Acelerar la transformación de los edificios de madera

Donald Brenninkmeijer

Donald Brenninkmeijer has more than twenty years’ experience in executive, advisory and board positions. He is a passionate advocate for more sustainable food systems. Donald’s current role is as Special Adviser to COFRA’s Sustainable Food Group, which comprises two operating companies: Dalsem, a leading high-tech greenhouse developer, Ontario Plants Propagation, the leading propagator in North America.

In addition, Donald chairs the COFRA shareholder Food Group, exploring alternative ways to become a Force for Good in the transformation of the food system as well as an advisory role for the group’s retail endeavours, building off his experience as C&A’s Chief Brand, Customer and Sustainability Officer and Chief Innovation Officer.

Donald chairs Laudes Foundation’s Investment Committee and serves as Chairman of Built by Nature. He is also a member of the Brenninkmeijer family office’s supervisory board and oversees the Nextgen family career development programme, Areta.

Donald received a Licentiate in International Management from University of St Gallen, Switzerland.

Leslie Johnston

As its first CEO, Leslie Johnston leads the development and execution of Laudes Foundation’s strategy and operating model to deliver on its vision in which global markets value all people and respect nature. Leslie currently serves on the boards of the European Venture Philanthropy Association (as Chair), Fashion for Good BV, the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE), and Built by Nature Stichting (as Vice Chair) as well as University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose Advisory Board. Leslie has over 25 years of management experience across business, entrepreneurship, development, and philanthropy. Previously, she headed C&A Foundation as its first Executive Director, repositioning it as a global catalyst to make fashion a force for good. She served as Executive Director of the Argidius Foundation, Deputy Director for TechnoServe in Africa and a management consultant for McKinsey & Company.

Bob van der Zande

A respected urban strategist and advisor to cities, regions, investors and developers, Bob’s areas of specialisation include building-in-wood and mass timber, social impact, inclusive area development, and public-private collaboration via the Triple Helix model. He is director of the Mass Timber Programme in residential development in the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam also organiser of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Waterfront Cities Council, past chair of ULI in the Netherlands, member and past chair of the European Urban Regeneration ULI Council, participant in five ULI Advisory Services Panels, and a global ULI Trustee. Having graduated as an urban designer from the Delft University of Technology, Bob has been working for decades in the public sector with the City of Amsterdam and the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam.

Brigit Gerritse

Brigit Gerritse brings over 30 years of experience in the built environment to the Built by Nature Board of Directors. As Managing Director of the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC), she is a leading advocate for sustainable urban development, with a focus on integrating environmental and social goals.

Her background in urban planning and leadership roles across both public and private sectors, with including Redevco, Urban Land Institute, and Kern, reflect a career dedicated to long-term impact and collaboration. Brigit is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and holds a degree in Urban Planning from the University of Amsterdam.

“A built environment without ecological or social value has no future value. I’m excited to help turn that insight into action with Built by Nature.”

Viviane Regout

Viviane is Executive Director of BAM Residential. In this position, she is responsible for BAM Wonen, area developer AM and the Homestudios experience centre, forming together BAM Residential.  These companies contribute to BAM’s mission of «building a sustainable tomorrow» by developing, constructing and renovating sustainable housing.

Viviane was previously CEO of Lister Buildings. This family-owned company focuses on investing in, developing and managing real estate and started in 2022 with manufacturing circular timber residential buildings in its own factory. Previously, she has worked for 10 years as director of portfolio renewal at housing corporation Ymere and held various management positions at among others Heilijgers and Kristal. Viviane holds a Master’s degree in Architecture & the Built Environment from the Technical University Delft.

With 28 years of experience in the real estate sector, Viviane has proven herself to be a resilient leader. Her approach combines a purpose-driven, people-focused and business-oriented perspective. She leverages her expertise to address the housing and climate crises; two of today’s most pressing societal challenges. Viviane will join the board of Built by Nature to contribute to the transition towards “a built environment in unison with nature” and the advancement of biobased construction: “My commitment is to place nature at the centre and try to keep the planet liveable for all living beings.”

Paul King

Paul King joined Built by Nature as CEO in September 2023. He had served as Managing Director, Sustainability and Social Impact, Lendlease Europe, since February 2015.

Previously he was the founding CEO of the UK Green Building Council, May 2007 – January 2015. Before that he worked for WWF-UK as Director of Campaigns, Campaign Director for WWF’s One Million Sustainable Homes campaign and co-founder of One Planet Living.

Paul was a Director of BeOnsite, a not-for-profit organisation that supports people furthest from work into sustained employment, and a Design Council Expert Specialist in the areas of sustainability and net zero carbon. Between February 2017 and February 2023, he was a trustee and Vice Chair of the Board of Centre for London, the city’s only dedicated think tank.

Paul was Chairman of the public/private sector Zero Carbon Hub 2008 – 2016 and a member of the Zero Carbon Homes 2016 Task Force, established by the UK Government to translate the zero carbon homes policy ambition into reality. He was a member of the UK Government’s Green Construction Board and Chair of its Buildings Working Group. He was also a member of the Low Carbon Construction IGT, Sustainable Buildings Task Group, Code for Sustainable Homes Steering Group and the Egan Review of Skills for Sustainable Communities, all commissioned by the UK Government. On an international level, he was a member of the Board of the World Green Building Council and Chair of the WorldGBC Europe Network 2007 – 2014.

Tamara Streefland

Tamara joined Built by Nature as our first Head of Networks from systems thinking agency Metabolic, where she had taken on many separate roles, including Urban Systems Lead, Consultant and as Consulting Director. Tamara has a comprehensive international background of advising NGOs, industry, and government on building the liveable cities of the future and tackling complex sustainability challenges. Tamara has worked on over 30 projects in various global cities and regions, engaging with municipalities, developers, and other urban stakeholders. Tamara holds a Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies at Parsons The New School for Design in New York. With Tamara’s background in earth sciences, she is well-positioned to integrate knowledge on ecological impacts with creative solutions that deploy innovative technologies and are sensitive to social issues.

Ben Walker

As Head of Communications, Ben is committed to amplifying Built by Nature’s mission to transform the built environment and accelerate the adoption of sustainable timber and biobased construction solutions. Ben brings a wealth of experience from strategic communications roles across not-for-profit, government, and private sectors. Prior to joining Built by Nature, he served as Senior Communications Advisor at Constanter, and as the Strategic Communications Lead for EU Finance and the Built Environment at Laudes Foundation, where he created and deployed new narratives in support of a just transition of our buildings and cities. Ben has also led communications planning and execution of major social policy initiatives for the UK Government, including the country’s first Financial Wellbeing Strategy.

Jeroen Beek

As Built by Nature’s Head of Operations, Jeroen Beek brings a broad range of operational and service leadership to this important role. With over 15 years of relevant experience in international start-up and scale-up organisations and a background in IT with a specialisation in visual communication technologies, Jeroen now plays an instrumental role as a member of the Built by Nature senior management team. Jeroen is responsible for strategic planning, risk and financial management, human resources, governance, organisational development and office/IT management, as well as contract oversight. He also supports the governance of the Built by Nature Fund, focusing on due diligence and financial management.

Joe Giddings

Formally trained as an architect, Joe’s most recent experience as a leader in the sustainable construction movement includes his role as Projects & Campaigns Director, Timber Accelerator Hub, an initiative under the Association for Sustainable Building Products, and as a founding coordinator of the Architects Climate Action Network. As an architect, Joe worked at Rock Townsend, and is currently teaching an undergraduate design studio on the theme of bio-based materials at Oxford Brookes University School of Architecture. Joe received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from Oxford Brookes and a Masters degree from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation.

Anna Lisa McSweeney

Formally trained as an architect, Anna Lisa McSweeney has built a career at the intersection of sustainable design, advocacy, and education. She is currently the UK Networks Lead at Built by Nature and a Research Tutor at TU Delft, where she supports the next generation of architects in exploring regenerative design practices.

Previously, Anna Lisa worked at White Arkitekter, where she contributed to a wide range of residential, cultural, and public projects, and represented the London studio on the firmwide Sustainability Steering Group. She has played a strategic role in advancing sustainability within both architectural practice and advocacy, as a founding member of the Architects Climate Action Network and a steering committee member of the international Architects Declare initiative. Her work is grounded in a long-standing commitment to creating healthy cities and resilient communities through thoughtful, climate-conscious design.

Peter Fraanje

As a recognised expert on circular and biobased construction, Peter has provided guidance and direction for several organisations including the Netherlands Institute for Applied Research TNO and building contractor BAM. He has also served as Director of the Netherlands Association for Construction Suppliers at NVTB, Amsterdam and as a Board Member at Construction Products Europe CPE, Brussels. Peter also was the innovation and sustainability expert for the national association of building contractors at Bouwend Nederland. Peter holds a PhD in biobased materials and has authored numerous books and reports on the benefits of timber and biobased materials including flax, hemp and straw.

Donna Rankin

Donna is a project and programme manager with experience across both the corporate and NGO sectors. She has worked in organizations of all sizes, from small family-run businesses to large international NGOs, leading projects and programmes in communications, conservation, product development, marketing, HR, and IT/data protection. Donna holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Business Management from the University of Brighton and a Master’s degree in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of London.

Passionate about driving positive change for people and the planet, Donna supports the Built by Nature team in streamlining, structuring, and executing programmes to ensure the organization meets its strategic objectives and accelerates the transition to a sustainable built environment.

Tia Alahuhta

Tia brings a decade of experience in managing strategic partnerships in the sustainability and non-profit sectors, predominantly working with trusts and foundations and bilateral and multilateral funders. Tia has worked as Fundraising and Philanthropic Partnerships Lead at Circle Economy, where she led fundraising efforts and managed a significant funding portfolio of family and corporate foundations. Prior to this, Tia worked for Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) where she coordinated the full funding and project management cycle for governmental and non-governmental donors supporting the uptake of global standards for sustainability reporting. Tia has also worked for small NGOs in the Netherlands, Spain, and Argentina contributing to tackling some of the most critical sustainability challenges of our time.  Tia holds an MSc degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Amsterdam and a BSc degree in Sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid.

Julien Vincelot

Julien is an urban planner and strategist with over eight years of experience in health, equity, climate change mitigation, policy, and spatial planning. As Senior Fund Manager at Built by Nature, Julien oversees grant-making activities, recognising the strategic potential of transforming the built-environment into a carbon sink through timber construction and balanced forest management. Julien previously worked at BYCS and the Bernard van Leer Foundation, coordinating grants, advising implementation, and strengthening networks. Julien holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a dual Master of Science in Urban Policy.

Thijs van Stigt

As Built by Nature’s Communications Lead, Thijs brings a strong foundation in strategic storytelling and communication to this key role. With experience in biology, architecture and corporate communication, he plays a key role in shaping Built by Nature’s narrative and brand. Thijs is responsible for communications strategy, content development, editorial direction, and brand positioning. Prior to joining Built by Nature, he led PR and communications at LEVS architecten, where he managed publications, digital campaigns, and external media production. He has also taught at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and contributed to research and fundraising in the cultural sector.

Nicoletta De Pace

Nicoletta has joined Built by Nature to support our strategic objective of amplifying the progress and projects of our networks in accelerating the timber building transformation, and addressing the sustainability challenges of the built environment sector throughout Europe and the UK. Drawing upon her formal education in communication design and cultural economics, Nicoletta’s journey has reflected a range of experience in communications at the intersection of sustainability, impact entrepreneurship and culture. Reporting to our Head of Communications, Nicoletta supports the team at Built by Nature across communication activities, event planning and management, along with editorial support.

Nicoletta has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Design from Politecnico di Milano, and a Masters in Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship from Erasmus University, Rotterdam.

Catherine Hayward

Before joining Built by Nature Catherine was working at the intersection of entrepreneurship and academia, facilitating co-creation and knowledge sharing at the University Industry Innovation Network in Amsterdam. In her role as Fund Manager, she combines several of her interests, co-ordinating and collaborating with different partners and grantees in the biobased building sector to bring their innovative projects to life.  Catherine received her BSc in Conservation Ecology from Stellenbosch University and her MSc in Sustainability, Policy and Society from Maastricht University; and with her ecology and sustainability background, she is excited by the possibilities of urban transformation and the decarbonisation of our built environment – for people and the planet.

Mona Menadi

Mona Menadi has joined Built by Nature as Knowledge and Innovation Lead – a vital role in identifying, curating and compiling best practices and key insights into biobased construction from our Frontrunners, broader network and global built environment sector.

Mona joins us from Urbain des bois in Paris, where she served a Lead, Development and Innovation. She is also the Founder and President of Alternative Builders, a transdisciplinary movement that challenges the status quo of construction and urban development for just, healthy and sustainable cities. Trained as a civil and urban engineer with a political science degree, Mona brings a unique combination of technical knowledge and a holistic understanding of policy and regulations.Her skill set and personal commitment to sustainable construction and thriving cities clearly represent a valuable addition to the Built by Nature team.

Marie Cambridge

Marie Cambridge is our Office Assistant, bringing years of experience in administrative support in various U.K. and Amsterdam-based organisations. Marie will be assisting the Built by Nature team in general operational management including but not limited to, scheduling, correspondence and event logistics, records maintenance, and assistance with grants and contracts – to ensure the Amsterdam office runs smoothly and efficiently.

Harry Mills

Harry Mills is the Campaign Manager at Built by Nature, where he oversees the delivery of the Built by Nature Prize and leads the organisation’s presence and policy engagement in the lead-up to UNFCCC COP30.

Harry joined Built by Nature from the Centre for Natural Material Innovation at the University of Cambridge, where he specialized in bio-based materials. His work spans building product value chains, climate policy, stakeholder engagement, traceability, and resource-conscious design.

Harry co-chairs the Bio-based Materials Working Group for the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC). He has worked across Australia, Brazil, China, and the UK in architectural practice, research, and forestry startups, all linked by a focus on building with natural materials.

He is a Fellow of the Gottstein Trust in Australia, a Fellow of Advance HE, and a member of both the Forest Stewardship Council’s Economic North Chamber and the Royal Forestry Society in the UK.

Laura Moolenaar

Laura has recently joined the Built by Nature team as a Programme Associate, where she plays a key role in supporting the Networks team’s mission to accelerate the utilisation of timber and biobased materials in the built environment.

Graduating from the University of Amsterdam with a specialisation in sustainable housing policies across Europe, Laura’s academic journey began with her Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies from the University of Salamanca, where she initiated her research in this field.

Laura’s personal mission revolves around creating a built environment that is not only environmentally responsible but also equitable for all. She is dedicated to achieving comprehensive sustainability goals that encompass environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

In her capacity as a Programme Associate at Built by Nature, Laura brings her insights from her academic background to contribute to the organisation’s overarching mission. She is enthusiastic about collaborating with the team to drive progress and positive impact in the built environment.