Dr. Garo Batmanian is a biologist and ecologist with a PhD in Ecology from the University of Georgia. Since 2023, he has served as Director General of the Brazilian Forest Service under Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, and as TFFF's lead in Brazil. In the 1990s, he helped establish WWF Brazil and was its first Secretary General. He also co-founded the Forest Stewardship Council in 1994 and contributed to its national standards. Prior to his current role, Dr. Batmanian spent over 18 years at the World Bank, mostly in senior roles related to forests and the environment across Latin America, Asia, and globally. For about five years, he was the Bank’s global lead for forests, landscapes, and biodiversity.