Secretariat

The Secretariat oversees the day-to-day activities and decisions at Plan Vivo. They are the key point of contact for any prospective projects, current projects, or individuals with an interest in Plan Vivo.

Keith Bohannon – Chief Executive Officer

Keith has over 20 years’ experience in management roles across the Private Sector, Third Sector and in International Development. He specialises in Rural Community Development and worked for over ten years on sustainable livelihood projects across southern Africa. He heads up the Secretariat, reports to the BoT and is responsible for the development and implementation of the Foundation's strategy. Keith has an MSc in Africa and International Development, a PGDip in Business Administration, a BEng in Engineering and is a member of the IUCN Specialist Group on ‘Sustainable Use and Livelihoods’.

Eva Schoof – Programme & Regional Strategies Manager

Eva graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an MSc in Environment and Development, where she specialised in environmental governance and natural resource management. Before joining Plan Vivo in 2015, Eva worked on a bio-ethanol project in Panama, where she focused on project and grant management, technical support and communications. Her other previous posts include digital marketing and public relations in the private sector. Eva is fluent in English, German and Spanish.

Luke Howard – Technical Coordinator

Before joining Plan Vivo in January 2019, Luke graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an MSc in Environmental Protection & Management. During this degree, he focused primarily on environmental and conservation policy. Prior to this, Luke graduated with a Biological Sciences BA from the University of Oxford, where he specialised in ecology and conservation. He has also undertaken biological/environmental research in various countries, including Brazil, Morocco, Indonesia and the UK.

Caroline Stillman – Capacity Strengthening Coordinator

Caroline holds an MSc in International Development from the University of Edinburgh, where their thesis research involved a collaboration with Triangle Project (the first LGBTQ organisation on the African continent) on access to gender affirming healthcare in South Africa. Caroline also holds a BSc in Physics, where they modelled the physics of the climate. Caroline is committed to strengthening projects' capacity and enabling more projects to access equitable carbon finance and is passionate about ensuring that marginalised groups are at the centre of development and conservation. Caroline has experience in Tanzania and Kenya.

Evie Ward – Blue Carbon Coordinator

Evie graduated with an MSc in Marine Conservation from the University of Plymouth, where she specialised in conservation policy. With a strong interest in blue carbon ecosystems, her thesis involved research into mangrove restoration and was undertaken in collaboration with an international conservation organisation. Prior to this, Evie graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BSc in Natural Sciences. Evie has also volunteered with organisations around the world, including in Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the UK.

Diana Wrangham – Media & Communications Coordinator

Diana is an MSc graduate in Environmental Change and International Development. Having previously worked in the travel and tourism sector, she has been fortunate to visit various remote destinations around the world. For her MSc thesis she collaborated with a Jordanian NGO that represent local Bedouin communities and work to protect their customary land rights. Diana also holds a BA in English Literature, Media and Communications and is passionate about sharing local people's stories and generating wider awareness around climate change.

Marleen Salomons – ACORN Coordinator

Marleen has over 15 years' experience in the private sector, working in roles as product manager, partner coordinator and analyst. Key areas of experience include stakeholder relationships, process improvements, and project management. Marleen has an MA in International Relations from Dublin City University and a BSc in International Development Studies from Wageningen University, where she specialised in Economics and Rural Development.

Carrie Kretzer - Operations Manager

Carrie has over a decade of experience in operations management. After a short career as a circus performer, she began to focus on youth programme development within the recreational art and sport industry. The core of her work focused on knowledge management and internal process development. Before moving to Edinburgh she worked across the globe from California to New Zealand managing circus schools and therapeutic performance organisations. She has an MSc in Sport Policy and International Development and a BA in Art History and Anthropology.

Toral Shah - Biodiversity Coordinator

Toral recently completed a PhD in Life Sciences with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Imperial College, London. She conducted in-depth fieldwork in Tanzania to better understand the poorly known taxa, ecology, threats, and conservation status of the plant family Ochnaceae and particularly the genus Ochna. Prior to this she worked as a Curator-Botanist at Kew Gardens. She holds an MSc in Plant Diversity from the University of Reading, where her research project focussed on assessing the conservation status through indicator species in the Chimanimani Mountains, Mozambique. Toral was born in Kenya and is passionate about conservation, particularly in Africa. She is fluent in English and Swahili.

Hamish McGill – Projects Officer

Hamish graduated with a BSc in Animal and Conservation Biology from Edinburgh Napier University. For his BSc thesis he collaborated with the Plan Vivo certified Vanga Blue Forest project, conducting research into the ecological restoration of a degraded mangrove site in Kenya. Before joining Plan Vivo in October 2022, Hamish interned for several months as a Junior Projects Officer, where he focused primarily on developing content for the Blue Carbon Hub.

Aishwarya Katakam – Projects Officer

Aishwarya holds an MSc in Global Environment, Politics and Society from the University of Edinburgh, where she focused on understanding the environmental actors and the social impacts of their action. For her dissertation, she worked with an environmental consultancy to analyse corporate decarbonisation action since the Paris Agreement, focusing on carbon pledges. Aishwarya also holds a bachelors in Economics and one in Management, and an MBA from India where she focused on a varied scope of understanding corporate strategy and the political economy. She has also worked with different corporates and NGOs in the environmental, fashion and healthcare sectors.

Harry Tittensor – Projects Officer

In 2021, Harry returned to the UK after a decade away in Colombia. He holds an MSc in Environmental Protection and Management from Edinburgh University and a MA in Global Diplomacy from SOAS University. Prior to Plan Vivo, Harry worked with the British Council Bogota and several Colombian Universities. His passion for conservation was stoked through extensive periods in Colombian regions bordering the Amazon, including Caqueta, Guaviare and Putumayo. He speaks both English and Spanish. Outside of work he regularly bike packs and explores the Scottish countryside.

Elena Llorente – Validation & Verification Coordinator

Elena has over 17 years' experience in climate change and carbon markets with international experience mainly in Latin America, Asia and Africa. She specialises in forest carbon and worked for over sixteen years as a Lead Carbon auditor for projects across Latin America and Asia beneath different international carbon standards. Before working in a VVB, she worked at the United Nations, collaborating in the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD - 14). Elena has an MSc in Environment and Quality Management and holds a degree in Environmental Sciences.

Greg Gordon – ACORN Projects Officer

Greg graduated with a BSc in Biology from the University of Dundee. He has extensive experience in animal conservation, including work with loggerhead sea turtles in Cape Verde and bonobo research in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he collaborated with local communities and NGOs. Greg also has a background in software engineering, which adds a valuable technology perspective to his conservation efforts.

Lilian Mwihaki Mugi – Regional Projects Officer (East Africa)

Lilian has been actively involved in research in blue carbon ecosystems, people, and climate for the past decade. She is highly experienced in mangrove ecology and the engagement of communities in nature-based solutions, and significantly contributes to mangrove research, policy and community development in her country and the Western Indian Ocean region. She holds an MSc (Environmental Science) and BSc (Natural Resources Management) from Egerton University and is currently pursuing a PhD (Marine Ecology) at Edinburgh Napier University. Outside of work, she enjoys family time and engaging children in activities in her local church. Lilian is based in Kenya.

Helena Barona - Regional Projects Officer (Latin America)

Helena has a long experience in the VCM market from a project perspective through her previous work with AMBIO, based in Mexico. She has participated in various development projects in Mexico related to sustainability, migration, healthy housing, disaster risk and people’s vulnerability by working with regional governments in the Southern part of Mexico and with UN Agencies (ILO, ACNUR and WHO). Helena has a Bachelors degree in Science of Communications, a Masters in Development and Management Studies, and has trained in the US in International Public Policies and Project Management. Helena is based in Chiapas, Mexico.

Amelia Evans – Projects Officer

Amelia graduated form the University of Edinburgh with an MSc in Carbon Management where she specialised in developing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for organisations. Her dissertation collaborated with the Scottish Rugby Union to produce a framework climate strategy and analysed the role of sport and community in carbon mitigation projects. Amelia also holds a BSc in Physics with Philosophy, and is passionate about enabling marginalised groups to access the knowledge, resources and governance structures required for sustainable development and conservation.

Charlegne Rambanapasi – Projects Officer

Charlegne holds a BEng in Chemical Engineering and is currently pursuing an MSc in Carbon Management. She was a fellow with the Edinburgh Earth Institute contributing to multiple projects including 'Fossil-Fuel-Ed' which involved documenting the University of Edinburgh's historic relationship to fossil fuels and the fossil fuel economy as well as exploring the institution's role in the teaching of coal mining. Born in Zimbabwe, she is passionate about contributing to mitigation and adaptation projects, especially when they also focus on improving the livelihoods of communities across the African continent.

Kristin Olsen – Development Consultant

Kristin has worked in the environment and development sectors for more than 20 years. Her career spans conservation and community forestry in Vietnam, Cameroon, Uzbekistan and Scotland and 7 years working as a monitoring and evaluation advisor to the Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio in South Asia. Within this role, she supported organisations in their work on regional water, energy and food security, and in mainstreaming gender and social inclusion. She has worked with UN agencies, governments, NGOs, CSOs and academic institutions. Kristin is supporting Plan Vivo in its strategic growth and development. She has an MSc in Forestry and speaks Norwegian and French.

Douglas Hill – Development Consultant

Douglas has been involved with Plan Vivo in a voluntary capacity since March 2020, helping projects evidence SDGs as well as working with the Secretariat and key partners on priorities ahead of COP26. In 2003, following teaching placement in Nepal, he established Room to Read as the U.K. registered charity and has served on the Board of Trustees since. He has over twenty years of Finance and Operations experience in the private sector. He holds a BA in Economics and is a qualified accountant (CIMA).