ZSL’s Sustainable Business and Finance Team

Fergus Campbell joined ZSL in 2021. Initially working as a SPOTT Project Intern and gaining experience across the team in communications, advisory work and assessments – he is now a Sustainable Finance Advisor. In this role, Fergus supports the Sustainable Business and Finance team’s engagement with the finance sector and aims to promote the use of SPOTT data by financial institutions which are exposed to commodity-related impacts on nature. Before joining ZSL, Fergus completed an undergraduate degree in Business Management at the University of Edinburgh, through which he developed an interest in ESG and business ethics. He also worked as an SEN Teaching Assistant and volunteered at non-profits in a research and administrative capacity.

Becky Shu Chen is a passionate conservationist. She joined ZSL in 2012, and she has led several conservation projects focusing on endangered species and human-wildlife co-existence (e.g. Chinese giant salamander, pangolin, and Asian elephant). In addition to conducting scientific research to support conservation strategic planning, Becky is also an enthusiastic environmental educator. Since 2014, Becky has devoted herself to engagement and advocacy, from campaigns in the remote nature reserves to high-level discussions with the British royal family. As a member of the IUCN Asia elephant Specialist Group, Becky also supports trans-boundary conservation initiatives between China and its neighboring countries. Becky joined the Sustainable Business Programme as Sustainable Business Advisor, to support strategic development and better engage companies on sustainable practices across the supply chain.

Oliver Cupit joined ZSL in 2019 as Sustainable Business Programme Manager after spending over 5 years working at sustainability consultancy NEPCon. He has experience in responsible sourcing of timber and paper products, including provision of advice to companies on how to meet the EU Timber Regulation as well as FSC certification. Oliver has experience in auditing of timber product manufacturers, developing and delivering training courses on responsible sourcing, and has delivered services and training in the Solomon Islands, China, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as across Europe. He holds an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Sustainable Tropical Forestry from Copenhagen and Padova Universities.

Annabelle Dodson joined ZSL in 2016. Her role as Sustainable Business Projects Manager, within ZSL’s Sustainable Business team, involves overseeing coordination of the SPOTT assessments and the development of SPOTT’s database and indicator frameworks, as well as grant management including donor reporting and activity tracking. She has previous experience working in Malaysia as a sustainability consultant and has volunteered with London Sustainability Exchange as well as on other field conservation projects. She has a BSc in Geology and Biology and an MSc in Environmental Diagnosis and Management from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Imogen Fanning joined ZSL in 2021. Her role as Project Analyst involves coordinating the SPOTT palm oil ESG assessments, engaging with companies on their results, and assisting in research to support the assessment process. She has previous experience in the sustainability and traceability of palm oil gained through her MSc in Sustainability and Management at Royal Holloway, University of London. Imogen worked at the Royal Society in Grants Operations before joining ZSL, where she developed skills in assessment and reporting.

Maggie FitzHerbert joined the team in 2021 as the Sustainable Business Advisory Manager, leading on ZSL’s business engagement on legal and sustainable trade of forest-risk commodities. Before joining ZSL, Maggie worked in FSC & PEFC certification, as well as assessment and advisory services related to legal sourcing under the EU Timber Regulation. She has experience auditing supply chains and has worked with timber and pulp companies from all around the world. She has a background in Environmental Geochemistry and has previously been a researcher in water and soil contamination, focused on industrial activities. She has an MSc Environmental Science by Research from Queen Mary University London and a BSc Geography from University of Sussex.

Fabrice Inkonkoy joined ZSL in 2021 as Sustainable Business Specialist-Africa. Over the last ten years, he has worked for WWF-Democratic Republic of Congo, supporting conservation work in the Congo Basin. Fabrice has experience in sustainable forest management, emphasising IPLC participation and technical advisory to logging companies, design and M&E of conservation programmes/projects, and protected area law enforcement monitoring and Geographic Information Systems. He has developed and delivered training for local communities, logging companies and protected areas teams on conflict management, monitoring social agreements of forest logging, and SMART. Fabrice has a keen interest in environmental and social risk management for the business and finance sector, having consulted for the World Bank to assess environmental and social risks for a large-scale infrastructure project. Fabrice holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resources management from the University of Kinshasa and a master’s degree in Conservation Leadership from Cambridge.

David J Johnston is a passionate conservationist and sustainable business entrepreneur with extensive experience in the Peruvian Amazon, where he co-founded a non-profit organisation and played a key role in establishing the Las Piedras Conservation Corridor and Las Piedras Amazon Center (LPAC). Since February 2021, David has worked as Communications Manager for ZSL’s Sustainable Business and Finance team. In this role, he focuses on effectively communicating the importance of transparency and sustainability in soft commodity supply chains, and ensuring that biodiversity is at the heart of the decision-making process of businesses and finance organisations. In addition to his work at ZSL, David is an executive board member at Junglekeepers Peru, where he concentrates on Conservation Enterprise and long-term partnerships with local communities.

Armstrong Mba joined the ZSL Sustainable Business team in February 2020 as Sustainable Business Advisor, operating from Yaoundé, Cameroon. Armstrong has over 12 years’ experience in sustainable forestry, working as a Sustainability Manager for various forestry companies in Cameroon as well as a consultant for Proforest. A qualified FSC auditor and HCV assessor, he holds an undergraduate Diploma in Forestry from National Forestry School in Mbalmayo, Cameroon and a Master’s degree in Cartography, GIS/Remote Sensing with Specialization in Landscape Dynamics Management from the University of Yaoundé 1. Armstrong also has experience working on other soft commodities in Cameroon, including palm oil, rubber and cocoa. He is a fluent French and English speaker.

James Pilkington joined ZSL in 2022 as Senior Specialist, Conservation Finance, leading on ZSL’s work engaging the finance sector and developing bankable conservation finance projects. He is passionate about creating the resources and incentives to protect and restore our planet’s biological and cultural diversity. James has 12 years’ experience working with financial institutions, governments, Indigenous communities, local peoples and conservation organisations to attract investment and generate income based on their natural assets. He has worked in Central America, East Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Outback Australia on projects in a wide variety of sectors including agriculture, soft commodities, seafood, tourism, energy access, professional services, carbon and other payments for ecosystem services. He has a BA in International Development from SOAS in London, an MBA from Melbourne University and an MA in Political Economy from University of Sydney.

Rachel Poluan joined ZSL in 2023 as a Sustainable Business & Finance Communications Intern, supporting the team in social media, internal and external communications, and ESG assessments. Prior to joining ZSL, Rachel worked as an Internal Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Intern at DBS Bank Indonesia. She completed a double bachelor’s degree in international business and marketing from Bandung Institute of Technology and University of Hull in 2022.

Sam Ross joined ZSL in 2022. His role as Sustainable Business Project Analyst involves coordinating the SPOTT timber & pulp ESG assessments, engaging with companies on their results, and conducting research to support the assessment process. Prior to joining ZSL, Sam completed a postgraduate degree in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh. Through this degree, he developed an interest in various environmental issues, with a particular focus on ESG and climate policy. He also volunteered with World Female Ranger Week and the Galapagos Conservation Trust in a research and communications capacity.

Claire Salisbury joined ZSL in 2018, and is a Sustainable Business Project Manager alongside Annabelle. Her role involves overseeing ZSL’s Sustainable Business Projects including SPOTT, related communications including the SPOTT website, social media channels and publications, and coordinating policy-related activities of the team. Prior to joining ZSL, Claire contributed to Mongabay as a freelance writer, and a volunteer and communications consultant with the Asian elephant conservation charity Elephant Family. She has an MSc in Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology from the University of Exeter and a PhD from the University of Oxford, focusing on the diversity and ecology of Amazon birds.

Eleanor Spencer leads our palm oil workstream as the Sustainable Business Specialist, Asia, managing the team’s palm oil company assessment and engagement processes, as well as representing ZSL on the RSPO Board of Governors as an alternate environmental NGO member. Eleanor originally joined the team in 2015, with a focus on engagement with the financial sector and other SPOTT users, before switching to her current role in early 2020. She has a background in supply chain sustainability and governance across various other soft commodity sectors, including soy, cattle and seaweed, and holds an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford.