GLOBAL FISHING WATCH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director, Grants and Business Affairs
Adam Reyer is responsible for all grants, contracts and other agreements Global Fishing Watch executes, along with grant budgeting, financial reporting and compliance. He works across the organization and with legal counsel to ensure that Global Fishing Watch adheres to best practices and effectively manages risk.
Adam brings 30 years of experience in business development, finance and operations for leading digital media/technology and nonprofit organizations, including Discovery Communications, XM Satellite Radio and Oceana. He helped launch Global Fishing Watch while at Oceana, and then served as chief operating officer/chief financial officer from its initiation as an independent entity through its start-up phase.
Adam holds a master of business administration in finance from Columbia University and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a total music head, and also loves mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding and dogs.
Job Titles:
- Head of Analysis and Capacity Development and Technology Transfer, Global Programs
- Senior Manager, Analysis and Capacity Building
Adel Heenan leads Global Fishing Watch's analysis and capacity development work which aims to use open data about human activities at sea to address the information needs for sustainable fisheries. By collaborating with national and regional agencies, Heenan seeks to create evidence-based outputs that can help improve the management of marine resources and better equip decision-makers to take part in the digital transformation of the marine sector.
Heenan has more than 15 years of marine resource management experience, with a focused expertise on tropical marine systems. Before coming to Global Fishing Watch, she worked in various capacities, including as: associate professor at the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University; a Red List and CITES officer for the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Shark Specialist Group; and a senior researcher for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in a pan-Pacific ecosystem monitoring team. Her expertise lies in large-scale monitoring and helping countries develop capacity for an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Heenan has a doctorate degree in marine conservation from the University of Edinburgh, a Master of Science in tropical coastal management from Newcastle University, and she is a qualified teaching fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the U.K.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Training and Extension Manager
Job Titles:
- Program Officer
- Program Officer - Latin America
Alejandro Canio is a program officer for Global Fishing Watch and helps advance fisheries transparency in Latin America, where the transparency program aims to support fisheries management efforts and assists governments and other relevant institutions towards sustainability in the region.
Alejandro previously worked with various interdisciplinary teams on diverse marine projects in Argentina. Focused on the sustainable use of the living, non-living and marine genetic resources of Patagonia, his work has included the adoption of new fisheries legislation, putting in place an integrated coastal zone management, helping ensure UNESCO World Heritage status for the Valdés Peninsula, as well as monitoring marine protected areas against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Alejandro holds a master of law on the law of the sea and maritime affairs from the University of Western Brittany, France, and a doctorate from the University of Buenos Aires on the legal regime of the living resources of the deep seabed. He is a professor at the National Technological University, Argentina, a musician and practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Job Titles:
- Software Engineering Lead, Google
Andrea Sánchez-Tapia supports the research and innovation team at Global Fishing Watch. She provides technical expertise in data science and coordination assistance for our partnerships with academia and research institutions. She also helps maintain Global Fishing Watch's packages and workflows in R, a programming language used in statistical computing and graphics.
Deeply inspired by internationalization, inclusion and accessibility as core components of open science, Andrea has been actively involved in R-Ladies, an organization that promotes gender diversity in the R community, and The Carpentries, a nonprofit organization that utilizes active learning and collaboration to teach software engineering and data science to researchers. She serves as a Software Sustainability Institute fellow, leading the localization effort of The Turing Way, a community-led guide for best practices in reproducibility and collaborative data science.
Andrea earned a doctoral degree in botany from Escola Nacional de Bot nica Tropical of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, where she worked at the scientific computation laboratory. She holds a master's of science in ecology from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and a bachelor's of science in biology from Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Treasurer, Global Fishing Watch Co - Founder / CEO, Oceana
Job Titles:
- Automation and Data Engineer
- Computer Science Engineer
Andrés is a Computer Science engineer with experience on full-stack development. He works on Global Fishing Watch data processing platform, including big data processing technologies, API's, visualization applications and infrastructure management. Other than computer science, Andrés loves rock climbing, running and basketball.
Job Titles:
- Director, Product Development
Anna Sanders leads the development and management of Global Fishing Watch's innovative products. Her team works closely with ocean stakeholders to understand their needs and co-create data-driven management tools to support the sustainable use of our oceans.
With over 15 years of experience, Anna has led small and large global teams pioneering technology-based solutions to address ocean conservation and maritime security. As a distinguished U.S. Coast Guard officer, Anna provided daily intelligence briefings to the commandant, led strategic efforts in Arctic policy and geospatial intelligence, directed more than 20 international fisheries intelligence operations throughout the Pacific Ocean, and brought global attention to illegal fishing practices through capacity building and advocacy.
In 2019, Anna received a commendation award from Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans for her role in the apprehension of an illegal high seas drift net vessel and her contributions to advancing ocean conservation and protection.
Before joining Global Fishing Watch, Anna led the Skylight Project, Paul G. Allen's philanthropic technology project to end illegal fishing. She holds a bachelor of science in marine and environmental science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a master of science in science and technology intelligence from the National Intelligence University. She continues to serve in the Coast Guard Reserves.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Product Manager
- Associate Product Manager / Data Analyst
Annie supports the product development team in the execution and maintenance of Global Fishing Watch's map and marine manager portal, helping to advance ocean governance through access to open ocean data. She works with external stakeholders to cultivate feedback channels, coordinates the design and delivery of training on Global Fishing Watch products and reviews product analytics.
Prior to Global Fishing Watch, Annie pursued a master of science degree in resources, environment and sustainability at the University of British Columbia, with a focus on fisheries economics. Annie has also conducted marine conservation, environmental and geospatial work across government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and academia in Hong Kong, Chile and the United States. In her spare time, Annie enjoys swimming in the nearest body of water, diving, exploring new cuisines and spending time with her family and friends.
Avi Fichman brings more than 20 years of experience with not-for-profit organizations to the Global Fishing Watch operations team, applying a strategic and operational approach to financial management by holistically evaluating the impact of organizational activity on its finances.
Prior to joining Global Fishing Watch, Avi led other international NGO financial teams that worked to support refugees and most recently, teacher training in public schools in Mexico and Brazil to create brighter futures for Latin American youth. Avi holds a master's degree in public policy, nonprofit management from New York University and a bachelor of science in operations management from Syracuse University. He savors time at the ocean, listening to the waves while reading a good book.
Bjorn Bergman works to systematically detect false automatic identification system (AIS) vessel tracking positions and to characterize specific patterns associated with intentional data manipulation and data errors resulting from third party interference in the GPS system. Bjorn has worked on many aspects of Global Fishing Watch since its inception, from helping to develop the fishing map prototype to working directly with governments in Latin America to incorporate their satellite tracking data into our map. He has also written a number of blog posts documenting cases of AIS data manipulation.
Previously, Bjorn worked in a research lab and as a fisheries observer collecting biological data on commercial fishing boats in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. He has a degree in biology from Yale University and has traveled extensively throughout Latin America-particularly in Peru, where he spent time as a child-and returns to the region frequently.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Chair, Global Fishing Watch Co - Founder / Senior Program Manager, Google Earth Outreach
Job Titles:
- Biodiversity Officer, Latin America
Carlos Chacon leads Global Fishing Watch's efforts to conserve and protect biodiversity, and improve the management of marine protected areas in the Latin American region. By leveraging the organization's cutting-edge data and analysis tools, Carlos works closely with governments and local partners to enhance their ocean stewardship capacities.
Before coming to Global Fishing Watch, Carlos helped further the marine conservation goals at PACIFICO Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing financial support for the sustainable management of the Eastern Tropical Pacific. He also spent several years at The Nature Conservancy developing tools, policies and incentives to increase private lands conservation throughout Latin America.
Carlos earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of Costa Rica and also holds a master's degree in environmental studies and communications from the University of Idaho.
In his spare time, Carlos enjoys open water swimming, cycling, yoga and training for triathlons.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, Analysis and Capacity Building
Charles is the Director, Analysis and Capacity Building at Global Fishing Watch and is heading up the Analysis Cell, which is an international team of fisheries analysts all using Global Fishing Watch's data to support governments and organisations to better understand the fisheries they are responsible for managing. Charles brings 14 years of experience in fisheries governance, initially starting as a marine reserve manager in the UK and Indian Ocean. Working in the field he quickly picked up on the key challenges facing marine conservation and decided to transition to fisheries management to try and help meet one of the biggest of those challenges, IUU fishing. Over the next 10 years as a fisheries consultant working with governments, international bodies, industry and fishing communities across the world he promoted the development of sustainable fisheries and worked towards robust monitoring control and surveillance systems. Through this work Charles has been at the forefront of a shift to incorporating big data analysis and remote sensing techniques to extend people's horizons and help bring understanding to what is happening on the oceans.
Job Titles:
- Data Analyst
- Research and Innovation
Christian Homberg supports Global Fishing Watch's product development team, leading efforts in data quality assurance through the development of procedures, tests and reviews that maintain the integrity of the organization's data and products. With a background in data analysis and engineering, Christian is well positioned to anticipate potential issues in a wide range of data sets, develop monitoring mechanisms as well as automate testing for continuous quality assurance.
Christian developed financial compliance analysis tools before taking on various roles like data analyst, engineer and architect among startup companies in Germany and the U.K.
Christian holds a master's degree in information systems from University of Münster.
When Christian is not in front of his laptop, he enjoys traveling, music, football and cooking.
Job Titles:
- Director, International Policy
Courtney leads Global Fishing Watch's international affairs work. Through strategic engagement with international fora and policy-making processes, the international affairs function works to advance our goal of increasing transparency of human activity at sea to drive greater ocean governance. Previously, Courtney worked for The Pew Charitable Trusts' Ending Illegal Fishing Project where she assisted government implementation of policies to tackle illegal fishing and associated human rights issues. Courtney has previously consulted for United Nations environment and development initiatives in Asia and the Pacific. She holds a BSc and MSc in Marine Science, specializing in the sustainable management of commercial fisheries.
Job Titles:
- Consultant for West Africa
- Program Manager - West and Central Africa
Dame Mboup is a Global Fishing Watch consultant for West Africa and the acting lead in Africa, advocating for transparency in the fisheries sector by providing public information related to monitoring, control and surveillance.
A former Senegalese Navy captain, Dame served as the director of Senegal's monitoring, control and surveillance department. He has been a member of the drafting group for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Port States Measures Agreement (PSMA) to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and vice president in the technical consultation to finalize the text. The agreement was adopted by the UN in 2009. Dame was the chairman of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission Monitoring Working Group involved in the management of combined fisheries surveillance operations in the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) area. He also represented his country in the International Conference on the Governance of High Seas Fisheries and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFA) in St. Johns, Canada, in May 2005. Certified in public management and administration, Dame also enjoys jogging and farming in his spare time.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Communications
Dave leads the strategic development and maintenance of the Global Fishing Watch website. He works closely with stakeholders across the organization to set the vision for the website, ensuring it delivers on organizational objectives and engages audiences through new and innovative tools.
Before joining Global Fishing Watch, Dave served as the associate vice president of web development and content strategy at Grand Valley State University where he led the department in strategic planning and application development and helped develop new policies to promote and protect the university's brand.
In his spare time, Dave enjoys birding, video games, pickleball and travel.
Dave holds a master's degree in computer science and a bachelor's degree in communications from Grand Valley State University.
Job Titles:
- Director, Research and Innovation
David Kroodsma leads the Global Fishing Watch research and innovation team, which includes data scientists, machine learning engineers and a network of research partners around the globe. Working collaboratively across the organization, Kroodsma guides his team to develop the new datasets, models and methods that underpin Global Fishing Watch's platform and the scientific discoveries of its partners. He oversees the development of the organization's key algorithms, including fishing, transshipment, and dark target algorithms, and has co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed papers with other experts in the research network.
Prior to joining Global Fishing Watch, Kroodsma worked across disciplines to address global environmental challenges. He spent the first part of his career working in a laboratory at the Carnegie Institution of Washington studying the carbon cycle, and later went on to the Skoll Global Threats Fund where he conducted research on the combined risks of water scarcity and climate change. Kroodsma also worked as a data journalist for Climate Central, a U.S.-based research organization, and authored an award-winning travelogue about his bicycle journey across the Americas and the need to raise awareness about the growing climate crisis.
He earned a master's degree in earth systems and a Bachelor of Science in physics from Stanford University, focusing his graduate work on modeling Earth's carbon cycle.
Job Titles:
- Director, Technology and Engineering
Job Titles:
- RS Machine Learning Engineer
Job Titles:
- Program Officer - Central Africa
Job Titles:
- Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries in Norway
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Product Development
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary of the Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Co - Founder / Chief Policy Officer for North America, Oceana
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Economics, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer, SkyTruth
Job Titles:
- Machine Learning Engineer
Job Titles:
- Fisheries Analyst - Joint Analytical Cell and Applied Research
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Co - Founder / CEO, SkyTruth
Job Titles:
- Internal Communications Manager and Executive Assistant
Job Titles:
- International Policy Officer
Job Titles:
- Fisheries Analyst - European Union
Job Titles:
- Principal Advisor, Paradise Foundation and Systemiq
Job Titles:
- Chief Operations Officer
- COO
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Product Development
Job Titles:
- Automation and Data Engineer
Job Titles:
- Senior Fisheries Analyst - Joint Analytical Cell ( JAC )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Vice Chair / Senior Associate, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Manager - Latin America
Job Titles:
- Communications Officer - Latin America
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Business Development
Job Titles:
- Chief Innovation Officer
- CIO
Job Titles:
- Fisheries Analyst - Latin America
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Fisheries Analyst - Applied Research
Rollan Geronimo is a fisheries analyst on the applied research team working collaboratively with Global Fishing Watch partners to identify, design and develop impact-driven research projects that support the organization's mission. Rollan brings extensive knowledge to his team on topics encompassing Asian fisheries, tropical marine ecosystems, geospatial statistics and the use of satellites in fisheries monitoring.
Rollan has worked on various marine conservation projects in the Philippines. He previously served as a specialist in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing for the USAID-funded Fish Right program. He has more than 15 years of experience in marine conservation and fisheries management, applying analytics to marine reserve design, ecosystem modeling, fisheries mapping and climate change projections. Before joining Global Fishing Watch, Rollan worked with various organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Bank and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Rollan earned a master's degree in marine science from the University of the Philippines. He's a woodworking and hydroponics enthusiast.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Communications and Partnerships
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Papua New Guinea 's Fishing Industry Association
"Our tuna fishery is one of the largest in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean and represents a key source of protein for more than 9 million people in Papua New Guinea. Taking care of our tuna stocks is a priority, and with support from Global Fishing Watch's monitoring technology, we can strengthen enforcement, contribute to regional collaboration to eliminate illegal fishing and also demonstrate our commitment to promoting food security and the blue economy."
Job Titles:
- Head of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance at the Directorate of Fisheries
Thord Monsen, head of monitoring, control and surveillance at the Directorate of Fisheries.
Job Titles:
- Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Global Analysis / Communications and Partnerships