Ignacio Araya

Ignacio is a conservation biologist and supply chain professional with 25+ years of professional experience. His career started in the Amazonian Rainforests of Ecuador, where he conducted scientific research and conservation efforts focused on aquatic mammals.  He also worked to strengthen and improve the management of protected areas, and worked closely with indigenous communities to develop territorial management plans and secure permanent land rights.

Later on, Ignacio obtained an MBA and pursued a successful career as a supply chain professional.  He held positions of increasing responsibility at Avery Dennison, Johnson & Johnson, and Philips, where led large operations and organizations in the US and Latin America.  Early in his corporate career Ignacio became very interested in Lean Thinking, or the Toyota Production system, which has helped develop a keen interest for process improvement.

In the past two years, thanks to the prompts of his oldest daughter, Ignacio returned to his roots in conservation, this time armed with strong business and financial acumen obtained through decades of work in the corporate world. He helped Fundación Pachamama in Ecuador develop a Bioeconomy Venture Studio that supports Amazonian startups by incubating and accelerating their business ideas. He also led the design of a nature-based carbon project aiming to restore 10,000 hectares of rainforest in the Amazonian province of Morona-Santiago, in collaboration with the Amazonian Sacred Headwaters Alliance, and the indigenous Shuar nation.

Ignacio joins Ponterra as General Manager in Panama, aiming to use his environmental and business skills to lead the implementation of ARC1, our flagship carbon project.  Ignacio’s management style is characterized by his interest in developing and empowering people, his focus on process improvement and problem-solving, and his natural curiosity that makes him always want to explore, observe, ask questions and connect dots.