Rachel Biderman, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Americas Field Division
During most of her career, Rachel has focused on climate change and forests, helping to support and create networks across environmental and agricultural sectors — and connecting Brazil to international policy processes. She has integrated her interest in gender and women’s empowerment into her programs and has championed these issues through a range of initiatives.
Prior to joining Conservation International, Rachel served nine years as Brazil country head for the World Resources Institute. She also worked at the Center for Sustainability Studies at the Business School of Fundação Getulio Vargas, where she led programs to promote corporate sustainability and the implementation of sustainable public policies. A lawyer by trade, Rachel has also worked in private law firms and as a public interest attorney in several nonprofit organizations. Additionally, she held a position in São Paulo’s state government, where she focused on issues related to air quality, climate change and the protection of ecosystems.
Rachel helped create and was the first executive secretary of the Observatorio do Clima, a network of nongovernmental organizations dedicated to climate change in Brazil. She is also a founding member and former co-chair of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture — an alliance of more than 340 private sector and nongovernmental entities working in support of a low-carbon economy in Brazil.
Rachel holds a master’s degree in International Legal Studies from American University,and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Fundaçao Getulio Vargas in São Paulo.
During most of her career, Rachel has focused on climate change and forests, helping to support and create networks across environmental and agricultural sectors — and connecting Brazil to international policy processes. She has integrated her interest in gender and women’s empowerment into her programs and has championed these issues through a range of initiatives.
Prior to joining Conservation International, Rachel served nine years as Brazil country head for the World Resources Institute. She also worked at the Center for Sustainability Studies at the Business School of Fundação Getulio Vargas, where she led programs to promote corporate sustainability and the implementation of sustainable public policies. A lawyer by trade, Rachel has also worked in private law firms and as a public interest attorney in several nonprofit organizations. Additionally, she held a position in São Paulo’s state government, where she focused on issues related to air quality, climate change and the protection of ecosystems.
Rachel helped create and was the first executive secretary of the Observatorio do Clima, a network of nongovernmental organizations dedicated to climate change in Brazil. She is also a founding member and former co-chair of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture — an alliance of more than 340 private sector and nongovernmental entities working in support of a low-carbon economy in Brazil.
Rachel holds a master’s degree in International Legal Studies from American University,and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Fundaçao Getulio Vargas in São Paulo.