Aisha Rodriguez
Manager – Markets and StandardsAisha Rodriguez is Manager – Markets and Standards at VCMI where she is developing the Claims Code of Practice and associated assurance framework, enabling companies to use voluntary carbon markets with high integrity. Reporting to the Technical Director, Aisha leads research to ensure VCMI’s work is aligned with scientific and corporate best practice.
Prior to joining VCMI, Aisha worked in sustainability in the food and beverage sector, focusing on delivering climate strategies and achieving carbon reduction targets across different markets. Aisha has also worked in environmental consulting for both the private and public sector, across environmental and social sustainability. Earlier in her career, she helped to manage the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program, a UN-endorsed global standard for carbon management at airports.
Aisha has a degree in Environmental Economics from the University of York and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College. Originally from Malaysian Borneo, Aisha has lived and worked in the UK for 13 years.
Ana Carolina Avzaradel Szklo
Technical Director – Markets and StandardsAna Carolina Avzaradel Szklo is the Technical Director – Markets and Standards at VCMI, leading the organization’s technical work and managing the Expert Advisory Group. She is responsible for developing and implementing the VCMI Claims Code of Practice, to ensure corporate engagement with voluntary carbon markets and associated claims are credible and robust. Ana Carolina manages the Markets and Standards Team who support this work to secure appropriate research and governance surrounding the Code’s development.
With 18 years’ experience working across almost 20 countries on sustainability themes, Ana Carolina has worked in diverse contexts ranging from climate negotiations within the UNFCCC and IPCC to project development and advocacy. She previously served as the Sustainability Manager of Humanize Institute, a Brazilian philanthropic organization focused on sustainable development and fostering income generation, with responsibility for sustainability and impact business portfolios. Prior to this, she worked as the Technical Development Director of the Conselho Empresarial Brasileiro para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (CEBDS) and as liaison to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a global network of more than 200 environmentally-minded corporate CEOs. Ana Carolina has served in the Brazilian government as a climate change negotiator.
Ana Carolina maintains a wide network of collaborators including leaders from the business, government, NGO and academic sectors. With a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, she has a Master’s degree in Environmental and Energy Planning, and serves as a member of both the UNDP and UNFCCC Roster of Experts as an energy expert and lead reviewer of national greenhouse gas inventories.
Bianca Gichangi
Regional Lead – AfricaBianca’s role in the Policy and Partnerships Team at VCMI focuses on leading delivery of VCMI strategy across Africa and strengthening VCMI engagement, partnerships, and impact. This includes overseeing delivery and scaling up of future VCMI Access Strategies programs in African countries.
Prior to VCMI, Bianca was the Coordinator of the Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance. She led capacity building activities on carbon markets for government and non-state actors, developed strategic partnerships and facilitated sharing of carbon pricing practices and lessons through regional collaborations. Her experience extends to climate change negotiations where she provided technical support to Alliance Focal Points and has served as a Lead coordinator, Article 6, for the Kenya Delegation.
She has a BEng in Environmental Engineering from the University of New South Wales and an MSc in Climate Change and Policy from the University of Sussex. She serves as member of the UNFCCC Article 6.4 mechanism Roster of Experts as a Climate Policy Expert.
George Hodgetts
Policy AssociateGeorge’s role in the Policy and Partnerships Team at VCMI focuses on government engagement, bringing policy officials together from around the world via forums such as the Country Contact Group to provide insight on VCMI’s work areas and promote learning relevant to VCMI’s objectives and outputs. George will also help deliver the second phase of VCMI’s Access Strategies program, continuing to build capacity so that countries can engage with carbon market opportunities that align with their national climate policy and finance priorities.
George joins the team after five years working for the UK Civil Service, most recently in the Global Carbon Markets Team in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. George managed some of the UK’s foreign aid investment in programs delivered by the World Bank that are piloting the use of carbon market mechanisms to mobilize additional climate finance and deliver sustainable development benefits in developing countries. In the run up to COP26 George also led an initiative developing recommendations that were promoted at Glasgow regarding capacity building for inclusive and ambitious global carbon market participation in support of the Paris Agreement.
George has a BSc in Geography from the University of Bristol, which included a year of study in Granada, Spain.
Lydia Sheldrake
Director of Policy and PartnershipsLydia is Director of Policy and Partnerships at VCMI. She leads the team working on external communications, and engagement and collaboration with companies, governments, civil society and other initiatives involved with carbon markets.
Previously, at Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) Lydia advised on the design and delivery of programmes and tools designed to raise the bar on corporate climate action, including VCMI’s Provisional Claims Code of Practice.
Prior to CIFF, Lydia spent five years in Government representing the UK in international negotiations on climate and trade. In the run up to COP26, Lydia was Head of Voluntary Carbon Markets and led the UK Presidency support to establish VCMI as an independent multi-stakeholder initiative.
In private and non-profit sectors, Lydia has advised multinational corporations on environmental reporting and sustainable supply chains.
She has a BSc (Hons) in Biology from Imperial College London and an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford.
Mark Kenber
Executive DirectorExecutive Director of VCMI, Mark Kenber has worked for nearly three decades on market-based approaches to environmental protection.
Former CEO of The Climate Group, where he launched the Voluntary Carbon Standard, Mark is regarded as one of the leading voices on carbon markets in climate policy. His previous roles include positions at Fundación Natura in Ecuador, WWF’s International Climate Change Program, Mongoose Energy Ltd, and Climate Advisers. He has also served as Climate Change Advisor to the Ecuadorian Government.
Mark is a board member of ICVCM and Verra and Chair of Brighton and Hove Energy Services Cooperative.
Nick Boak
Director of OperationsAs VCMI’s Director of Operations, Nick leads all aspects of VCMI’s operational strategy including procurement, funding, resourcing, management systems and IT infrastructure.
Nick’s career to date spans General Manager and COO roles across the finance industry, technology services and the charitable sector. Most recently at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Nick delivered a complete transformation of the talent acquisition strategy and associated processes. He brings significant experience in change, people and program management, having led large senior-level teams while managing budgets and achieving cost savings worth tens of millions in several organizations.
Nick is innately solutions-focused, challenges the status quo and seeks constant business improvement through innovation. He is committed to establishing supportive, high-performance cultures built upon strong employee engagement, clarity of purpose and honest and open communication.
Raffaella Infanti
Engagement ManagerRaffaella’s role in the Policy and Partnerships Team at VCMI focuses on the engagement of non-state actors across business and civil society, Indigenous Peoples and Local Community groups. Raffaella leads VCMI’s outreach strategy, coordinating and convening groups for effective stakeholder engagement.
With the upcoming launch of the VCMI Claims Code of Practice, Raffaella will bring together companies from around the world committed to pilot and implement the Code, helping to ensure credible use and associated claims of high-integrity voluntary carbon markets.
Raffaella joins the team after three years at Gold Standard, where she advocated for Gold Standard’s carbon market and sustainable development solutions among companies, to maximize the impact of their climate efforts while minimizing risks. She developed strategic partnerships and managed private sector relationships with organisations seeking to foster high ambition in response to the climate challenge.
Raffaella brings extensive experience in business growth strategies, with a focus on sustainability practices, market entry and new product development in the private sector. Originally from Italy, she is based in Geneva, Switzerland, where she has worked and lived for the past ten years.
Sigourney Luz
Communications ManagerAs part of the Policy and Partnerships team, Sigourney leads VCMI’s communications strategy and portfolio, helping to communicate VCMI’s mission and work with key audiences.
She joins VCMI from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) where she was Communications Manager for Climate Mitigation (Working Group III). While at IPCC she led communications for the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land and the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report (Climate Mitigation). Prior to this she worked in science communications in the UK and Germany, focussing on High Performance Computing and Quantum Optics.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney and is currently completing her MA Strategic Communications at King’s College London.
Sohyeon Park
Associate – Markets and StandardsSohyeon Park is VCMI’s Associate – Markets and Standards. As part the Technical Team, Sohyeon’s work is focused on finalizing and developing the VCMI Claims Code of Practice and communicating with VCMI’s Expert Advisory Group.
She previously worked as a Project Manager for carbon offset projects supplying carbon credits to the Korean Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). She is internationally affiliated with the Project Developers Forum. Sohyeon has also worked as an environmental writer and project lead for climate change activities.
Sohyeon holds an MSc in Environment, Politics and Society from UCL, as well as a BSc in Political Science and International Relations from Chung-ang University.