Born in Berkeley, California and raised in a household steeped in social and environmental justice, I attendedanti-Apartheid protests as a boy and have been passionate about righteous causes ever since. During university, while studying history and literature, I chose "Alternative Spring Break" working with Mexican migrant farmworkers in rural Texas instead of partying. Before law school, I spent a year in Costa Rica writing about environmental and human rights issues across Central America, including a cover story on police reform in Guatemala following abuse of indigenous populations.

At law school, I pursued international justice through judicial clerkships at Zimbabwe's High Court and the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia in The Hague. As a Fulbright Scholar in Bulgaria, I worked on anti-corruption and human rights as the country reformed for EU membership. I began my legal career at Latham &Watkins in New York, but from my first month, leveraged my UN background to become lead lawyer for the firm's representation of Kofi Annan's newly created UN Global Compact, working with corporates to advance UN goals in human rights, labour rights, environment, and anti-corruption. I also worked with the founder of the UN Principles of Responsible Investment Initiative, helping draft its Constitution.

The term "ESG" was devised from the UN Environment Program office in Geneva that I supported as a UN lawyer. Seeking to use my legal skills for human wellbeing, I left law firm life for a vision of working with people with “hard heads and soft hearts” – that was me! This led me to Singapore and the emerging world of impact investing. I met IIX's founder early on, and the concept perfectly aligned with my values and skills. It's been incredible watching the movement grow.

Based in Singapore (with a year in Hong Kong), I've worked extensively across Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, and Thailand, applying legal expertise to advance sustainability throughout the region. From childhood activism to international law to impact investing, I've been destined for sustainability work – and I'm excited to share insights with the next generation of sustainability leaders.

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I have negotiated hundreds of millions of dollars in green and sustainable finance transactions, representing both companies and investors. I designed and oversaw an award-winning sustainability program for a NASDAQ-listed company, including its Sustainability Report and Modern Slavery Statement. My work extends to drafting and implementing comprehensive human rights and sustainability policies, with particular expertise in addressing human rights risks within global supply chains.

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I have had a lot of challenges in my career doing work without a proven blueprint and having to devise legal structures in challenging environments. I try to be resourceful and creative whilst maintaining robust and clear-thinking in the approaches I take to overcoming challenges.

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I am proud of the growth of IIX, the Un Global Compact and the UN PRI, all organizations that I was involved in early on that have had exponential growth and had significant positive impacts on the world. I am also proud of winning a lot of recognition, personally for being named to Legal 500s GC Power list for the top Green Lawyers in Southeast Asia and for a company called Maxeon's successes being the top-ranked company in Singapore for sustainability through an ESG programme I designed and oversaw and also winning an award for my human rights reporting.

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