Conservation International Names Rachel Biderman Senior Vice President of the Americas

Arlington, Va. (November 18, 2020) – Conservation International today announced Rachel Biderman as the organization’s Vice President of the Americas. She will lead Conservation International’s South and Central American strategies and programs while driving key climate change, biodiversity and community initiatives across the region. She will begin serving in the role on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020.

Based in São Paulo, Rachel brings extensive sustainable development knowledge, leadership and hands-on programmatic experience that will help guide and support Conservation international’s mission to create a healthy and prosperous natural world that will benefit the long-term resilience of nature and the people who rely on it.

“We are thrilled to have Rachel join the Conservation International team to lead our programs in the Americas. Not only does she bring deep knowledge and extensive regional experience to the role, she is a natural leader who will help navigate the global challenges the world faces – biodiversity loss, the climate emergency, the pandemic, social injustice and economic turbulence. Her vision and optimism will undoubtedly be an asset to our work in the Americas and beyond,” said Daniela Raik, Conservation International Executive Vice President of Field Programs.

For 30 years, Rachel has concentrated most of her work in the field of climate change and forests, engaging with private sector, civil society organizations, communities, government and academia to support collaboration on sustainable development projects in the environment, agriculture, climate change and public policy sectors. She has also integrated her knowledge and passion for gender equality into her work and will continue to support women and Indigenous peoples through her work with Conservation International.

Previously, Rachel spent nine years leading WRI Brasil, the Brazilian branch of the World Resources Institute, a global research-into-action organization working at the intersection of the environment and human well-being. She most recently served as country director. Rachel has also worked as a sustainability leader engaging with the private sector at FGV Business School sustainability center and as a lawyer in private law firms or as a public interest attorney in several nonprofit organizations. Additionally, she held a position in the São Paulo state government, where she dealt with international issues, air quality, climate change and forest and ecosystem protection.

“The world is experiencing a pivotal moment as global crises collide – climate change, a pandemic and inequality. There is opportunity to build back inclusively and in a way that works for people and nature,” said Rachel. “I’m looking forward to leaning into my passion and experience working with women, Indigenous peoples and nature-based climate solutions to meet this moment while working to protect Latin America’s essential rainforests, mangroves and ocean ecosystems.”

Rachel also supported the creation of the Plataforma Climatica Latinoamericana, a network of institutes and NGOs, focusing on climate change policies and measures in Latin America. In 2014, she helped create the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture, of which she remains a member and leader.

Fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish, Rachel has served on the boards of Greenpeace Brasil, WWF Brasil, Instituto de Defesa do Consumidor and Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano. 

Rachel holds a Ph.D. in public administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo, a law degree from Universidade de São Paulo and two master’s degrees in environmental science from Universidade de São Paulo and international legal studies from American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. She also served as a Fellow with the Science, Technology and Society Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

About Conservation International

Conservation International works to protect the critical benefits that nature provides to people. Through science, partnerships and fieldwork, Conservation International is driving innovation and investments in nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, supporting protections for critical habitats, and fostering economic development that is grounded in the conservation of nature. Conservation International works in 30 countries around the world, empowering societies at all levels to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable planet. Follow Conservation International's work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.