite
Support Driver, Katanino
John Mwelwa
Finance & Admin Officer, Copperbelt
Wilson Chabala
M&E Officer, Copperbelt
Jackson Mkandawire
Community Extension Officer, Muchinga
Rector Mimbululu
Forestry Extension Officer, Katanino
Paul Shanga
Agroforestry Specialist
Bwalya Silwamba
Support Driver, Copperbelt
Brian Chilembo
Beekeeping Extensionist, Mukungule
Linegar Nkumbwa
Beekeeping Extensionist, Mukungule
Kakungu Mwenda
Project Manager, Copperbelt
Leah Banda
Driver, Mukungule
Trevor Musunka
Programme Manager
Constance Chonde
Conservation Officer
Kennedy Chipepa
M&E Officer, Governance & Livelihoods
Wongani Longwe
Community Extensionist
Fagness Zimba
Livelihoods & Enterprise Development Advisor
Alex Mwila
Finance & Admin Officer
James Chanda
Forestry Advisor
Ing’utu Simasiku Kazinga

WeForest HQ

Co-founder and Chairman
Bill Liao
Legal & Ethics Trustee
Soumaya Graine
Treasurer
Helena Michielsen

WeForest Malawi

Chair
Malidadi Langa
Vice Chair
Olivier Standaert
Director
Mathews Tsirizeni
Director
Tiwonge I Mzumara-Gawa

WeForest Zambia

Chair
Dr. Tasila Banda
Vice Chair
Olivier Standaert
Treasurer
Ina-Marlene Ruthenberg
Country Director
Fainess Lumbwe
Partnership Trustee
Louise Quy

General Assembly Members

WeForest
Bill Liao
WeForest
Marie-Noëlle Keijzer
Data Terra
Laurent Durieux
Chemonics International
Louise Quy
Perma-Projects
Olivier Lefebvre
Island Green Power
Chandni Ruparelia
Ponterra
Celia Francis

Partner with us to go beyond

Click here to read our 2024 Annual Report

Subscribe
Receive WeForest's latest updates from the field
By subscribing, you consent to receive WeForest's regular email newsletter.