Oliver Hillel is Program Officer at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) in Montreal, Canada, where he is responsible for sub-national and local action, and for mainstreaming biodiversity into economic sectors and development.

A biologist with a master’s degree in Environmental Studies and an MBA in Business Accounting and Hotel Management, Oliver has worked as a team leader for a tourism development project in the Philippines, as the Tourism Program Coordinator for UN Environment, and as Director of Conservation International’s ecotourism program. He has been managing the Convention’s engagement with provinces, regions and cities for over 10 years. Oliver also ran a family business on paper recycling, and coordinated capacity-building programs in tourism and hospitality for a Brazilian agency affiliated with the São Paulo Chamber of Commerce.

He has co-authored several key publications on nature and urban planning and sits on the board of directors of several projects and research networks.