The Alternative Investment Forum – Virtual Conference 2021
Virtual Event
11th May 2021
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The Alternative Investment Forum – Virtual Conference 2021
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We’re delighted to announce the continuation of the 13 year running Alternative Investment Forum with the second digital edition in the event series.
The 2021 event will welcome institutional investors from across the globe to discuss investment opportunities across timber, agriculture, and other sustainable assets to diversify their portfolios and achieve healthy returns.
Investors, funds and service providers will enjoy one full day of presentations and live interactive formats. Key themes on the 2021 programme will include resilience of real assets during global crises, the power of new technologies in driving greener investments, corporate responsibility, the link between biodiversity and water resources in net-zero goals, and more. With two streams of content, the dual focus on timber and agriculture enables investors to discover the complimentary role these assets can play in a portfolio and to spot the best ventures available in both.
A FANTASTIC NETWORK OF YOUR PEERS AND COLLEAGUES RIGHT AT A TAP OR CLICK OF A BUTTON
Simply register, login on the day and get ready to connect and learn. With the right network at your fingertips, learning and connecting have never been so easy.
💻 Watch live and recorded thought leadership presentations
🗣️ Take part in live Q&A with industry experts from across the globe
👩💻 One-to-one & group video chat with each solution provider
🤝 Chat & network with anyone on the platform in our Community Discussion Lounge
📊 Take part in our interactive polls
👥 Join live panel debates and discussions
🛍️ Download resources from solution providers to your event bag
TESTIMONIALS
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‘That was a superb day, it feels like we’ve been at a real, in person, conference!’ Worldwide Clinical Trials
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‘A great event, I met more people than I do at an in-person event and I’ve got loads of follow ups’ Conversis
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‘The whole setting is actually very well accomplished! Thanks again for the invitation!’ Apogenix AG

Antonio Curia
Executive Director,Wimmer Family Office
Biography:
Senior investment banking professional, with a background as a legal practitioner, amassing over 16 years’ experience working with international companies in middle market M&A transactions and having extensive cross border activities between Europe and Latin America.
Prior to joining Wimmer Family Office in London UK (2017), in charge of Private Capital Advisory, Antonio was a senior investment team member of a Private Equity Fund (Fir Capital Partners) and an IB boutique firm (G5Evercore&Sao Paulo Investments SA) based in Brazil for 9 years and began his career at and International Law Firm in Italy&Brazil. Antonio has extensive experience in Renewables, Infrastructure, Mining&Commodities, Real Estate and Consumer Goods across Europe, LatAm and Africa.
Antonio holds a MBA from MIP Business School by Polytechnic of Milan, Italy 2012, along with an executive master’s certificate from SDA Bocconi School of Management from Milan, Italy 2016 and a Bachelor degree in International Law from University of Milan, Italy 2003.
Antonio is, from 2019, a Non-Executive Director at Academy Ambassador the School’ Network by Department of UK Education in London, UK and from 2018 at Eurus Financial Education in Zurich, Switzerland.”
Session Details: Panel Discussion: How to tap into emerging markets such as Africa and Latin America to secure high financial returns 13-10-2020, 1:00 pm View In Agenda

Petri Lehtonen
Private Sector Investment Expert,The Forests For The Future Facility of the European Commission (DEVCO)
Biography:
Session Details: Keynote address - Highlighting the importance of using ESG criteria within Alternative Investment to generate positive social and environmental impact alongside ahealthy financial return 13-10-2020, 9:10 am Keynote address - Highlighting the importance of using ESG criteria within Alternative Investment to generate positive social and environmental impact alongside ahealthy financial return 13-10-2020, 9:10 am Crowdtable: Why sustainability, ESG criteria, and metrics are at the core of a strong alternative investment strategy 13-10-2020, 5:00 pm Crowdtable: Why sustainability, ESG criteria, and metrics are at the core of a strong alternative investment strategy 13-10-2020, 5:00 pm View In Agenda

Daniel Farchy
Investment Officer,European Investment Bank
Biography:
Session Details: Joint session: Natural capital as an emerging market: how to add value in the long-term 13-10-2020, 11:35 am View In Agenda

Miguel López de Silanes Gómez
Market Leader Europe and Latin America,Family Office Exchange
Biography: Miguel López de Silanes Gómez Managing Director, Market Leader for Europe and Latin America Family Office Exchange Miguel López de Silanes Gómez is the Market Leader for Europe and Latin America at Family Office Exchange (FOX). He is responsible for delivering FOX services to current members, and actively works to expand the network in Europe and Latin America. Miguel has most recently been director of the family office for one of Europe’s leading real estate families, with specific responsibility for designing and implementing the family’s investment strategy and for providing owner education to the younger family members. Previously, he worked at UBS Wealth Management in New York, Chile, and other locations in Latin America. He began his career at Bain & Company as an Associate Consultant in London and Madrid. He has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics from Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE) in Madrid.
Session Details: How demand for alternative investments affects the ways family offices invest In agro business 13-10-2020, 3:50 pm View In Agenda

Jacek Siry
Professor,Langdale Center for Forest Business, University of Georgia
Biography: Jacek Siry, PhD Professor of Forest Economics, Center for Forest Business & Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA Dr. Siry has significant international forestry experience, including forest finance and investment, business management, and policy; timber trade, availability, and costs; and natural and plantation forest management across the world’s major producing regions. His research is focused on the global competitiveness of forest industries, international forest investments, timber market modeling, and forest management efficiency.
Session Details: Addressing which geographical regions are hot areas for timber investment 13-10-2020, 3:15 pm View In Agenda

Roberto Viton
Managing Director,Valoral Advisors Sarl
Biography: I advise a wide array of institutional investors and Family Offices with interest in the global food and agricultural sector, helping them to deploy capital across the asset spectrum - including farmland, row and permanent crops, private equity opportunities across the food and ag value chain, VC and structured finance.
Session Details: Assessing the overall appetite of alternative investment to pinpoint future opportunities 13-10-2020, 12:25 pm View In Agenda

Marcel De Berg
Strategic Connactor,Our-Green-Spine
Biography:
Session Details: Investing In natural green structures to reach the Paris Climate Goals Cheaper, Faster And with more social perspective to create a free climate insurance policy 13-10-2020, 11:35 am View In Agenda

Jean Habay
Director & Head of Food and Agriculture,Equity Investments
Biography:
Session Details: Taking advantage of the whole value chain for natural assets to drive impact and sustainability 13-10-2020, 1:50 pm View In Agenda

Dr. Alexander Kern
Managing Partner,Euro – Institute
Biography:
Session Details: Panel discussion: Exploring renewable energies to secure the future of sustainable agriculture 13-10-2020, 2:50 pm View In Agenda

Edit Kiss
Director, Development and Portfolio Management,Mirova Natural Capital Limited
Biography:
Session Details: In conversation: Realising the potential of forests as a ‘Natural Climate Solution’ to combat climate change 13-10-2020, 4:05 pm View In Agenda

Johnny Brom
Chief Investment Officer,Sail Ventures
Biography:
Session Details: The Investor’s Debate: Discussing how private investments into agriculture and timber can fulfil sustainable development goals 13-10-2020, 10:30 am The Investor’s Debate: Discussing how private investments into agriculture and timber can fulfil sustainable development goals 13-10-2020, 10:30 am View In Agenda

Martin Berg
Partner,Pollination Group
Biography: Martin is a Partner at Pollination, a specialist climate change advisory and investment firm, accelerating the transition to a net zero, climate resilient future. His focus at Pollination is to build out investment ideas for environmental asset classes such as natural capital and carbon markets. He joined Pollination from the European Investment Bank (EIB) where he led investments into new sectors including natural capital and the blue economy, developing new business models and blended finance solutions for more developed low carbon sectors, such as energy efficiency and renewable energy. He also supervised the Natural Capital Financing Facility, a pioneering joint EIB and European Commission initiative, and raised over EUR 2 billion for carbon, capture and storage and innovative renewable energy demonstration projects as part of the NER300 initiative. He served on the Board of Directors for the Green for Growth Fund in Luxembourg and was Vice President at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London responsible for carbon financing. Martin also worked for the environmental investment firm RNK Capital in New York, the OECD Climate Change Unit in Paris and started his career at the UNFCCC in Bonn.
Session Details: The Investor’s Debate: Discussing how private investments into agriculture and timber can fulfil sustainable development goals 13-10-2020, 10:30 am The Investor’s Debate: Discussing how private investments into agriculture and timber can fulfil sustainable development goals 13-10-2020, 10:30 am Joint session: Natural capital as an emerging market: how to add value in the long-term 13-10-2020, 11:35 am View In Agenda

Jens Ohnemus
CEO,Blue Harvest
Biography: I am the Founder, Owner and CEO of Blue Harvest S.A. My professional background counts over 20-years in private banking, but also 5 years as a farmer. Today, I combine the two experiences by advising on farmland investments, by analysing, negotiating and advising.
Session Details: View In Agenda

Gaëtan Herinckx
Manager - Senior Investment Officer SME/Corporate funding solution,Belgian Investment Office for Developing Countries
Biography: Gaëtan Herinckx is a senior investment professional passionate about working with growing businesses having positive impact on societies. He is Manager at BIO, the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries. He oversees BIO’s direct investments SME and Corporate (including Agribusiness). BIO invests in financial institutions, enterprises, infrastructure and funds across Africa, Latin America and Asia with an objective to promote economic and social development. Gaëtan has been working in sustainable investment field over the last 19 years. He first worked for Candriam Asset Management as Head of Sustainable and Responsible Investment. He then participated to the launch of Sustainable Capital, boutique asset manager focusing on investment in Africa (ex-SA) investments. In 2016, he joined BIO with a focus on providing funding to SME and Corporates. Mr. Herinckx hold a Msc in Business Engineering (UCL, Louvain-La-Neuve), a post-graduate in Financial risk management (Saint-Louis, Brussels) and an International Management Program – MBA (Stern Business School, New-York)
Session Details: Panel discussion: How to correctly market investment into agriculture to attract sufficient capital 13-10-2020, 2:25 pm Panel discussion: Exploring renewable energies to secure the future of sustainable agriculture 13-10-2020, 2:50 pm View In Agenda

Preeti Sinha
President & CEO,FFD Financing for Development Ventures
Biography:
Session Details: The Investor’s Debate: Discussing how private investments into agriculture and timber can fulfil sustainable development goals 13-10-2020, 10:30 am The Investor’s Debate: Discussing how private investments into agriculture and timber can fulfil sustainable development goals 13-10-2020, 10:30 am View In Agenda

Boris Spassky
Investment Director,Mirova LDN Fund
Biography:
Session Details: The Investor’s Debate: Discussing how private investments into agriculture and timber can fulfil sustainable development goals 13-10-2020, 10:30 am The Investor’s Debate: Discussing how private investments into agriculture and timber can fulfil sustainable development goals 13-10-2020, 10:30 am View In Agenda

Bettina Von Hagen
Managing Director & CEO,Ecotrust Forest Management
Biography:
Session Details: In conversation: Realising the potential of forests as a ‘Natural Climate Solution’ to combat climate change 13-10-2020, 4:05 pm Exploring the ecological and social benefits of forest investing 13-10-2020, 5:35 pm View In Agenda

Tarek El Sherbini
Regional Head of Food & Agribusiness,European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Biography:
Session Details: Panel Discussion: How to tap into emerging markets such as Africa and Latin America to secure high financial returns 13-10-2020, 1:00 pm Panel discussion: How to correctly market investment into agriculture to attract sufficient capital 13-10-2020, 2:25 pm View In Agenda

Alec Martin
Head of ESG,AgDevCo
Biography: Alec joined AgDevCo in late 2016 bringing over 15 years’ experience in ESG in international project development and investment. Prior to this Alec spent 5 years at global sustainability consultancy ERM as a Principal Consultant focussing on ESG and Responsible Investment. Alec previously spent ten years at the international engineering consultant Halcrow where we was Technical Leader for Environmental Water Quality and a Principal Scientist. For a number of years Alec also helped run a small Malawi based Water and Sanitation NGO in a voluntary capacity.
Session Details: Covid-19 as the new normal: ESG and Impact monitoring and management in a post-Covid world 13-10-2020, 1:25 pm View In Agenda

Bob Izlar
Director, Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business,University of Georgia
Biography: ROBERT L. IZLAR, RF, CF HARLEY LANGDALE, JR. CENTER FOR FOREST BUSINESS WARNELL SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA ATHENS, GEORGIA 30602-2152 bizlar@uga.edu Bob Izlar has been founding director of the UGA Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business since 1998. He has 24 years of operational forestry experience in forest industry. Izlar is a retired United States Army Colonel with 36 years’ service.
Session Details: The new fundamentals: redefining forest investments to promote a decade of climate change related transformation 13-10-2020, 6:25 pm View In Agenda

Bruno Fumach
Director,Astarte Capital Partners
Biography:
Session Details: The role of institutional capital in funding the growth of the forestry sector 13-10-2020, 12:25 pm View In Agenda

Wolfgang Bläsi
Chief Financial Officer & Member of the Management Board,Ekosem-Agrar AG
Biography:
- CFO and member of the Management Board of Ekosem-Agrar AG
- Member of the supervisory boards of Ekotechnika AG and ACS Landwirtschafts AG
- Feb-13 to Oct-16: Served as CFO of Ekotechnika AG
- In 2016 established the finance consulting company wb finance GmbH which specializes on financing consultancy
- Also served as CFO of Novasoft AG and KTG Agrar AG in the years 2005 till 2009
- Completed an apprenticeship in financial administration, followed by a degree in Technical Business Administration (FH) with distinction
- Born in Offenburg, Germany, in 1968
Session Details: How investors can capitalise on dairy product manufacturing in Russia 13-10-2020, 11:10 am View In Agenda

Detlef Schoen
Chief Executive Offficer,NewAg Partners
Biography:
Session Details: Next-generation regenerative farming and agriculture: everything you need to know 13-10-2020, 4:05 pm View In Agenda

Paul Smith
Secretary General,Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Biography: Dr Paul Smith is the Secretary General of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). BGCI is the largest plant conservation network in the world, comprising 600 member institutions in 100 countries. Paul joined BGCI as Secretary General in March 2015. Prior to this, Paul was Head of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank (MSB). During his nine years at the helm there, seeds from >25,000 plant species were conserved in the MSB and, in 2009, the MSB achieved its first significant milestone, securing seed from 10% of the world’s plant species, prioritising rare, threatened and useful plants. Paul trained as a plant ecologist, and is a specialist in the plants and vegetation of southern Africa. He is the author of two field guides to the flora of south-central Africa and the Vegetation Atlas of Madagascar. He is a Trustee of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, and is the recipient of the New England Wildflower Society’s Medal for Services to International Plant Conservation and the David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration.
Session Details: Panel Discussion: Is investing in biodiverse forestry the solution for corporations to meet their sustainability goals? 13-10-2020, 1:25 pm View In Agenda

Michael Hoelter
Director, Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Investments,DWS International GmbH
Biography: Michael joined the Sustainable Investments team of DWS in 2011 as portfolio manager and focuses on funds that invest into debt products targeting businesses active in the food-, trade- and renewable energy sector which includes electrification. Michael oversees the investment activities for the group on the African continent and is the responsible portfolio manager for the Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund. Part of the Sustainable Investments team, Michael pursued the initiative to accredit Deutsche Bank AG with the Green Climate Fund as the first private, international bank that obtained approval for an investment concept from the GCF. The mandate focuses on climate mitigation and targets investments in decentralized energy supply solutions from renewable sources designed to expand the availability of clean electrical energy across five African countries. Michael holds a degree in international business administration from the Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.
Session Details: Panel discussion: Exploring renewable energies to secure the future of sustainable agriculture 13-10-2020, 2:50 pm View In Agenda

Rachael Nutter
Strategy Implementation & Strategic Partnerships in Nature-Based Offsets,Shell
Biography:
Session Details: Panel Discussion: Is investing in biodiverse forestry the solution for corporations to meet their sustainability goals? 13-10-2020, 1:25 pm View In Agenda

Douglas Geertz
President & CEO,Vidya AG
Biography: Douglas Geertz is the Founder & CEO of Vidya AG, a private office for investing and consulting. Prior to engaging in his entrepreneurial activities, Douglas was a highly successful global corporate executive – CEO Tetra Pak Switzerland; CEO Tetra Pak Chile; Managing Director Tetra Pak Asia & Americas / Deputy MD Tetra Pak Hong Kong / Chairman of the Board / Founding Member Swedish-Chilean Chamber of Commerce / Area Manager Atlas Copco International Africa and Latin America markets / Marketing & Sales Saab Aerospace / Marketing Manager Swedish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. Building on his extensive knowledge in different industries and cultures he now passionately builds, connects, and capitalizes great businesses around the world, including ventures in agroforestry and timber in Brazil and China.
Session Details: Panel Discussion: How to tap into emerging markets such as Africa and Latin America to secure high financial returns 13-10-2020, 1:00 pm View In Agenda

Trevor McHugh
Managing Director - Commercial,VEON ltd.
Biography: Trevor joined IFS, now Veon, in 1998 and became Managing Director of the company in 2004. He successfully developed the operational areas of the business, including the design, development and implementation of various management systems. Trevor has successfully negotiated a number of strategic relationships with utility companies and service providers so as to enhance the services provided by Veon to all its clients, be they private forest owners, family wealth or corporate clients holding large portfolios across multiple jurisdictions. In addition to his work within the company, Trevor believes strongly in cross-stakeholder engagement on issues of the day so he maintains an active role within Forestry Industries Ireland (FII) with a particular emphasis on timber mobilisation. As part of this he holds a seat on the Forest Industry Transport Group. Over recent years Trevor has led Veon into new market segments and jurisdictions as more corporate clients expand that CSR activities. This has placed great emphasis on the need to not only deliver environmental objectives but also enable clients demonstrate the positive impact that their social and environmental activities are making on the ground. Trevor believes in forestry’s ability to deliver on a full spectrum of social, environmental and economic needs in the modern world and is working with clients around the globe to deliver on this potential.
Session Details: Joint session: Investing in reforestation projects across the world 13-10-2020, 2:25 pm View In Agenda

Joe Codd
Business Development Director,VEON ltd.
Biography: Joe Codd is the Business Development Director at Veon, a forestry consultancy company, who are involved with a range of forestry projects, including reforestation projects worldwide, reporting on timber industries and their macro and micro trends, portfolio acquisition due diligence, feasibility and market studies, ESG and CSR projects with corporates trying to reduce their carbon footprints. With 15 years’ experience, Joe leads sales and client-relationship management, tracking new markets and emerging trends, recommending new products and services, proposing and developing new strategic partnerships, and guiding long-term objectives to meet business needs and requirements. He is also responsible for forest portfolio acquisitions for institutional and domestic investors and some of the largest family wealth offices in Europe. Joe currently sits on the Board of the Society of Irish Foresters as a technical councillor and also the Board of Forestry Careers Ireland. Joe holds a B.Agr.Sc. in Forestry from University College Dublin and Dip.Sc. in Forestry from W.I.T.
Session Details: Joint session: Investing in reforestation projects across the world 13-10-2020, 2:25 pm View In Agenda

Bob Izlar
Director, Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business,University of Georgia
Biography: ROBERT L. IZLAR, RF, CF HARLEY LANGDALE, JR. CENTER FOR FOREST BUSINESS WARNELL SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA ATHENS, GEORGIA 30602-2152 bizlar@uga.edu Bob Izlar has been founding director of the UGA Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business since 1998. He has 24 years of operational forestry experience in forest industry. Izlar is a retired United States Army Colonel with 36 years’ service.
Session Details: The new fundamentals: redefining forest investments to promote a decade of climate change related transformation 13-10-2020, 6:25 pm View In Agenda

Bettina Von Hagen
Managing Director & CEO,Ecotrust Forest Management
Biography:
Session Details: In conversation: Realising the potential of forests as a ‘Natural Climate Solution’ to combat climate change 13-10-2020, 4:05 pm Exploring the ecological and social benefits of forest investing 13-10-2020, 5:35 pm View In Agenda

Dr Martina Mettgenberg Lemière
Head of Social Impact and ESG Investing,GLS Treuhand
Biography:
Session Details: Crowdtable: Why sustainability, ESG criteria, and metrics are at the core of a strong alternative investment strategy 13-10-2020, 5:00 pm Crowdtable: Why sustainability, ESG criteria, and metrics are at the core of a strong alternative investment strategy 13-10-2020, 5:00 pm View In Agenda

Oliver Hanke
Chief Sustainability & Marketing Officer, respectively,12Tree Finance
Biography: I have 18 years of experience in Investment strategy, Financial structuring, Risk analysis and Business management in real assets and sustainable investments. At 12Tree, I’m responsible for Product Structuring and the Investment strategy of the Sustainable Agroforestry Fund.
Session Details: Integrated sustainable agroforestry value chains and their growing importance in mitigating climate change 13-10-2020, 9:40 am Integrated sustainable agroforestry value chains and their growing importance in mitigating climate change 13-10-2020, 9:40 am In conversation: Realising the potential of forests as a ‘Natural Climate Solution’ to combat climate change 13-10-2020, 4:05 pm View In Agenda

Paul Smith
Secretary General,Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Biography: Dr Paul Smith is the Secretary General of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). BGCI is the largest plant conservation network in the world, comprising 600 member institutions in 100 countries. Paul joined BGCI as Secretary General in March 2015. Prior to this, Paul was Head of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank (MSB). During his nine years at the helm there, seeds from >25,000 plant species were conserved in the MSB and, in 2009, the MSB achieved its first significant milestone, securing seed from 10% of the world’s plant species, prioritising rare, threatened and useful plants. Paul trained as a plant ecologist, and is a specialist in the plants and vegetation of southern Africa. He is the author of two field guides to the flora of south-central Africa and the Vegetation Atlas of Madagascar. He is a Trustee of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, and is the recipient of the New England Wildflower Society’s Medal for Services to International Plant Conservation and the David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration.
Session Details: Panel Discussion: Is investing in biodiverse forestry the solution for corporations to meet their sustainability goals? 13-10-2020, 1:25 pm View In Agenda

Dr Stephanie Wray
Director,ADAS / RSK Wilding
Biography: Dr Stephanie Wray is a founder of Nature Positive (the brainchild of a small group of academics and consultants who recognised that engaging business in the fight against the loss of biodiversity was (i) the key to making a difference at scale (ii) an unfulfilled market opportunity that has been on the ‘too difficult’ pile for years and (iii) just the sort of thorny intellectual problem they loved to get their teeth into.) She is also a Director of RSK Wilding and RSK Biocensus. Previously she was Global Head of Environment for Hyder Consulting (now Arcadis) and has held a range of non-executive, interim management and strategy consulting roles advising businesses on their environmental impacts. Steph is a Chartered Ecologist, a Fellow and past President of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and in 2011 she was awarded the Mammal Society medal for her work on mitigating development impacts on mammals. She has worked in biodiversity consultancy for at least twenty five years (at least she’s not admitting to more) and she will never bring you a problem without a solution, usually a fiendish one that you will kick yourself for not thinking of first.
Session Details: Assessing and mitigating biodiversity risk for investors 13-10-2020, 12:00 pm View In Agenda

Jasper Renk
Investment Manager Timber Assets,Aquila Capital
Biography: Jasper H. Renk oversees the management of international sustainable forestry investments and is responsible for liquidity and cash flow planning, the evaluation of annual reports and the preparation of quarterly and annual reports. His other activities include working with stakeholders and managing transaction processes. Prior to joining Aquila Capital in 2017, Jasper H. Renk was a freelance forestry services provider for five years. He completed his studies in forest science and forest ecology at the Georg-August University of Göttingen.
Session Details: Transaction management in volatile markets and increasing complexity of forest investments 13-10-2020, 10:05 am Transaction management in volatile markets and increasing complexity of forest investments 13-10-2020, 10:05 am View In Agenda

Phil Cottle
Head of Agriculture/Foresty,Global Underwriting / Forest Re
Biography: I am Head of Forestry for ForestRe, the forest underwriting unit within Globe Underwriting Ltd. based in the City of London. We provide tailored insurance for forests and fruit trees on behalf of certain Syndicates at Lloyd's (A- AM Best). Experienced in assessing crop and forest risk over 25 years, ForestRe price risk, model worst-case scenarios and design new insurance products and procedures for all tree-types including carbon and other ecosystem services.
Session Details: Mitigating financial losses from climate change: how bad can it get? 13-10-2020, 11:10 am View In Agenda

Ben Gunneberg
CEO & Secretary General,PEFC - Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
Biography: Ben is the CEO and Secretary General of PEFC International, the world's largest forest certification system, covering over 300 million hectares of certified forests in 46 member countries. Ben has spent most of his working life in forestry, starting as a forestry worker. After completing his studies at Aberdeen University, Ben joined the University of Wales, Bangor as a researcher in Forest Economics. This was followed by various positions in the Timber Growers Association in the UK where he dealt with technical and policy aspects of forestry. Ben then became involved in forest certification when he took on the position of Technical Director. In 1999, he became Secretary General of PEFC International. As a chartered forester, Ben has been further developing his skills with a Master’s in Business Administration from the Open University, and more recently a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.
Session Details: Panel Discussion: Is investing in biodiverse forestry the solution for corporations to meet their sustainability goals? 13-10-2020, 1:25 pm The ultimate guide to on-the-ground forest investment 13-10-2020, 3:50 pm View In Agenda

Rolf Schmitz
Co-Founder,Collective Crunch
Biography:
Session Details: Building digital forest inventories with Artificial Intelligence 13-10-2020, 1:50 pm View In Agenda

Rainer Häggblom
Chairman of the Board, Founder & Owner,Häggblom & Partners Ltd.
Biography:
Session Details: Impact of new industrial development trends of forest investments 13-10-2020, 1:00 pm Panel discussion: How to correctly market investment into agriculture to attract sufficient capital 13-10-2020, 2:25 pm View In Agenda

Carsten Krome
Managing Partner,HATCH
Biography: Carsten worked as a technical analyst for an aquaculture investment fund where he oversaw equity investments in various aquaculture feed, health, IT and production start-ups before founding Alimentos Ventures in 2016 and co-founding HATCH in 2017. Carsten holds a PhD in aquaculture nutrition from the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, has been a lecturer at Yale University and has a number of published works focusing on alternative feed.
Session Details: Diving into early-stage venture capital in aquaculture technologies 13-10-2020, 3:15 pm View In Agenda

Sami Pastila
Principal,Poyry
Biography: Sami joined Pöyry Management Consulting’s Forest and Wood Products Business Segment in 2006. He is expert in forest economics, forest management, wood/ biomass sourcing, and wood market analysis. Sami has gained experience and understanding at a global level on forest investments/evaluations, forest/plantation management as well as industrial wood/biomass availability and market issues.
Session Details: Climate change mitigation – challenges and opportunities for forest investors 13-10-2020, 6:00 pm View In Agenda

Thais Linhares-Juvenal
Team Leader Forest Governance and Economics,Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Biography: Brazilian, economist, Senior Forestry Officer and Team Leader of the Forest Governance and Economics Team in the Forestry Division of FAO. Work on forest socioeconomic contributions to the SDGs, cross-sectoral governance, forest value chains, bioeconomy, and economic instruments and finance to support forestry. Thais is focal point for SDG Indicator 15.2.1 and the FAO leader of the initiative “Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World”, which articulates governance, economics, finance and scientific evidence to promote sustainable wood value chains and increase forest contributions to the SDGs and climate change objectives. Thais career has a mix of experiences in finance, national policy-making and global environmental governance. Before joining FAO Forestry Department, Thais served as Senior Officer of the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat, directly in charge of the UN-REDD Global Programme, from 2011 to 2015. Her national policy-making experience comes from Brazil, where she served as Director of Climate Change of the Brazilian Ministry of Environment, and Director of the Brazilian Forest Service, having worked in the development and implementation of the Amazon Fund, the national Climate Change Fund, the Brazilian Climate Change Strategy and the Brazilian commitments to climate change mitigation. In the first phase of her career, Thais worked for 14 years at the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development, in several executive positions. Thais holds an MSc in Environmental governance and regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science – LSE.
Session Details: Where partnerships meet sustainable development: A value chain approach to forest finance 13-10-2020, 6:00 pm View In Agenda

Francisco Bonino
Director,Agro Empresa Forestal (AF)
Biography: Francisco Bonino is partner and CEO of AF Group. Francisco has 20 years of timber and agriculture experience gather in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Chile. In the past he was responsible of product development for Monsanto in northern Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. He graduated as Agronomic Engineering from UDELAR (Uruguay’s National University) and he holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology.
Session Details: Investing in forestry & agriculture in South America 13-10-2020, 12:00 pm View In Agenda

Dr. Kate Hardwick
Conservation Partnership Coordinator,Kew Gardens
Biography:
Session Details: Panel Discussion: Is investing in biodiverse forestry the solution for corporations to meet their sustainability goals? 13-10-2020, 1:25 pm View In Agenda

Nabeela Khan
Manager,CDC Group plc
Biography: Nabeela brings experience in investment, development finance and public policy. She currently works as a Manager at CDC Group - UK government’s development finance institute - focussed on investments in businesses in Africa and South Asia focussed on cross-sector investments with a particular focus on Food and Agri. She helped build the Impact Accelerator at CDC, a cross-sector, direct investment fund focusing on businesses with more challenging risk-return profile than those typically considered by commercial investors. Previously Nabeela worked at the GAVI Alliance, a development financing agency operating as a partnership of UN Agencies, World Bank, Pharmaceutical companies and Gates Foundation; UK Houses of Commons and UK Prime Minister's Strategy Unit. Commercially she worked with United Health Group to drive their business expansion in emerging markets.
Session Details: Taking advantage of the whole value chain for natural assets to drive impact and sustainability 13-10-2020, 1:50 pm View In Agenda
Sponsors





















Timberland Investment Resources
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
To enquire about sponsorship opportunities for the conference, please contact:
Ben Lloyd-Davies
Sales Manager
T: +44 207 936 6552
E: benlloyd-davies@arena-international.com
Speaker Opportunities
We identify and invite individuals we believe to be the best speakers in the market, if you think you can make a difference to the quality of our events please contact the programme director of the event:
Amy Malkani
Conference Producer
T: +44 (0) 161 359 5839
E: amy.malkani@arena-international.com