Lucía Ruiz

Biography

With a career spanning the public and NGO sectors in Latin America, Lucía works for WWF Mexico as Coordinator for Biodiversity and Finance and has over ten years of work experience on biodiversity policy design and conservation finance. In her current position, she develops projects to empower local communities and help them thrive under sustainability frameworks.
She has collaborated with major international financial institutions to mobilize resources for biodiversity and protected areas using market-based tools and valuation of ecosystem services. In her previous position within Mexico’s government, Lucía was responsible for leading Mexico’s Protected Areas teams on conservation finance, private sector engagement, and consolidation of value chains, including efforts to scale-up local productive initiatives. Previously, she worked as an independent consultant exploring how to mainstream biodiversity into policy instruments and the development agenda in Latin America and Mexico. She began her professional career in Mexico’s rainforest, where she implemented Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes and developed local policies for rural land-use planning. She has closely worked with international organizations including GEF, UNDP, UNEP, GIZ, KfW and AFD.
Lucía is a biologist and holds a Master in Environmental Management from Yale University. She enjoys hiking in nature and this last year has re-discovered her passion for picnics at different urban parks in Mexico City.