management

Hylton M Philipson, Managing Director

Hylton first explored the Amazon basin at the age of 17 and subsequently established Morgan Grenfell in Brazil at the age of 23. He was later Chief Executive of the investment bank Henry Ansbacher in New York.

As Trustee of Rainforest Concern, Hylton has worked alongside the Commissao Pro-Indio do Acre in improving the quality of life of 650 Yawanawa people in the state of Acre, Brazil thereby helping to conserve their traditional territory of 200,000 hectares.

As Trustee of the Global Canopy Programme, Hylton has worked closely with the Government of Amazonas on developing financial value for ecosystem services.

Hylton established Wingate Ventures in 1990 providing corporate finance services to businesses making a positive contribution to the environment including:

- Agrivert – leading UK recycler of organic waste
- Geothermal International - leading UK supplier of geothermal energy
- Goingreen – suppliers of the G-Wiz electric car
- Carbon Conservation Pty Ltd
- Canopy Capital Ltd

Canopy Capital and Carbon Conservation are at the forefront of initiatives to develop investment products to attract capital into the standing forests.

Hylton has given interviews on the future of the Amazon to the Today programme on Radio 4, as well as BBC television. Hylton was a Guest Speaker at the Rainforest Gathering Conference at the Eden Project and at the Religion Science and Environment (RSE) Amazon Symposium.

Andrew Mitchell, Executive Director

Andrew W. Mitchell is a leading international authority on forests and climate change. In 2001, he founded the Global Canopy Programme (GCP), an international network linking 38 leading scientific institutions in 19 countries focused on the research and conservation of tropical forests. He is the architect of the Forests Now Declaration, which calls on Governments to take action to halt deforestation and has the support of over 300 high level endorsers, including two Heads of State.

Andrew has been an impassioned advocate of forest conservation for over 30 years, with a career spanning scientific research, broadcast journalism, and environmental policy. Before founding the Global Canopy Project, he worked at Earthwatch, overseeing 130 field research and conservation projects in 40 countries.

Andrew acts as an adviser to governments and international institutions, and is senior advisor to the Prince of Wales' Rainforest Project, established in 2007. Andrew co-founded the UK Corporate Environment Responsibility Group, and has advised on environmental policy for companies including McDonalds, Barclays and British Airways.

Andrew is the author of seven books, including A Fragile Paradise, a Sir Peter Morris Conservation Book Prize finalist (1990), which was made into a six-part BBC Radio 4 series.

Andrew is a well-known and recognisable media figure. In 2007, he gave interviews to BBC World, Sky News and Channel 4 News, and was quoted in publications from The Independent and Daily Telegraph in the UK to the Washington Post and Time Magazine in the United States.

Michael Naylor, Non-Executive Director

Michael Naylor is Senior Non-Executive Director of Libertas Capital plc, a London AIM Stock Exchange quoted investment bank, where he is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee. He is the co-founder of Forrester Partners, an international  consultancy and advisory business focused on the environmental and clean energy investment sectors.

Mr. Naylor is an advisory board member of the American Council of Renewable Energy, a not for profit (501.3c) organization based in Washington DC, where he is Chairman of the CEO Council.  Additionally Mr. Naylor is a member of the prestigious International Advisory Board of SOAS at The University London.

Mr. Naylor was an early stage investor in Aquamarine Energy,  today a successful marine renewable business based in Scotland, and was a board member from 2005 – 2007. During his board tenure the shareholder valuation of Aquamarine Energy increased significantly to be recognised as one of the most successful venture-backed renewables businesses in Europe.

Mr. Naylor is a trusted adviser to some of the world's leading Chief Executives and Chairmen in the renewable energy and sustainability sectors, and consults widely in Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.