Candidate info
Particular qualifications:
Madhu is a skilled conservation practitioner with over 25 years of policy and field experience. She is committed to enabling conservation impact at scale, with involvement ranging from field implementation to regional and global policy development. Experienced with developing and operationalising multi-stakeholder conservation alliances working across institutions, often in complex political situations, she believes in maintaining a positive and transparent work environment that facilitates collaboration even when there are divergent positions. Diplomacy and consensus-building skills have been critically important in helping convene diverse groups and creating the potential for new ideas and initiatives to emerge. With relevant experience in personnel and financial and organisational management, Madhu has the ability to delegate effectively, and to empower and motivate teams toward desired outcomes. Her deep knowledge and experience with conservation challenges and solutions are valuable assets for mobilising the Commission’s expertise to achieve conservation impact. Strongly purpose-driven, she is able to work across disciplinary and core expertise boundaries to engage and influence policies and action by functionally diverse organisations. She has lived and worked in both emerging economies and developed nations with accumulated experience in resource mobilisation as well as programme strategy development and implementation. As elected Chair of the WCPA (2021-2025), Madhu has worked with its members on the delivery of the Commission’s mandate. Under her leadership, the Commission has grown its membership, expanded its scope of work and influence, significantly increased the body of knowledge products related to area-based conservation, and leveraged strategic partnerships to advance policy implementation.
Experience in fields of concern to IUCN:
Madhu is currently serving her first term as Chair of the IUCN WCPA. Over the past four years, she has gained first-hand experience in governance and management of the 3000-member Commission. She has developed strong alliances and partnerships across the IUCN, with its members, other Commissions, and with the various elements of the IUCN Secretariat. As a member of the Council of IUCN, Madhu has contributed significantly to the governance of IUCN, providing financial and programmatic oversight of the Secretariat as well as contributing to the development of IUCN’s Work Programme for 2026-2029. Under Madhu’s leadership, the WCPA, working alongside the Secretariat and other IUCN Commissions, supported and co-led the delivery of three congresses: The Asia Parks Congress (2022), The Africa Protected Areas Congress (2022), and the International Marine Protected Areas Congress (2023). Madhu has guided the implementation of relevant IUCN Resolutions through the work of the WCPA Task Forces and Specialist Groups. Madhu has built on her research and policy experience to expand the Commission’s focus on priority areas such as climate change, restoration, One Health, effectiveness, governance, spatial planning, marine and inland water protection, and global biodiversity policy. She has good knowledge on the functioning of the Union, and the intersections of the Commissions’ mandate with the roles and responsibilities of the Union’s members, the Secretariat, and its Commissions.