Jenin Assaf, Programme Specialist
Jenin Assaf joined the Trust in April 2009. Prior to this, Jenin worked at Bioversity International as Program Officer with the CGIAR ICT-KM Program. She has served in several positions in the US as well as overseas, most recently as Program Director for two international NGOs, Search for Common Ground and Vital Voices Global Partnership. Jenin holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature; and a Masters of Arts in International Studies from the University of Washington. She has joint US/Palestinian nationality and is fluent in English and Arabic as well as good knowledge of Italian.
jenin.assaf@croptrust.org


Anne Clyne, Director of Finance
Anne Clyne, an Irish national, joined the Trust in November 2004. Prior to joining the Trust, Anne spent two years working for the International Development Law Organization in Rome as Accounting Officer. Before moving to Rome, Anne had worked for KPMG in Dublin where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. During her four years with KPMG, Anne worked in the corporate tax department where she specialized in international tax planning, providing tax structuring advice to a wide range of Irish and multinational clients. Anne also holds a BA in Accounting & Finance and a Masters in Business Studies.
anne.clyne@croptrust.org



Layla Daoud, Project Officer, Global System Project
Layla Daoud is Project Officer for the the Trust's Global System Project. Prior to joining the Trust, Layla worked for Bioversity International and the System-wide Genetic Resources Programme of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research from 1994 to 2007 in the area of communications and information. Prior to this, Layla worked in the Technical Advisory Division of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations World Food Council Secretariat and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, providing administrative support. A graduate in Human Development from the University of California Davis (UCD), Layla undertook advanced studies in education at UCD where she obtained a teaching credential. Layla is American. Her first language is English. She is fluent in Italian and has a working knowledge of Spanish.
layla.daoud@croptrust.org


Hannes Dempewolf, Scientist (Crop Wild Relatives)
Hannes Dempewolf is a scientist at the Trust and mainly works in the framework of the Trust's project "Adapting agriculture to climate change: collecting, protecting and preparing crop wild relatives." Originally from south-western Germany, he has studied Botany at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the University of British Columbia in Canada and has been involved in research projects in Peru, the Caribbean, southern Kenya and Ethiopia. Hannes’ scientific interest focuses on the evolution, maintenance and conservation of agro-biodiversity, the importance of such diversity for farming communities and the role it can play for sustainable development and food security.
hannes.dempewolf@croptrust.org


Andie Dimitriadou, Programme Assistant
Andie Dimitriadou joined the Trust in May 2011. Prior to joining the Trust, she worked in the Secretariat of the European Federation for Animal Science and later in the Capacity Development Unit of Bioversity International. Andie holds a BA in International Economic and Political Studies and a Masters in Information Systems. She is fluent in Greek, English and Italian. Andie is a Greek citizen.
andie.dimitriadou@croptrust.org


Amanda Dobson, Programme Assistant
Amanda has a BA in Business Administration from John Cabot University where she was active in the student body, serving as Vice President as well as President of the Student Ambassadors program. She joins us from Bioversity International where she worked as an intern for the Public Awareness Unit. Amanda has had additional administrative experience working in Rome at the Dalla Vedova International Law Firm and at Georgeson (a proxy solicitation company). Amanda speaks English and Italian. Amanda is an American citizen.
amanda.dobson@croptrust.org


Cary Fowler, Executive Director
Prior to joining the Trust as its Executive Director, Dr. Cary Fowler was Professor and Director of Research in the Department for International Environment & Development Studies at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. He was also a Senior Advisor to the Director General of Bioversity International. In this latter role, he represented the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in negotiations on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Cary's career in the conservation and use of crop diversity spans 30 years. He was Program Director for the National Sharecroppers Fund / Rural Advancement Fund, a US-based NGO engaged in plant genetic resources education and advocacy. In 1985 he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award (the "Alternative Nobel Prize") in a ceremony in the Swedish Parliament. In the 1990s, he headed the International Conference and Programme on Plant Genetic Resources at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which produced the UN's first ever global assessment of the state of the world's plant genetic resources. He drafted and supervised negotiations of FAO's Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources, adopted by 150 countries in 1996. That same year he served as Special Assistant to the Secretary General of the World Food Summit. During the negotiation process of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, Cary chaired a series of off-the-record retreats with key delegates, sponsored by the Nordic countries. He is a past-member of the National Plant Genetic Resources Board of the U.S. and the Board of Trustees of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico, and is currently Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. He holds a position as Associate Curator at the Memphis City Family of Museums.

Cary has been profiled by CBS 60 Minutes and the New Yorker, is the author of several books on the subject of plant genetic resources and more than 75 articles on the topic in agriculture, law, and development journals. Cary earned his Ph.D. at the University of Uppsala (Sweden), and in 2008 received an honorary doctorate from Simon Fraser University (Canada). In 2010, the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences awarded him the Vavilov Medal for his "exceptional contribution" to the cause of conserving plant genetic resources for present and future generations. He also received a 2010 Heinz Award for his “vision and efforts in the preservation of the world’s food supply”.
executivedirector@croptrust.org




Suzy Gemma, Programme Assistant
Suzy joined the Trust in August 2007. Before commencing with the Trust, Suzy worked for McArthurGlen Ltd., the European leader in the management of Designer Outlets and formerly with NATO in Naples. Suzy has joint Italian/Australian citizenship.
suzy.gemma@croptrust.org



Luigi Guarino, Senior Science Coordinator
Luigi served as a consultant for FAO and IBPGR from 1984-87, working in the South Pacific and Middle East on a number of germplasm collecting, characterization and documentation projects, and as a germplasm collector for IBPGR from 1987-1992. He was then appointed to work on genetic diversity issues in Bioversity International's Sub-Saharan Africa Group based in Nairobi, Kenya. Luigi then moved to the Bioversity Regional Office for the Americas in Cali, Colombia in 1997 which he coordinated Bioversity's global research agenda on measuring, locating and monitoring genetic diversity, with responsibility for the application of GIS, and also managed Biovesity's work on germplasm use in the region, including research on patterns of use of ex situ collections. He had responsibility for national and regional programme development in the Caribbean sub-region. From 2002 to 2006 he worked at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in Fiji, where he co-ordinated and managed a regional PGR network for the Pacific Island countries and territories. He is author of some 30 refereed articles and more than 10 conference presentations, and has edited a number of books and proceedings. Luigi, an Italian national, holds BA and MA degrees in Applied Biology from the University of Cambridge, UK.
luigi.guarino@croptrust.org



Colin Khoury, Scientific Associate
Colin joined the Trust in November 2007. Colin provides scientific research and analysis contributing to Trust projects and proposals and in support of communications and outreach. A graduate of the University of Birmingham MSc. Conservation and Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources, Colin has academic and practical experience in ex situ conservation and agriculture. He curated the Phaseolus bean collection at Native Seeds/SEARCH in the US, and has worked on a variety of agricultural and botanical projects in the Americas. Colin's research interests focus on the long term sustainability of agriculture and adaptation to climate change through the use of plant genetic diversity.
colin.khoury@croptrust.org



Julian Laird, Director of Development & Communications
Julian has extensive experience of resource mobilization and communications, and has led a number of highly innovative and successful fundraising initiatives in the public and private sectors. Before moving to the Trust, Julian was Director of Programmes and Acting Chief Executive of Earthwatch Institute (Europe), an international non-profit organisation supporting environmental field research and conservation in 40 countries. He has designed and managed worldwide programmes for capacity building, public engagement and hands-on communication of environment and development issues. A British citizen, he has an MA in Modern Languages from the University of Oxford, and an MSc from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology.
julian.laird@croptrust.org



Charlotte Lusty, Scientist
Charlotte joined the Trust as Scientist in 2008. Her familiarity with the Trust's work, however, extends back several years through her involvement in developing the Conservation Strategy for Musa in her previous position in the Commodities for Livelihoods Programme at Bioversity International, where she worked for seven years. Between 1993 and 2000 she worked as a research officer in the Species Programme of the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, UK, and before that she carried out research in Tanzania and Kenya as a trained zoologist. Charlotte is British.
charlotte.lusty@croptrust.org



Godfrey Mwila, Programme Scientist
A Zambian national, Godfrey holds a Masters Degree in Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilisation from the University of Birmingham, UK, and a Bachelors Degree in General Agricultural Sciences from the University of Zambia.

Godfrey has been working in the area of plant genetic resources conservation at national, regional and international levels over the past 15 years, and therefore has extensive experience in both the technical and policy aspects of plant genetic resources conservation and utilization. Prior to taking up this position, Godfrey was the Chair of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for the Second and Third Sessions.
godfrey.mwila@croptrust.org


Michela Paganini, Scientific Consultant
Michela joined the Trust in October 2010. She comes from a five-year experience in FAO. Her most recent role was with the FAO led Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building (GIPB), which the Trust has been supporting as part of its Global System Project. She previously worked for the Italian Research Council and the Wageningen University and Research Centers in agricultural development projects in West Africa. Michela holds a M.Sc. degree in Tropical Agriculture from the University of Florence, Italy and is Italian.
michela.paganini@croptrust.org


Melly Preira, Personal Assistant to Executive Director
Melly joined the Trust in March 2004. Prior to the Trust, Melly has worked at FAO since 2000, starting in the Economics and Statistics department, and most recently joining Agriculture, Biosecurity, Nutrition and Consumer Protection to work for the Plant Production and Protection Division. Melly is a French citizen and holds a BA in economics.
melly.preira@croptrust.org



Anna Stolyarskaya, Finance Assistant
Anna came on board at the Trust in September 2007. She supports the daily financial operations of the Trust. Prior to joining the Trust, Anna worked in the Finance Department at CTBTO (Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization) located in Vienna, Austria. She began her career at the United Nations Office in the Treasury Division in Vienna. Anna completed her degrees in Accounting and Business Administration at the Vienna University. Anna is a Russian citizen and speaks Russian, English, German, and Italian.
anna.stolyarskaya@croptrust.org



Jane Toll, Project Manager, Global System Project
Jane Toll is Project Manager of the Trust's Global System Project. Jane has extensive experience in programme and project management and has been involved in genetic resources management, research and capacity building for over 25 years. Prior to joining the Trust, Jane served as the Coordinator of the System-wide Genetic Resources Programme of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (from 1995 to 2007) and was Director of the Global Partnerships Programme of Bioversity International (from 2005 to 2007). She has worked for Bioversity and its predecessors IBPGR and IPGRI, in various capacities since 1980, primarily in central and west Africa and since 1992 at Bioversity's headquarters in Rome. Jane holds a M.Sc.degree in the conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom and is a British national.
jane.toll@croptrust.org



Kem Turner, Programme Assistant
Kem joined the Trust in August 2007. Prior to the Trust, Kem worked at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the Agriculture Land and Water Division and later in the Emergency Operations Division for Africa. Kem is an American citizen and holds a BA in International Affairs.
kem.turner@croptrust.org



Kijo Waruhiu, Associate Scientist
A.N. (Kijo) Waruhiu joined the Trust in August 2007. She joins the Trust having worked in the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) under various capacities for over eight years. The majority of her time in the CGIAR was at the World Agroforestry Centre starting in the Tree Domestication Programme and ending as the Executive Assistant to the Director General. Her most recent role was as a joint Research Assistant to the Secretariats of the CGIAR and the Science Council of the CGIAR. Kijo holds a M.Sc. degree in Resource Management from the University of Edinburgh. Her previous studies were in Environmental Biology and she has previous field and work experience in the US and Cameroon. Her position is funded under the UN Foundation Global Systems Project. Kijo is a Kenyan national.
kijo.waruhiu@croptrust.org



Mellissa Wood, Director of Operations
Mellissa Wood joined the Trust in January 2007 originally on a secondment from the Australian Government Agency, AusAID. Prior to joining the Trust, Mellissa was a Programme Leader (Information and Risk Sciences) with the Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS), Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. She has held a number of positions with the BRS, including Manager of Australia's National Forest Inventory (1999-2004). Mellissa has 15 years experience in working on natural resource management issues through the analysis and modelling of spatial data (GIS), particularly in progressing forest and vegetation monitoring and sustainability reporting. She has worked with international governments, Australian Commonwealth and state governments, the forest industry and with national NGOs and farmer groups. Mellissa is an Australian citizen and has a BSC REM from the Australian National University.
mellissa.wood@croptrust.org


Senior advisors and consultants



Geoff Hawtin, Senior Adviser
Geoff was one of the founders of the Trust, which was initiated under his leadership when he was the Director General of Bioversity International, in Rome, Italy. On leaving Bioversity in 2003, he became the first Executive Secretary of the Trust. Geoff is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) in Costa Rica and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Geoff has served as a Director of the International Development Research Centre in Canada, responsible for Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Sciences, and earlier was Deputy Director General of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, ICARDA, in Syria. Most recently he served as Acting Director General of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia. He obtained his PhD from Cambridge University, conducting his thesis research at Makerere University, Uganda. A dual British/Canadian citizen, he was recently awarded the Frank Meyer Medal for his services to plant genetic resources.
geoff.hawtin@croptrust.org


Marco Marsella, IT Consultant
Marco Marsella, an Italian national, has an MSc in Electronic Engineering and Information Technology from the University of Rome. He joined the Trust as an IT Consultant in 2007 and provides assistance in the design and operation of the Trust's IT framework. He is a long time IT Consultant with FAO and other UN organizations and specializes in software design and network architecture and management
m.marsella@itworks.it


Gerald Moore, Legal Counsel
Gerald Moore was Legal Counsel of FAO from 1988 until his retirement in February 2000. He is now an Honorary Fellow of Bioversity International and legal adviser to the Trust. He has degrees in law from the University of Cambridge and the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Barrister of the Middle Temple London. Before joining FAO as a Legal Officer in 1969, he served in the British Diplomatic Service, taught at Stanford University Law School for a year and then was an associate with a New York law firm.
g.moore@cgiar.org



Dr. Bert Visser, Honorary Fellow
Bert obtained an MSc degree in Molecular Sciences at Wageningen University and a PhD at the University of Utrecht. In 1992 he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a senior officer in the Special Programme on Biotechnology and Development Cooperation, with particular responsibility for capacity building. Since 1997 he has been the director of the Centre for Genetic Resources of the Netherlands (CGN) which under its own mandate is part of Wageningen University and Research Centre. As the director of CGN he fulfils an advisory role for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality on policies regarding (agro-)biodiversity. In this capacity he has been a regular member of delegations to FAO, the International Treaty and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Furthermore he functions as the national focal point for the implementation of the Global Plan of Action on PGRFA, and has been appointed as the National Focal Point on Access and Benefit Sharing of the CBD.
bert.visser@wur.nl