the team

Caroline Petersen is a sustainable finance expert with 17 years of experience working with UNDP, World Bank and WWF – supporting developing country governments to access grant finance from bilateral donors, the Global Environment Facility, Adaptation Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund, Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Climate Investment Funds. Caroline is Chair of the independent Technical Advisory Panel of the GCF, which provides the Board with technical assessment of public and private sector funding proposals, and she has specialist expertise in nature-based adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction, as well as climate-resilient, low-emission water, agriculture and forestry sectors. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, and is based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Justus serves as TNC’s program lead to the Nature for Water. He began his TNC career as a deal lead in its impact investment unit, NatureVest, where he was responsible for developing and structuring transactions in new product areas. Following this, he served as a conservation finance lead to the Resilient Watersheds Strategy with a focus on driving sources of long-term sustainable funding into sourcewater protection programs, including the network of 40+ water funds TNC is involved with. Prior to TNC Justus spent half a decade in the private finance sector, principally conducting private and public equity investing in the hedge fund space. Justus received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto in economics and international relations.

Claudia has served as Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, the world’s largest non-profit partnership of food, land, and water systems research institutes; Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI); and the World Bank’s Global Lead for Water Security and Water Resources Management. She has devoted her career to the challenges of water, food and climate in the developing world and has been recognized with appointments including Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Oxford University, Honorary Member of the International Water Resources Association and Fulbright Scholar. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Michael serves as Pegasys’ program lead to the Nature for Water Facility. At Pegasys, Michael leads the Innovative Finance Practice. His team comprises multi-disciplinary professionals who create bespoke funds and facilities that aim to address critical livelihoods and ecosystem challenges across the Global South. Michael’s work includes the development of resource mobilization strategies and investment plans to help capitalize these funds and facility, with a distinct focus on using innovating approaches to attract private sector capital. Prior to joining Pegasys, Michael was a Sustainability Engineer at JG Afrika, conducting designs and construction supervision of sustainable infrastructure including solar PV, rainwater harvesting and waste-to-energy. He is a registered Professional Engineer, with a Masters of Engineering from the University of Cape Town in Sustainability and Systems Thinking. Michael was also part of the inaugural cohort for the Impact Finance Innovations Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saїd Business School, and has a Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute.

Amber is an Engagement Manager with over 7 years of experience working in consulting, sustainability, international development, and data. Before joining the Nature for Water Facility, Amber was a Managing Consultant leading Guidehouse’s NGOs account and working on sustainability and data solutions for the U.S. General Services Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation. She has also worked on international development projects for Goodwill Industries International and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Amber holds an MS of Sustainability Management and BA of International Studies from American University.

With a commitment to environmental sustainability, Andrew has dedicated his professional journey in South Africa to tackling the pressing issues of climate change, particularly in developing nations. He's been involved in numerous projects that embrace a comprehensive strategy, blending community involvement, innovative solutions, and a focus on both socio-economic well-being and ecological resilience. 

Newsha Ajami is the Chief Strategic Development Officer for Research at the Berkeley Lab’s Earth and Environmental Sciences Area. A leading expert in sustainable water management and smart cities, in her current role at LBL, she leads interdisciplinary research initiatives at the nexus of water, energy, and climate. Her work over the past twenty years has focused on developing multidisciplinary, data-driven, and policy-centered solutions to achieve sustainable, resilient, and equitable water solutions.
Dr. Ajami was a mayoral appointee to the San Francisco PUC and a gubernatorial appointee to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. She serves on the National Academies Water Science and Technology Board, is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, and sits on several advisory boards. She received her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UC, Irvine.

Anne-Louise is the Knowledge and Impact Manager for the Facility. Based in London, she has a strong background in natural resource management and climate change adaptation. She has supported the pre-feasibility assessment of several Water Funds and co-authored the How-to Guide for preparing Watershed Investment Programs alongside TNC. Anne-Louise has a background in institutional and policy analysis and has experience in designing stakeholder mapping and engagement tools. Additionally, she has been involved in the design of multiple M&E frameworks for large scale projects and has led the knowledge management of the UK’s flagship forestry program. She holds a Master’s of Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

Brooke Atwell is the Associated Director for The Nature Conservancy’s Resilient Watersheds strategy, where she works to conserve watersheds around the world by developing sustainable watershed investment programs that meet the needs of biodiversity and communities. Brooke develops and executes a global strategy to mainstream nature-based solutions in the climate and water sectors and manages the strategy’s portfolio of flagship programs. She has a strong background in collaborative strategic planning, program management, economic and financial analyses for NbS, strategic communications, and operational and relationship management in cross-cultural, multidisciplinary settings. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental sciences from the University of Virginia.

Bruce is an experienced hydrologist with a passion for sustainable land-use management. Bruce has had a long career at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he refined various hydrological models to improve their accuracy in climatically variable catchments in South Africa. More recently he has been an independent consultant working on flood and catchment models in Africa. Bruce loves all sports and is keen on exploring new landscapes, preferably with his dogs.

Carlos is a Civil Engineer with a Masters in Hydraulic Resources. He leverages his extensive knowledge of hydrological and hydraulic mathematical modeling to develop successful nature-based solutions programs in Colombia that sustainably manage water resources for the benefit of people and nature. He specializes in providing thoughtful consultation for projects related to the analysis of hydrographic basins, hydraulic studies of rivers, management of geographic information systems, and generation of software and applications that analyze and compile large quantities of information.

Carolina has joined as a Portfolio Management Associate at the Facility, bringing over 7 years of diverse experience across various industries. She has managed cross-functional projects in dynamic, fast-paced environments and has directed effective marketing strategies for brands and services, with emphasis on market analysis and research. Carolina holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and is a certified SCRUM Master from scrum.org. 

Carolina serves as an Engagement Consultant for the Nature for Water Facility, based in Germany, where she applies her expertise in financial and economic modelling, impact investment, and sustainability towards the implementation of Nature-based Solutions for water security. Further she has a strong background in consulting for businesses across Europe.
Carolina holds a BSc. degree in Economics from the University of Campinas, with a focus in Brazilian inequality and sustainable development. Further, she has a MSc. degree in Economics from the University of Konstanz, where she focused her research on sustainable investments. Carolina’s academic and professional journey reflects her deep commitment to understanding the symbiosis of social, economic, and environmental issues.  She believes in a holistic and inclusive approach to tackling global challenges, fostering sustainable solutions worldwide.
Outside of work, Carolina is a spirited explorer and hiker who loves to engage with new cultures, ways of living, fauna, and flora. She is also a volunteer at Empulso, a Brazilian NGO that strives for accessibility and inclusion for persons with cognitive disabilities.
 

Daniel Seddon leads Pegasys Resilience Practice. He helps financial institutions, companies and governments accelerate the inclusion of climate, environment and nature-based solutions into their corporate strategies and investment approaches. Much of Dan’s work focuses on designing and setting up new Funds, Facilities and Institutions.

Before joining Pegasys, Daniel was an advisor at the World Economic Forum and in Accenture’s Sustainability Strategy team. He began his career at JPMorgan and holds a Masters in Geography from the University of Cambridge. He lives in London.
 

Daniel Shemie leads The Nature Conservancy’s Resilient Watersheds strategy which helps cities and communities protect their water sources. In this role, he partners with governments, corporations and impact investors to accelerate the inclusion of nature-based solutions in water sector spending. Before joining the Conservancy, Daniel was a partner at mWater, a mobile water monitoring company, and worked previously at the World Bank on water and sanitations projects in China and sub-Saharan Africa. Daniel holds a M.Sc. in water science and management from the University of Oxford and is a faculty advisor at Columbia University’s School of International and Publica Affairs. He currently lives in New York.

Débora Miranda serves as an Engagement Manager for the Water Facility, based in Brazil, overseeing N4W projects in the Americas. With 10 years of professional experience in Portfolio Management, Investments, and Governance, Debora has worked in the private equity sector, as well as in development finance and engineering. She also has experiences on structuring ESG and Diversity & Inclusion strategic plans. She holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of São Paulo (Brazil) and participated in exchange programs in the USA and France.

Diana is an Environmental Manager and MSc. in Integrated Water Management from The University of Queensland. She is passionate about environmental, social, and sustainable development issues. Before joining the Nature for Water Facility, Diana worked as an analyst in the Water and Sanitation Division of a multilateral development bank overseeing large-scale water and sanitation infrastructure and solid waste projects. She is also the founder of an NGO that helps to empower and break poverty cycles among young people living in communities at high social risk in Costa Rica.

Douglas is a land and water resources specialist/engineer with a wealth of experience in the agriculture, water and environment sectors covering field practice, project management and research for development. He has successfully supported efforts aimed at improved agricultural productivity and sustainable land and water management in agricultural landscapes for improved food and water security systems. As a trainer/facilitator, he has provided numerous capacity building trainings to farmers/local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations and academic personnel on agricultural land and water management and the application of ICT based decision support tools (GIS, Remote Sensing and IoT) for sustainable management and development of land and water resources, especially in agricultural landscapes. Douglas holds a PhD (Doctor of engineering sciences) in Hydrology and Water Resources Management (Vrije Universiteit Brussel -VUB, Belgium), a Master of Science in Water Resources Engineering (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL, Belgium) and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering (University of Nairobi - UoN, Kenya).

Emaan is an Engagement Manager for the Nature for Water Facility. She has extensive experience using strategic thinking, quantitative methods, economics and political analysis to solve environmental and development problems. Emaan is passionate about designing robust programs and putting communities at the center of her work. Prior to TNC, she spent 5 years as a management consultant, working primarily with financial sector and public sector clients in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Emaan holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelors of Arts in Economics from New York University Abu Dhabi.

Erik is an Engagement Manager for the Facility. He has experience in broad-based strategy, financial & market modelling, and enterprise growth experience consulting for investment funds and businesses in Europe. He has since pivoted to climate and development, working with organizations such as the African Development Bank and the Gates Foundation. His NbS experience includes costing and funding analyses, and portfolio design.

Erin Wilcox has over 10 years of experience across software development, technical data analysis, and large-scale forecasting for organizations in the US private sector. She recently transitioned to focusing on conservation work and is pursuing her Masters in Humanitarian Engineering and Science from the Colorado School of Mines, specializing in data science and applied statistics. Erin is focused on the architecture and design of new data capture, storage, and reporting systems for Nature for Water.

Environmental Scientist specializing in water and soil conservation, experienced in research for development and innovation. As a biologist with a Ph.D. in Agronomy (Soil Science) and a Master’s in Aquaculture (Aquatic Biology) from Sao Paulo State University - Brazil, my expertise lies in applying GIS modeling to watershed-integrated management, enhancing hydro-climatological surveys and sustainable land use within agroecosystems, including assessing land use drivers and carbon footprint. Beyond spatial data science, I’m passionate about driving science and nature-based solutions to support ecological restoration and promote regenerative agricultural practices that safeguard both people and nature.

Guy serves as an Engagement Consultant for the Nature for Water Facility, based in London, contributing to the design of Watershed Investment Programmes in Africa. He holds an MCom in Development Economics, an Honours Degree in History and a BSocSci in International Relations, History and Economics from the University of Cape Town. Guy is a versatile economist with a background in Climate Resilience, Circular Economy and Systems Thinking who enjoys using creative techniques and robust analysis to solve for problems at the nexus of socio-economic development, climate change and innovative finance. Guy is passionate about history, wildlife and nature and spends his free time outdoors as a drone photographer, golfing, playing tennis and running.

Guy is a Professionally Registered Engineer working as a water specialist and Consulting Manager within Pegasys. His 13 years of experience covers a broad range including water resource management, hydrological and hydraulic modelling, dam and hydraulic structures design, construction management, people management and project management. Additionally, this experience has been gained across all spheres of the project life cycle from strategic planning, concept development and design, and feasibility studies through to detailed design, implementation and monitoring. Guy has worked on projects across most of the SADC region, as well as further abroad in Saudi Arabia. Guy holds a BSc (Civil Eng.) with Honours from the University of Cape Town and a MSc (Civil Eng.) from Stellenbosch University and is also a member of the South African National Committee on Large Dams (SANCOLD) Management Committee.

Jack is a hydrologist with expertise in nature-based solutions, climate change and water resources. His key interest is exploring how water resources challenges interface with ecology, climate and society. Jack is a consultant at FutureWater, a Dutch research and consultancy organisation, and recently moved to the UK to work with TNC on the Norfolk Water Strategy. Outside of work, he loves getting out into nature—whether that be hiking, climbing, cycling or swimming.

Jo is an Engagement Manager with more than 15 years' experience in the environmental sustainability and resilience fields. Prior to joining the Nature for Water Facility, Jo worked with the local government of eThekwini Municipality (Durban) where she led a number of programmes (including the Rockefeller Foundation’s ‘100 Resilient Cities’ Programme and the FCDO-supported ‘Future Cities’ Programme) that worked across municipal sectors and stakeholders to explore innovative and collaborative approaches to transform the city’s development path. She has also worked as the manager of an HIV/AIDS NGO and is an experienced high school educator. These varied work experiences have helped Jo to develop strong programme management, facilitation and capacity-building skills. Jo is passionate about understanding and integrating science and social science perspectives into practical programmes and actions that can help advance environmental sustainability objectives. Her particular interests are biodiversity, water and climate change adaptation.

Jonathan is a professional motivated by the challenge of solving complex problems and exploring innovative, out-of-the-box solutions. As an Agricultural Engineer with a Master’s degree in Hydrosystems, he brings extensive expertise in hydrological and hydraulic modeling, Big Data analytics, spatial analysis, and computational development, enabling him to tackle environmental challenges with creativity and precision.
Throughout his career, Jonathan has built a solid foundation in research and consulting projects, specializing in the analysis of hydrological systems and understanding the intricate relationships within the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. His talent for developing cutting-edge software and applications transforms raw data into actionable insights, driving sustainable solutions and delivering meaningful impact.
 

Juan is a Water Resources Engineer with more than 10 years of experience in water-related environmental projects, including technical and policy development, as well as project management and coordination of interdisciplinary teams. He is a civil engineer and holds a master`s degree in water resources engineering (Universidad Nacional de Colombia). Juan has worked in several water-related projects in water sector consultancies and government agencies, involving hydrologic and hydraulic modelling of watersheds and aquatic ecosystems, and advised the development of technical documents, guidelines, and regulations in Colombia, related to integrated water resource management, including water quality, environmental flows, riparian zones, and sediment management. Until 2021, Juan worked with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in Colombia, where he was in charge of the development and advisory on the application of technical standards and regulations related to sustainable watershed management. Juan also has experience as a trainer to diverse background audiences, including government agencies, non-government experts and communities, on sustainable water management.

Kasuna serves as a Program Coordinator on the Facility, mainly focusing on the Operational aspects and coordination of engagements on the Facility. She has professional experience in Financial Management, Project Governance as well as Programme & Project Management. She has worked in the Telecommunications industry with complex and multiple projects varying from the deployment of Telecommunications infrastructure, Revenue Assurance, and ensuring the Operational Compliance and Operational efficiencies in line with industry Frameworks.

Lola is an Engagement Consultant at the Facility, with 5 years of experience in fast-paced client delivery and research across the private sector, NGOs, and impact investing. Lola holds an M.A. in Sustainable Development from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial. Passionate about water, regenerative land use, and nature-based solutions, much of her work focuses on agriculture, biodiversity, and catchment management. Prior to joining Pegasys, Lola was working as a consultant for the Nature Conservancy, where she worked on Water Funds, and later she consulted for an early-stage impact investment fund, focused on ocean conservation. Previously, Lola has also led client engagements with FT500 companies and has experience leading multi-cultural teams in business development and research.

Luke is a multi-faceted practitioner whose experience spans environmental economics, project management, governance, strategy and policy development. He adopts an interdisciplinary approach to sustainable development problems and is passionate about creating synergies between environmental protection and socio-economic development. Luke has experience providing strategic advice related to Ecosystem-based Adaptation, natural capital, ecosystem services, and assessing and establishing market-based mechanisms for environmental protection. This includes conducting in-field research and facilitating stakeholder workshops related to these topics. Luke’s environmental economics expertise involves performing economic analyses on projects including cost-benefit analyses and valuation of non-market benefits. Luke also has experience advising on governance and regulatory structures for public and private sector clients – particularly with funds and programmes specialising in watershed investment and climate adaptation. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Law from the University of Cape Town and an MPhil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge. Outside of work, Luke spends his time emersed in nature; he is an avid trail runner and rock climber. 

Maria Camila is an Engagement Consultant for the Nature Water Facility. She has experience working with local governments in formulating, managing, and implementing Climate Change, adaptation, and nature-based solutions projects for various Colombian local governments. She has a specific interest in contributing to local solutions that are community-compatible. That helps identify and ideally reduce existing inequities, particularly with a focus on intersectional gender considerations. Maria Camila received a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Medellín.

Matthew is an Engagement Manager for the facility. His background is in Civil Engineering and more recently development and strategy consulting focusing on climate, water and cities. Matthew now works predominantly in the fund design/innovative finance and feasibility/appraisal spaces at both the municipal and landscape levels. This experience has included developing socio-economic assessments, cost-benefit analyses, institutional structuring and assessing market- and non-market-based mechanisms for sustainable grey and green infrastructure solutions. Matthew has worked across several geographies including Africa, the Middle East and recently Asia. His experience with NbS includes costing, budgeting, economic/financial analysis and fund/portfolio design. Matthew holds a BsC in Civil Engineering from the University of Cape Town and an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge. Outside of work, Matthew is an avid trail runner and outdoorsman that loves the mountain and the ocean.

Mehdi serves as an Engagement Consultant for the Nature for Water Facility, based in London, contributing to the design of Watershed Investment Programmes. Mehdi holds a MSc in Economics and Social Entrepreneurship and a Bsc in Business Administration from IESEG School of Management in Paris, France. Mehdi is a multifaceted economist with a broad and dynamic skillset, with extensive experience in developing cost-benefit analyses, crafting robust business cases, and conducting in-depth governance and policy landscape assessments. Mehdi is driven by a strong dedication to creating meaningful and sustainable impact in developing countries by fostering social equity, promoting economic growth, and advancing environmental sustainability. A multilingual consultant, Mehdi’s expertise spans a diverse portfolio of projects across Africa, South America, and Europe, showcasing his ability to adapt and deliver impactful solutions in varied contexts. Outside of work, Mehdi enjoys doing humanitarian work through his charity in Morocco and is passionate about cinema, the outdoors, and martial arts. 

Miguel Angel  is an environmental engineer with a Master's degree in Hydrosystems and over 10 years of experience in key areas such as hydrology, climatology, hydrodynamics, and mathematical modelling. He has extensive experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data science, with a strong focus on Python programming applied to water resources and modeling. He has worked in both the public and private sectors, developing practical solutions for environmental consultancy,  and also teaching at the university level.

Outside of work, Miguel really loves traveling and exploring new places and cultures. He has a strong connection to water, whether he’s by rivers or the ocean.He is an amateur diver which allows him to enjoy discovering different environments and marine life forms

Muriel is currently an Engagement Manager at Pegasys, particularly interested in building sustainable solutions for climate adaptation in the global South. Muriel is very excited to work with N4W and TNC leveraging NbS to improve sustainable access to water across the world. Previously, Muriel was a Senior Consultant at the Ipsos Strategy3 team across the New York and London offices, working on building innovation and growth strategies for private sector players, with a particular focus on healthcare (Pharma and Consumer Healthcare). Muriel holds a Master's of Public Administration in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School, a program focused on leveraging technical macroeconomic and microeconomic tools to solve some of the biggest challenges countries face to build more equitable societies. Muriel graduated from Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service, with an Honors degree in International Economics and an Honors Certificate in International Business Diplomacy. In her free time, Muriel is an avid reader and loves being outside as much as she can (pending on London's weather). 

Peta-Gay is a Freshwater Science Associate with a passion for sustainable water solutions. Her expertise lies in water resource management, geology, GIS and hydrological modelling, Peta-Gay brings experience in research, environmental projects, and disaster management, with a focus on the Caribbean region.

Sabelo is a Management and GIS Consultant currently responsible for research, strategy and data analytics around livelihood vulnerability, environmental sustainability and disaster risk (i.e., climate change) in emerging economies, and various river basins within Africa. His technical background is extensive where he has implemented climate vulnerability analyses, that focuses on hazard/disaster-based simulation exercises to support varied projects and studies in the environmental and remediation space. He has a keen interest in the implementation of strategy over large spatial scales and how location-based/GIS information, together with how environmental profiling can be used in many ways to solve problems and make well-founded decisions, particularly in climate change /disaster risk adaptation and mitigation strategy.

Stefania is an environmental social scientist. Her key interest is in finding collaborative solutions to water issues through strong partnerships with local communities, the private sector, and government agencies. She has training and experience in economics, behavioral science, governance and power, and socio-ecological systems. Stefania has worked in a variety of environmental sustainability projects using qualitative and quantitative research methods such as surveys, behavioral experiments, econometrics, and semi-structured interviews. Stefania holds a PhD in Resource Policy and Behavior (University of Michigan), a MS in Environmental  Policy and Planning (University of Michigan), and a BA in Economics (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México).

Tainá Martins is a Science Lead for the Facility, based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Prior to joining TNC, Tainá spent ten years working for a Brazilian consultancy company in the energy sector, where she acquired experience in sustainable hydropower planning, hydrological modeling, renewable energy assessment, environmental impact analysis, spatial data analysis, and supporting the development of a tool to model renewable energy resources. She holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering (Water Resources) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where she focused on hydrological modeling in poorly gauged regions. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Federal Fluminense University, where her research centered on flow prediction using advanced modeling techniques.

Tamryn is an Environmental Scientist with a background in environmental and sustainability consulting. She has worked in a wide range of sectors and environments and joins the Nature for Water Facility as a consultant to assist in bridging the gap between all the role players.

Thomas is passionate about environmental and sustainable development issues and uses his financial and project management skills to design and implement innovative solutions that benefit both nature and people. Thomas has 15 years of blended experience in project finance, development finance, renewable energies, and nature-based solutions. This allows him to bring different perspectives on how to effectively engage stakeholders in conservation programmes. For the past 3 years, Thomas has led the Blue Energy Mechanism initiative, a joint Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy effort to set up Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes with the hydropower sector. Outside of work, nature is also very much a central part of his life, as he enjoys mountain biking and hiking whenever he can.

Venkat Iyer is the Senior Director, Climate Resilience for The Coca-Cola Foundation. He leads the climate portfolio that advances nature based and water management solutions for vulnerable communities to prepare, recover, and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Iyer worked globally across organizations that included the World Resources Institute (WRI), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) leading multi-sectoral task teams to develop sustainable finance solutions for wetlands and forests in Asia, Africa, and South America. His development experience stems from co-designing resource management solutions with local communities in over 11 countries. Venkat holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Cornell University, with a specialization in natural resources, and a master’s degree in environmental science and policy from Columbia University.