Team

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  Sarah Drost

  Sarah Drost (MSc) joined Aidenvironment in May 2017. As a member of the Food, Forest & Finance team, she has a particular focus on commodity-related deforestation (palm oil, soy and beef), responsible sourcing, and sustainability risk analysis. In her previous positions at the Clingendael Institute and the Partnerships Resource Centre (RSM-EUR), she has built a track record of projects related to value chain development in challenging settings. Her experience includes extensive fieldwork in Africa and Asia, and qualitative as well as quantitative methods. With a keen eye for local dynamics and power structures, her value chain analyses and risk assessments will benefit from thorough contextualization of the socioeconomic and political field of operation for value chain stakeholders. Her key interest is on social issues in commodity chains, e.g. the loss of social and cultural values as a result of plantation development, human rights and labour issues, conflicts over natural resources, gender inequality, and land grabbing. 

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  Kyle Saukas

  Kyle Saukas is a Communications Manager at Climate Advisers, where he focuses on executing strategic communications projects for clients and managing communications for Chain Reaction Research. He handles website development, social media, email, and media outreach responsibilities for CRR.

  Previously, Kyle worked for the consulting firm ICF’s Energy Advisory Services practices leading their marketing and communication efforts within the power and natural gas markets, distributed resources, and environmental policy sectors. He has supported the creation and development of social media campaigns, earned and paid media campaigns, blogs, webinars, white papers, and communications strategies across multiple forms of digital media. Kyle is a Clean Energy Leadership Institute fellow and specializes in digital communications for energy-related issues.

  Kyle is a graduate of the University of Michigan with dual bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Communications Studies.

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  Geoanna Corneby

  Geoanna has an academic background in business and finance and brings years of experience in consulting, business development, corporate social responsibility, and impact investing to the project. Geoanna has led program development and fundraising efforts for organisations working in youth empowerment, livelihood development, and smallholder productivity. She assists with the coordination of the Chain Reaction Research programme.

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  Chris Wiggs

  Chris has a background in wildlife conservation and spent several years working to protect wild orangutans living in agricultural landscapes. At Aidenvironment, he manages projects to improve sustainability in agricultural supply chains and implement stakeholder mechanisms for sustainable palm oil. He coordinates Chain Reaction Research’s Indonesia activities.

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  Okita Miraningrum

  Okita has a background in environmental engineering and industrial ecology. She joined Aidenvironment in 2020 after completing her MSc in Sweden, where she examined zero-deforestation pledges in the palm oil industry in Indonesia. Her studies and previous work experience in the biogas industry from palm oil mill effluent have shaped her interest in sustainability themes, mainly about sustainability transition, deforestation, and climate change. She conducts research and report writing for Chain Reaction Research.

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  Gerard Rijk

  Senior Equity Analyst, Profundo

  Gerard has a background in macro economy and has worked for many years in the investment industry covering food, beverage and retail stocks as well as banks and insurance companies. He joined Profundo in 2017, where he is engaged in equity research of companies active in the agricultural value chain, in the consumer good industry and in financial sector.

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  Barbara Kuepper

  Senior Researcher, Profundo

  Barbara has a background in natural sciences. She has extensive experience in investigating and analyzing international corporate trade, supply chains, financial relations, and CSR issues. After working for international CSOs for more than 15 years, Barbara joined Profundo in 2012 to conduct research on different commodity sectors and their environmental and social impacts.

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  Jan Willem van Gelder

  Director, Profundo

  van Gelder was trained as a development economist and has been active in the field of corporate economic research for more than 25 years. His research and consultancy experience spans a broad range of economic sectors, countries, commodity chains and CSR themes.

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  Matt Piotrowski

  Senior Analyst, Climate Advisers

  Matt has a background in energy and financial reporting. He has extensive experience in analyzing international corporate investment, commodity supply chains, financial trading, and climate and energy policy issues. Matt joined Climate Advisers in 2018 as a Senior Analyst, focusing on communication outreach with the financial sector, managing and editing the Chain Reaction Research newsletter, and providing analysis for investors to mitigate climate risks.

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  Annemieke Beekmans

  Director, Aidenvironment

  Beekmans has a background in social cultural science. From 1996 to 2008 she worked in Latin America and Africa, advising NGOs and the public and private sector on poverty reduction through sustainable investment and sourcing. In 2009, Annemieke joined Aidenvironment to work on sustainability impact assessments, agro-commodities and corporate social responsibility related assignments.