The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry's (CIFOR-ICRAF) Board of Trustees has appointed Dr Eliane Ubalijoro as Chief Executive Officer of CIFOR-ICRAF and Director General of ICRAF.

Dr. Ubalijoro will be the first African woman to serve as Director General of a CGIAR Research Center and the CEO of two CGIAR Centers in the organization's 52-year history.

Dr. Ubalijoro, who was born in Rwanda, is the Executive Director of Sustainability in the Digital Age and a Professor of Practice for Public-Private Partnerships at McGill University's Institute for the Study of International Development.

Her research has focused on innovation, gender, and sustainable development over the last two decades.

According to Dr. Ubalijoro, CIFOR-ICRAF is a critical institution poised to accelerate its research and impact, paving the way to achieving the 2030 goals by harnessing the potential of forestry and agroforestry to create ecosystems that generate prosperity in a sustainable manner.

She is interested in connecting with work that aims to increase biodiversity globally and ensure transparency in terms of carbon sequestration by combining CIFOR-wealth ICRAF's knowledge in forestry, ecology, and sustainable agriculture with the transparency that high-resolution satellite data and artificial intelligence can bring.

“I see CIFOR-ICRAF as a critical institution, poised to accelerate its research and impact, leading the way to achieving the 2030 goals by harnessing the potential of forestry and agroforestry to create ecosystems that generate prosperity, sustainably,” said Ubalijoro.

Along with Ubalijoro's appointment, which will begin in May 2023, Dr. Robert Nasi, CIFOR-acting ICRAF's CEO, will be named Chief Operating Officer.

Dr. Nasi is a world-renowned forestry scientist who has spent the last four decades studying the ecology and management of tropical forests, as well as the sustainable use of forest resources and the intersection of conservation and development.

According to Dr. Nasi, the appointment ushers in a new era for CIFOR-ICRAF, as the potential of trees and forests in addressing climate, food, and biodiversity crises becomes clearer.

“…. the new leadership team stands ready to take CIFOR-ICRAF into an ambitious era of growth to provide much-needed solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time,” Dr. Nasi said.

CIFOR-ICRAF's Board Chair, Doris Capistrano, says with the combination of Dr. Ubalijoro's wealth of experience in agricultural research, digital innovation, and transformational leadership, and Dr. Nasi's deep knowledge of tropical forestry and exemplary success in guiding both organizations through the merger, CIFOR-ICRAF has never been better equipped than now.

“We look forward to the new heights CIFOR-ICRAF will reach in its mission to address interconnected global challenges through the power of forests, trees and agroforestry,” she said.

CIFOR-ICRAF is the global leader in harnessing the power of trees, forests, and agroforestry landscapes to address today's most pressing global challenges: biodiversity loss, climate change, food security, livelihoods, and inequity.

It has partnerships in 64 countries, 159 funding partners, and 192 active projects, in addition to over 2,200 completed projects in 92 countries. The organization has a USD 100 million annual budget and a combined legacy investment of USD 2 billion in research and technology, policy, and development.

CIFOR-ICRAF research is cited nearly 137 times per day on average, and it appears in global media over 3,000 times per year.