Ian G. Shuker

Program Manager, Environment, Natural Resources & Blue Economy, World Bank Group 

Ian G. Shuker, Program Manager, Environment, Natural Resources & Blue Economy, joined the World Bank in 1992 as a Consultant for the Southern Africa Region, Agricultural Operations Division. He has worked in many countries across the globe and has been a Practice Manager in several regions since 2014. He holds a PhD in Applied Economics from University of Minnesota, an MSc in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, from Louisiana State University and a BSc Agricultural Production from University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. He has gained a lot of experience working with government and private sector from managing and leading the development of seaweed projects.

Sylvia Michele Diez

Program Manager for PROBLUE, World Bank Group

Sylvia Michele Diez is the Program Manager for PROBLUE at the World Bank Group, and focal point for integrated seascape management, one of the Pillars of PROBLUE. Prior to this position, as a Senior Environmental Specialist in the Environment, Natural Resources and the Blue Economy Global Practice at the World Bank Group, she led the blue economy agenda in Latin America and Caribbean Region, and was responsible for projects related to fisheries, marine litter, ocean governance and a wide range of blue economy activities. She co-led the development of the innovative COAST fisheries parametric insurance in the Caribbean, and has co-authored the report “Marine Pollution in the Caribbean: not a minute to waste”. She has led work in a variety of operations in the eastern Caribbean, Belize, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru and Brazil. She holds a M.Sc. in Environmental Science and Policy from John Hopkins University, and a marine biology degree from the University of Maryland. 

Christopher Brett

Lead Agribusiness Specialist, Agriculture & Food Global Practice, World Bank Group 

Christopher Brett was appointed as the Lead Agribusiness Specialist with the World Bank in November 2016 and joined the Agriculture and Food Global Agricultural Practice, based in Washington, D.C. Currently, based in Rome, he has a master’s degree in Management for Agricultural Development from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom. He has more than 30 years’ experience of working within the public private and voluntary sectors in Africa, Asia and Latin America.   
 

Chris Sworder

Senior Manager, Hatch Innovation Services

Chris Sworder has been active in the agriculture and food innovation space for 7+ years. At Hatch Blue, he works with the senior management team of Hatch Innovation Services and manages a portfolio of projects. Working with Cleantech Group, Chris ran the Agriculture and Food research and consulting practice, working with corporate innovation, venture, capital, government, and entrepreneurial clients globally, but focused in North America and Europe. He has expertise in sustainability, climate, and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) consulting, as well as providing support for corporates and investors looking to partner with, or invest in, innovation. Chris has lived and worked mainly in London and San Francisco. Chris holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and an MA from University of Oxford.

Jeroen Langelaan

Director, Seatech Energy

Jeroen Langelaan joined SeatechEnergy in 2016 and holds the position of director. His focus is on business development and attracting financing. SeatechEnergy is active in offshore seaweed production in Asia. Together with local players in the seaweed industry, SeatechEnergy introduced large-scale seaweed farming in Indonesia and India using self-developed patented technology. Jeroen lives in Jakarta. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in various industries focusing on Finance. He has a master’s degree in Accounting, Auditing, and Control from Erasmus University in the Netherlands.

Nichola Dyer

Senior Advisor to the Safe Seaweed Coalition (Poll on Seaweed)

Nichola Dyer serves as Senior Advisor to the Safe Seaweed Coalition (SSC), advising on strategy and governance, designing and moderating events, representing the SSC in fora such as the Aquatic and Blue Food Coalition, managing its interns, and chairing key SSC meetings. She retired from the World Bank Group in 2019 after 26 years of service. Highlights of her Bank career include managing the $1.5b Global Agriculture and Food Security Program; developing greenfield operational engagements on excluded minorities and disability; leading the ethics office, where she built the Declaration of Interests Program; and establishing the office in Gabon. She obtained her MSc in Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Barry Lee

Principal Industry Specialist, International Finance Corporation

Barry Lee joined IFC in 2010 and is a Principal Industry Specialist covering the blue economy sector, including seaweed. He has been involved with commercial seaweed products and markets for over 20 years. He has been supporting recent investment studies of the seaweed sector for International Finance Corporation and the World Bank with a focus on Africa. 

Steffen Hansen

Department of Food Science, Copenhagen University

Steffen Hansen has spent most of his career working in multilateral organizations advancing the management of shared fresh and marine resources. His focus areas include institution building, optimized water and nutrient resource management and the further advancement of catch fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Recently he joined the Department of Food Science, Copenhagen University, to work as a Ph.D. student towards advancing science informed seaweed value chains. His current work includes, among others, Life Cycle Analysis targeted advances in seaweed cultivation systems and food and feed ingredient value chains, and the subsequent construction of a conceptual Theory of Change to showcase if environmental performance can be positioned as a key market requirement and driver of new seaweed value chains.

Harrison Charo Karisa

Senior Fisheries Specialist (Aquaculture), World Bank Group

Harrison Charo Karisa is a Senior Fisheries Specialist (Aquaculture) at the World Bank Group. Currently engaged in global efforts of the Aquabusiness Investment Advisory Platform to support governments and private sector to assist aquaculture development, strengthen livelihoods, and enhance food and nutrition security.  He is also a member of the Safe Seaweed Coalition Steering Committee. He Holds a PhD in Animal Sciences (Fish Breeding, Genetics and Aquaculture) from Wageningen University of Life Sciences, in the Netherlands and an MSc in Biodiversity from Swedish Agricultural University, Sweden.    

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