Two new directors appointed to ITTO Secretariat

Ms Jennifer Conje (left) and Mohammed Nurudeen Iddrisu. Photos: ITTO and IISD-ENB

28 February 2024: ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru has appointed Jennifer Conje and Mohammed Nurudeen Iddrisu as directors of the Division of Forest Management and the Division of Trade and Industry, respectively. Ms Conje and Dr Iddrisu both took up their appointments in February.

Ms Conje, a national of the United States of America, was previously Assistant Director of Policy – International Programs at the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. She has worked on forest policy and project development for more than 23 years, spanning issues such as illegal logging, climate change, forest products trade, biomass, and conservation. She was Chair of the International Tropical Timber Council in 2016 and has also served the Council in various other capacities. She recently finished a two-year term as Chair of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade.

Dr Iddrisu, a national of Ghana, was previously with the Ghana Forestry Commission, where he held several positions, including Executive Director of the Timber Industry Development Division and Director of Operations. He has worked in the forest sector for about 30 years, involving teaching, academic research and work with smallholders, the timber industry, regional and state governments, and national (federal) programmes. He has a master’s degree in forest resource management from the University of Pinar del Río, Cuba, and a doctorate in forest genetics from the University of British Columbia, Canada. He was Chair of the International Tropical Timber Council in 2023 and has also served the Council in different capacities.

Ms Satkuru said she was delighted to bring such a wealth of experience into the Secretariat.

“Both Jennifer and Nurudeen are highly experienced and talented professionals with a longstanding commitment to international cooperation,” she said. “Both have also shown a deep understanding of ITTO and a passion for its mission. I welcome them to the Secretariat and look forward to working with them.”

The two appointments come in the wake of the retirements of two experienced ITTO staff members, Dr Steven Johnson and Dr Hwan Ok Ma.