Marie Connett Porceddu Ph.D, MBA, International Director and CEO

Dr Marie Connett Porceddu assumed the position of CEO in September 2007 upon a move to France with her family. Supporting A Rocha's global programmes in biodiversity conservation, she is a Ph.D. botanist with many years of experience in forestry sector research management. She also has business and intellectual property law experience in several countries and an MBA from the University of South Carolina, USA.

She previously held the Deputy CEO role in a Southern hemisphere-based NGO providing web-based information to support innovation, including by disadvantaged communities, committed to local solutions in the areas of food security and public health. She and her husband, Mariano, have four children, and he enjoys being the primary caregiver.